“Wicked” defies viewers’ negative expectations
After over a decade of anticipation, “Wicked” the movie adaptation is finally here and has exceeded audience expectations. From the plot, to the acting, to the technical elements, all bases were covered and the production truly carried the magic of Oz into theaters.
“Wicked” follows the story of what happens before the book, “The Wizard of Oz” and explains how the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good came to be. The movie features a talented cast, including popular singer Ariana Grande as Galinda Upland, actress Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp, “Bridgerton” star Jonathan Bailey as Prince Fiyero and other Hollywood stars such as Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Ethan Slater, Peter Dinklage, Bowen Yang and Marissa Bode. After the casting announcement, fans were unsure about this approach, as Ariana Grande typically produces pop genre music whereas “Wicked” is a musical. Many fans, including myself, were hoping that director Jon M. Chu would stick to a more traditional approach to the production, which thankfully, was the case.
With such a famous cast list, my expectations for the acting in this movie were high. After watching the film, I can confidently say that the acting was phenomenal and the actors perfectly delivered the emotional moments. From the scenes between Galinda and Elphaba, displaying their blossoming friendship, to the excitement and joy radiating from the characters in the Emerald City, to the incredible choreography throughout the movie: everyone nailed their roles. With “Wicked” being a musical, singing is a large portion of the performance, and when Erivo said that was “her line,” in her famous Target commercial, she meant it. Her version of the “Defying Gravity” riff is one of my new favorites. Erivo and Grande’s versions of the songs “Popular” and “What Is This Feeling” were also amazing and displayed their on-screen chemistry well. Unlike many adaptations, the movie did not make any major changes to the plot, songs or characters, which in my opinion, is one of the things that led to its immediate box-office success with millions of tickets being sold. The movie also featured a nod to the original cast of the Broadway production, leaving audiences very touched. This moment felt like a passing of the torch to the new cast, which was appreciated by many fans.
While the film was unable to bring back the nostalgic feel of the 1939 “Wizard of Oz” film, “Wicked” immersed audiences into the wonderful world of Oz through extravagant sets, intricate costumes and impressive vocals. The details of the set were truly incredible in scenes with songs such as “Popular” and “One Short Day.” It made the magic of the movie exist in ways it could not have in a Broadway production. I found myself staring at the screen in awe of all of the intricacy and sheer beauty, from Galinda’s frilly costumes, to the sleek design of the Emerald City train, to the extravagance of the Emerald City town square. Every time the frame changed, there was a new detail to notice, which also helped make the nearly three-hour movie feel no more than an hour.
Speaking of how long the movie is, it is important to note that the production has been split into separate parts, the first part covering the events of the first act of the Broadway musical and the second being the second act. After the end of the first act there is a large time jump, meaning that next year in part two of “Wicked,” the movie will kick off about five years after the last scene of part one. This was a decision I was unsure about, as typically two-part movies are unnecessary and extremely stretched in terms of plot. However, I felt that this was done tastefully and ensured audiences the best possible way to feel connected to the characters. By making the movie two parts, movie executives were able to incorporate a lot more character background development that brought a level of depth to the characters that was previously overlooked, since the whole musical typically ran for about two and a half hours.
While I am sad to wait an entire year for the next part, I understand why they split the script and am content with the first part for now. I, like many others, appreciate the efforts made by the cast and directors to keep the movie as close to the original production as possible. The movie is definitely in my top three movies released this year and I will be going back to theaters to watch it again.
