Wicked (2024)

"Wicked" stars Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Keala Settle, and Peter Dinklage.  Releasing on November 22, 2024, the film explores a green-skinned woman's path to becoming the Wicked Witch of the West.

The film is directed by Jon M. Chu, who also directed films such as "Step Up 2: The Streets", "G.I. Joe: Retaliation", "Jem and the Holograms", "Crazy Rich Asians", and "In the Heights".  It is the first of a two-part adaptation of Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz's stage musical.  It is also based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel and characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz created by L. Frank Baum.  "The Wizard of Oz" is a timeless cinematic classic involving a young girl and her misfit allies traveling through a fantastical world searching for a "powerful" wizard capable of making their dreams come true.  However, that particular wizard isn't exactly what I would call "powerful," if you know what I mean.  Of course, one of the obstacles standing in her way is the wickedly cruel Wicked Witch of the West, whose green skin is enough for her to pass off as Shrek's ex-girlfriend.  But what if I told you that she wasn't always this wicked?  The answer comes from the iconic Broadway adaptation of Gregory Maguire's 1995 prequel novel, "Wicked".

Before Sam Raimi chronicled the Wicked Witch's transformation with "Oz the Great and Powerful", another "Wizard of Oz" prequel handled it better than the Disney version, and it was a musical.  With its vibrant musical numbers and lovable characters, "Wicked" depicts the early days of the soon-to-be-Wicked Witch of the West way before Dorothy arrives to melt her with a bucket of water.  It shows how this witch embarked on this path to villainy and chronicles her unexpected friendship with Glinda the Good Witch before they became opposing enemies.  In short, this inspired other prequels involving former friends being memorable rivals like "X-Men: First Class" and the recent "Transformers One".  With the success and legacy the Broadway musical left behind, it was only a matter of time before Hollywood decided to make it the latest addition to its musical production adaptations.  After years of development, does it provide enough magic and emotion to match the Broadway musical's narrative scope or make us want to melt it with water?  Let's travel to the land of Oz and find out.

The story takes place before the events of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  It follows Elphaba Thropp (Erivo), a shy and misunderstood woman born with green skin who attends Shiz University with her sister Nessarose (Bode).  While attempting to fit in, Elphaba finds herself at odds with her dorm mate, the bubbly and self-centered Galinda Upland (Grande), who cares little for others.  While initially rivals, Elphaba and Galinda eventually become good friends as they help each other achieve their dreams, including Elphaba's desire to meet the Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Goldblum).  During their journey, the two pals gradually find themselves on different paths that would change their lives and the entirety of Oz.

"The Wizard of Oz" has been one of my favorite films from my childhood, so I strived to watch any adaptation relating to the source material.  Yes, that includes the Muppet version of "The Wizard of Oz" featuring Ashanti back in 2005.  But, for some reason, "Wicked" is one of many I have not seen.  I have attended several theatre productions throughout my life, either as an audience member or a supporting actor at school, but "Wicked" is one of the few popular ones that I have not attended.  Although, that could be because I'm not a successful billionaire like the rest of the world.  Seriously, those Broadway tickets cost as much as a superhero blockbuster.  But, the release of the film adaptation of "Wicked", which is split into two parts, allowed me to finally see it for myself without traveling many miles and spending a fortune watching it live.  When in doubt, always go for the cheaper route of watching a musical: at the cinema.

"Wicked" is another adaptation that resembles some of the most memorable sequences from the Broadway musical.  Most importantly, it also changes a few elements to match its cinematic scale and even connect to the books and the 1939 movie it's based on.  Since I was more exposed to the Judy Garland film, this movie brought back plenty of memories of me watching "The Wizard of Oz" as a child…and being terrified by an army of winged monkeys.  But, of course, it had the task of being more than just a nostalgic trip down the yellow brick road, whether someone is a fan of "The Wizard of Oz" or "Wicked".  After experiencing it for the first time in a packed crowd, I can say with the goodness of my heart that it accomplished this task easily, or should I say "defied it"?  In fact, I would even say that I get the hype surrounding this concept.  "Wicked" is a profound, lively, and thoughtfully complex expansion of the "Wizard of Oz" world that conveys more than how we see the characters we grew up with, mainly Glinda and Elphaba.

For the film adaptation, Jon M. Chu and screenwriters Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox took this immaculate storyline from the Broadway production and applied it to their cinematic world of imagination.  As a result, it became another brilliantly well-crafted movie musical that honors the heart and soul of the source material's thematic material and characters and elevates them with its technical splendor and narrative elegance.  "The Wizard of Oz" offered a straightforward yet highly charming good-vs-evil narrative that envisions Glinda the Good as a kindhearted witch and the Wicked Witch as…well, wicked.  However, the story in "Wicked" explores them further and paints a much bigger picture of the duo. Elphaba is seen as a misinterpreted and generous woman filled with self-doubt, and Glinda is a self-absorbed "popular girl" looking to belong.  Of course, its main focus is Elphaba and how her good-natured persona got tainted by those who deemed her wicked.  This makes their uncommon friendship attractive, charming, and heartbreaking since we all know how these two will end up.

But at the very least, it makes for an enticing and heartfelt epic for families and even musical fans.  This was mainly due to its well-written screenplay, with one of the writers being Winnie Holzman, who wrote the book for the Broadway show.  It took the source material's world-building and characters to heart by expanding upon the land of Oz and even providing genuine depth and complexity for its protagonists, mainly Elphaba.  Elphaba is one of the critical elements in the film's portrayal of discrimination, in which others cast her aside for her appearance and mysterious power. However, Elphaba's discovery near the end puts her on the path of embracing her capabilities.  Another element was the land's animals, including Doctor Dillamond (Dinklage), who are forced to reduce to their original state by the residents, the source of Elphaba's determination to fight for what she believes is right.  With this being part one of its grandeur story, it has a sense of incompletion due to its cliffhanger ending and unresolved plot points.  However, it didn't bother me at all since I knew ahead of time that it would be a two-parter.

There's also the matter of its runtime, clocking in at over two and a half hours.  That's quite a lot of time to cover the entire first act of the musical, which might be around that length.  Fortunately, "Wicked" was able to make this length work, largely thanks to Jon M. Chu and his approach to the pacing.  Outside of directing narrative-driven action and drama, Chu has an impressive knack for turning a musical adaptation into cinematic gold.  This was proven in 2021's "In the Heights", which combined the immersion and energy of the musical numbers and choreography with a heartwarming and thoughtful story about heritage and community.  That alone was the reason for my intrigue toward him helming "Wicked", hoping he'll perform this type of magic again for this adaptation.  Unsurprisingly, he met my expectations with his lively style and monumental gravitas.  Ranging from the vigorous and magical musical numbers to the imaginative production design and visuals, Jon M. Chu delivered a wondrous return to Oz that's just as grand and visionary as the 1939 movie, emphasizing his place in the realm of movie musicals.  Even the costume designs and makeup looked gorgeous and accurate to the source material, which could earn the film some nominations for those categories.

But, of course, it wasn't just the director I should give credit for.  The cast also brought the house down with their performances and chemistry, no pun intended.  Cynthia Erivo has her experiences with Broadway musicals, with her gaining recognition from starring in the "Color Purple" revival.  So, it's unsurprising that she was chosen to star in the "Wicked" film.  Of course, Erivo also has a knack for her talents beyond singing, as seen in her filmography.  The movie had Erivo put those talents together to portray Elphaba's benevolent personality, and the result was an extraordinary burst of magic.  Erivo successfully delivered a charming and endearing performance that captured the tragic essence of the character, who gradually sees the true source of wickedness.  

Ariana Grande was also the movie's major highlight, but not just through her singing.  It's also her distinctively charismatic performance that brilliantly captures Glinda's perky but layered nature.  I grew up watching Grande on "Victorious" and "Sam & Cat" before she became a pop icon for her four-octave vocal range.  So, I do not doubt that Grande's younger fans of this generation would grow up watching her in "Wicked".  However, her performance also showed that with the right concept and execution, Ariana Grande's acting can be just as harmonious as her uniquely beautiful singing voice.  Michelle Yeoh and Jonathan Bailey also delivered sublime performances as Madame Morrible and Fiyero Tigelaar, respectively.  Jeff Goldblum was just as charismatic as ever as the Wizard of Oz, and Marissa Bode made an impressive feature film debut as Nessarose, Elphaba's paraplegic younger sister.  Considering that Nessarose's condition is similar to Bode's, it's wonderful to see a movie that offers this type of accessibility to disabled actors like her.

Overall, "Wicked" delivers unlimited care and passion in its craft and narrative to defy its cinematic gravity.  While its lengthy runtime and cliffhanger ending may make several detractors hesitant about returning to Oz, the film is an energetically entertaining and visually breathtaking adaptation that honors the musical's emotional depth and thematic material.  Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were outstanding together in terms of their acting and singing talents, and Jon M. Chu's direction perfectly captures the enchanting and inventive world-building, visuals, and musical numbers.  In case you're wondering, I enjoyed the heck out of the songs.  Those elements, combined with its faithful screenplay and captivating production designs, make "Wicked" another satisfyingly remarkable movie musical that perfectly recaptures the experience of the Broadway play with a cinematic twist.  Fans of the Broadway musical and "The Wizard of Oz" would definitely fall in love with what Jon M. Chu and his crew delivered.  Here's hoping the upcoming "Part Two" will be able to defy gravity as the first part did.

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