Wicked Review: Defies Expectations!

The Wizard of Oz is one of the most beloved stories of all time. A children’s book written in 1900 by L. Frank Baum (titled The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) brought to life the characters of Dorothy, Scarecrow, The Tin Man (Tin Woodman), Cowardly Lion, Glinda, and The Wicked Witch of the West. Its greatest work of art was in 1939 with the first film adaptation starring Judy Garland, that has enchanted audiences young and old for 85 years and has had one of the largest impacts on our culture.

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After building such a vast world since then, the story of Wicked, first a novel in 1995, was brought to Broadway to expand upon the stories of Glinda, the Good Witch, and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. Garnering a Broadway and general fanbase for its iconic songs and performances by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, Wicked has risen to the silver screen for the first time. Starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, this film is a true cinematic accomplishment, bringing new audiences into a fantastical world of possibilities and giving fans of the musical an everlasting experience to remember.

The Wicked Witch is dead. This has been proclaimed to the Land of Oz following her demise by Dorothy Gale. The relief and excitement from everyone in Oz is beyond evident, as Glinda descends into Munchkinland to set the record straight. Upon being asked if she was really friends with The Wicked Witch once upon a time, Glinda begins telling the story of how she and Elphaba met at Shiz University and how their friendship blossomed from enemies to sisters.

Wicked is one of those rare movie musicals that utilizes its medium to the full extent, making the most of its space, tracking and musical numbers. Its greatest achievement is how its music supplements the cinematic elements it has to offer rather than it being a musical simply put to screen. Although its songs carry the Broadway show, Wicked is put together where the audience aren’t waiting for the next show tune to begin.

Instead, the story is woven together beautifully through its performances and emotion as a film with added bonuses of foot tapping songs and fun-loving choreography. Its songs are not the main focus of the story, as a film should be. Instead they give added weight to the script and enhance the character’s inner insecurities and triumphs with Jon M. Chu’s direction behind the screen.

Wicked’s production and set designs resemble a dazzling fairy tale that could only be imagined in a land like Oz. Just as Dorothy experienced, it feels otherworldly, like stepping into a Candyland type University with magic around every corner. Although the colors are slightly toned down from the 1939 film (directed by Victor Fleming) that pops off the screen, this movie feels as if it has a slight darkness looming over it that resembles the foreshadowing of Elphaba’s future as Oz’s enemy.

The costume and makeup designers go above and beyond, especially with Glinda, wearing the most captivating pink outfits and shoes that mirror her bubbly personality. It goes without saying Erivo and Grande nail each song, bringing their own flair to many favorites like Popular and Defying Gravity. One of the best surprises of the film is Jonathan Bailey’s performance of Dancing Through Life, that continues to make him not only the heartthrob of the film, but in the industry for his talent and charisma. Wicked’s pacing flows amazingly, never cutting too often to distinguish a change in setting or atmosphere, but instead moving from moment to moment and song to song like a well oiled machine.

Wicked has always had themes of defiance towards authority and acceptance for our differences. However, the focal point of this adaptation is a bonded sisterhood between two women who could not be more polar opposite. As Glinda and Elphaba begin their time at Shiz University at odds with one another, a bond begins to slowly form as they begin to accept one another’s differences and realize how their power can be strengthened through their friendship with one another.

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As it is learned that Elphaba’s father is unaccepting of her because she was born green, this concept of found family and bonds beyond blood develop in the film that one can’t help but shed a tear over, especially during the school dance sequence.

As many know where the story goes, the balance of unconditional love, even in the face of diverting life paths, is evident in Wicked’s portrayal of true sisterhood. It is a film that will be breathtaking to revisit again and again that has reinvigorated the love of The Wizard of Oz for new generations.

‘Wicked (2024)’ Rating – 4/5

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