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Going into Wicked, my main concern was whether or not the movie would be entertaining and fulfilling enough, given that it is the first part of a two-part adaptation of the popular musical, which is based on the book of the same name, which in turn uses the characters from the original novel and of course the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. With a long history, I was concerned that I, someone who doesn’t really enjoy musicals and hadn’t seen The Wizard of Oz until 2024, wouldn’t be able to get invested in the plot or characters.
Even though the film has issues, it’s a tribute to the performances and characters that I left the theater thoroughly more entertained than I thought I would have been. Directed by John M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians), Wicked tells the story of Elphaba and Galinda, the pair who become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz. The film stars Cynthia Erivo (Harriet), Ariana Grande (Victorious), Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton), Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once), and Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park).
A Wicked Return to Oz
The story starts after Dorothy dispatches the Wicked Witch of the West during the events of The Wizard of Oz. Glinda (Grande) frames the upcoming story as how she met the Witch, then known as Elphaba (Erivo). We see a little bit of Elphaba’s childhood and how it wasn’t easy growing up green, but it isn’t long before the film transitions to Shiz University where the two girls meet. Elphaba – originally only there to support her sister – is offered a chance to strengthen her magical abilities by training with Madame Morrible (Yeoh).
The story is fine. Most of the film sees Elphaba and Galinda coming together as unlikely friends, with an animal rights subplot and a love triangle mixed in. The problem with the story is that there isn’t much there for a film with a runtime of nearly three hours. There’s not enough meat on the bone to make the world more interesting than the connections to The Wizard of Oz, and it’s hard to care about any of the side characters, whose names you will probably have mostly forgotten by the time you leave the theater.
Although, some characters are well written even if they are one-note. The two supporting characters that I was invested in were Dr. Dillamond, the talking goat played by Peter Dinklage, and Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero, primarily because they had the most to do. The ending is predictable as well – the downside of prequels – so there’s no suspense, which is then made worse by the fact that the film is only the first part, with Wicked: Part Two coming down the line. It feels like half a story with forced conflict moving the narrative along to wrap itself up.
The Charm
Both Erivo and Grande are fantastic, but Grande’s comedic performance is one of my favorites of the year and is the highlight of the film. She nails the timing, pacing, and inflection of all the jokes and had me cracking up in the theater. Both actresses also land their musical performances, with “Defying Gravity” and “Popular” being standouts. While Grande nails the irreverence and ditziness of her character, Erivo shines with her rightful rage. The pair interacting is the backbone of the film, and they have the chemistry to keep that interaction strong.
As for the supporting cast, the only one who shines is Bailey. From the moment he turns up, he’s charming enough that you are forced to care about his character, which is tough considering it’s mostly about the two women. Every other supporting performance is forgettable, or just downright bad. Yeoh feels deeply miscast, and while Goldblum is fun, he really doesn’t have much time to shine.
Story aside, the film’s biggest problem is that the wonderful world of Oz looks bad. The sets look tremendous and the choreography is fun in all the musical numbers, but the color grade is so dark that everything, including the green of Elphaba’s skin, looks washed out. It’s a shame because Wicked is connected to a film that was known for its color, and there is so much color in this film that it should have been a triumph. People should be walking away from the theater and remarking on how great this film looked, but you can’t because it looks terrible.
We’re Here To See a Musical
While the story isn’t terrific, the comedic writing is superb. I wasn’t expecting Wicked to be as funny as it is, with most of the movie making me laugh. That isn’t to say that it doesn’t land the more emotional moments too. Even though the ending from a story standpoint is weak, the musical number lands the emotional moment of Elphaba’s rebellion quite well. The music is great, and there are only one or two songs that feel like a distraction from the plot. “Popular” is quite the earworm.
Ultimately, there’s not much that would have stopped Wicked from feeling like half a story. And while that story isn’t great, and the film has a murky look to it, everything else is tremendous. The performances elevate the musical numbers and the comedy, so you should have a great time, even if you’re not the biggest fan of musicals. If you’re a fan of Wicked already, you’ll undoubtedly have a great time, and you should absolutely watch this movie in theaters.
You can watch Wicked in theaters now.
Wicked
Wicked is brought down by weak visuals and a poor story, but great performances and a comedic musical charm make it an extremely fun watch.
Pros
- Great performances by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
- Extremely funny.
- Terrific musical numbers.
Cons
- A dissatisfying half-story.
- Weak supporting characters for the most part.
- Washed-out visuals for a world that should be bursting with color.
