The long-running musical about the Wicked Witch of the West’s origins, which has lit up Broadway for the past 21 years, has, at long last, made its way onto movie screens.
Wicked, also known as Wicked: Part 1, is just as much a spectacle as the Broadway hit itself, made even more so by ingenious and dazzling direction from Jon M. Chu.
The man behind Crazy Rich Asians and the fantastic but under-appreciated In the Heights film adaptation, Chu has given audiences precisely what they should expect from the cinematic take on Wicked, and then some.
See Also: ‘Megalopolis’ Review: From The Heart, For The Future
For those living under a field of poppies, Wicked tells the tale of Elphaba (Tony-award winner Cynthia Erivo), a green-skinned woman who inadvertently gets enrolled into Shiz University with her younger sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) because she accidentally lets her supernatural powers show.
Taken under the wing of Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), she is given the sole spot in her class where she can learn to expand her abilities.
Meanwhile, she is forced to bunk with the rich Galinda (credited here as Ariana Grande-Butera), a blonde, bubbly, self-loving picture of perfection who isn’t too keen on having a roommate.
Because of her green skin, Elphaba isn’t taken kindly to by the other students and finds herself on the outside looking in. But after a few traumatic incidents and a burgeoning connection with Galinda, she finally finds the power to come into her own. And because of her gifts, Madame Morrible is insistent she gets an audience with the Wizard (of Oz).
Enter Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), a princely stud who joins the university, and while not just being smitten with himself, he finds himself kinda/sorta interested in Galinda. But could there be something between Elphaba and Fiyero, as well?
Elphaba and Galinda’s friendship goes on an upswing, and the two end up finding themselves on a journey to meet the Wizard and discover where Elphaba’s place in the world truly is. And Galinda is there as her stalwart support.
But things aren’t totally what they seem. In fact, some of it could be… wicked.
Jon M. Chu has fashioned a stunning-looking film, taking big nods from the classic The Wizard of Oz but making it his own technicolor palette at the same time. In fact, early in the film, we fleetingly see Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion skipping along the yellow brick road toward Oz.
Chu crafts a film that harkens back to the old movie musicals like Oliver or Willy Wonka. From the choreography to the costumes to the sets, “Wicked” feels wickedly old-school in the most modern and fantastic ways. It’s a musical for all ages that is destined to become a staple for the holidays.
If audiences haven’t already heard, the movie is split into two halves, with Wicked Part 2 arriving at the end of next year. This first part pretty much ends where Act One of the musical ends, but at two hours and forty minutes, how could that be if that was the running time of the entire Broadway production?
Well, “Wicked,” the show, is based on Gregory Maguire’s popular book of the same name. The book itself is a bit darker than what appeared on stage, and a number of subplots had to be removed to stage the story.
Wisely, original musical writer Winnie Holzman (My So Called Life) and screenwriter Dana Fox (Cruella) have expanded the story to include some of those areas lost or skimmed over in the stage musical. This allows the story to dive deeper into the characters (especially Elphaba) and bring a much richer tapestry of characters to the screen. The world becomes that much bigger for it, and it works beautifully on its own and as a sort of prequel to the 1939 classic starring Judy Garland. (I’m dying to see how those characters are worked into the second half. Especially as there were a few hints throughout Part One.)
An entire subplot about the widespread rounding up of animals so they won’t speak has never felt more immediate and timely, as well as the clear comparison to racial division.
The cast here is uniformly spectacular. Cynthia Erivo brings a gravitas to a role that, on the outside, might seem a bit silly: a shy, green-skinned lady with intense powers. But we never feel that silliness. There are clear analogies between her character’s appearance and the racism mentioned earlier, and you can feel the underlying emotion it brings. At the same time, there is a strength in that. At one point, Elphaba is offered the chance to change her appearance. She does consider it, her eyes debating what life would be like, but ultimately, she chooses something else. It’s at once heart-breaking and heart-stunning at the same time.
Pop star Grande is the real surprise here. Her recording artist persona is a bit more reserved and seductive, and her eyes are a bit more blank, as if she wants you to project your own experiences and connections to her music onto her.
Here, she is the life of the party, with never-ending energy and wickedly good comic timing. While she is a great impersonator, sometimes it felt like she was channeling Kristen Chenoweth (the original Galinda on Broadway), but in other ways, she made the role her own. Initially, I wasn’t sure about this casting, but I have to admit you can’t take your eyes off her when she’s on screen. She’s an absolute star.
Bailey has a fun song (“Dancing Through Life”) to show off his dancing and singing talents and has some lovely moments, but it seems like Part Two might offer him even more to do.
Yeoh is regal and a bit hard as the school supernatural arts instructor. And Jeff Goldblum is his usual charming, stuttering self as the Wizard.
Bowen Yang provides some comic relief as one of Galinda’s school chums, Pfannee, and Ethan Slater as Boq promises more in the next installment.
One thing is for sure: Wicked will have you moved, dazzled, and filled with joy throughout its time on screen. The running time might seem daunting, but it flies by and leaves you wanting more.
Fans will rejoice that not one song from the musical was cut, and it is honorable that songwriter Stephen Schwartz and the filmmakers didn’t feel the need to jerry-rig a new song in just to get an Oscar nomination.
Speaking of, Wicked is a shoo-in for a host of nominations, including Best Picture, Director, Actress(es), Cinematography, Editing, Visual Effects, and Score.
The stage show itself has become a classic, and now the film will join its ranks as a movie musical that will be beloved for decades to come.
Wicked opens in theaters on November 22, 2024.
