Wicked
Composite Score: 95.06
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Bronwyn James, and Bowen Yang
Director: Jon M. Chu
Writers: Winnie Holtzman and Dana Fox
Genres: Fantasy, Musical, Romance
MPAA Rating: PG for some scary action, thematic material, and brief suggestive material
Box Office: $733.68 million worldwide
My take on Watching This Film:
Wicked is the film adaptation of the first half of the acclaimed Broadway musical of the same name, retelling the story of the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz from her own perspective, starting with her time at the magical school of Shiz where she met and befriended Glinda the Good. The film stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba (the Wicked Witch) and Ariana Grande as Glinda alongside an ensemble that includes Jeff Goldblum’s Wizard, Michelle Yeoh’s Madame Morrible, Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero, Ethan Slater’s Boq, and Marissa Bode’s Nessarose. The film takes audiences through the entire first act of the stage musical, ending on the iconic musical number “Defying Gravity”. With a sequel planned for release in November of this year, it’s impossible to deny the reach and impact of Wicked both culturally and in cinema. It received ten Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Erivo), Best Supporting Actress (Grande), and wins for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design, and the film certainly deserves recognition as one of the best of 2024.
Erivo and Grande, when announced, were met with wide skepticism from audiences and critics (obviously with their fandoms being in strong support), but both actresses nail their performances to a T. Erivo brings a gravitas and self-assuredness to Elphaba that the character needs in order to translate well for a wide audience, and her vocals on every song are incredible. Likewise, Grande leans into her comedic skills as Glinda, reminding us that she’s not just a musician but a true performer. Their chemistry on-screen and off-screen make this film a huge success alongside the vision of the filmmakers that turned the film into an absolute spectacle of a delight. From the sound to the costumes to the sets, everything looks and feels fantastic (aside from whatever the filter is that seems to have washed much of the film’s color out or left it too bright and saturated, which is definitely the film’s weakest aspect). The music, iconic as it is, still feels fresh and exciting in the creative musical numbers that have been adapted from stage to screen excellently by film musical veteran director Jon M. Chu. I’d argue that “What Is This Feeling”, whose iconic dance number took over Tik Tok this year, is the number most improved by the cinematic experience, as Chu turns it into this overtly schoolish number, complete with split screens and book bags, which can’t fully be appreciated or accomplished in a stage production. It’s these and other little things that help the film stand apart from the stage production as its own being worth watching on its own (or with the sequel when it drops this year).
Inspired casting of two incredible leads, both of whom fully deserve their awards recognition, and some excellent work in the costume and production design combined with Chu’s ability to translate a musical to screen in a way that feels uniquely cinematic makes Wicked one of the films that will surely stand the test of time from 2024. Though some of the final visuals don’t look as gorgeous as the behind-the-scenes photos indicate that it could have, the film’s message of acceptance, friendship, and diversity make it one that you still need to see if you haven’t yet. The film is set to hit streaming on Peacock next Friday if you’d like to check it out for yourself and missed it in theaters.
