Andrew Henry 🎬’s review published on Letterboxd:
Jon M. Chu's adaptation of the now renowned and beloved stage show is actually my first introduction to the world of Wicked. I also haven't watched The Wizard of Oz in about 30 years and never had any desire to revisit it either. It just didn't have much of an impact on me when I was younger. However, I was already vaguely aware of the story of Wicked. I think everyone with ears has heard a version of Defying Gravity at some point in their lives, either at karaoke, or on The X-Factor. Still, it never really interested me, even though I am a sucker for a good musical!
Honestly, the marketing for the film didn't do much to persuade me and I mostly ignored the trailers too unless I was at the cinema. Even then, I assumed it would be a big CGI cash grab based on the popularity of the stage show. Admittedly, for me, the biggest turn off was the cringefest interviews circulating online with the film's lead stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. I found all their dramatic gushing, crying, spontaneous outbursts of song and their overall 'theatre kids' vibe very annoying and over the top. So, when my wife suggested we go see this, I wasnt overly excited about it! Also, "It's how long?!" (2 hours 40 minutes!!) 🙄
Surprisingly though, I actually really enjoyed the film. It's extremely entertaining on many levels! Unexpectedly, I found the story engaging and even very moving at times! The narrative is well structured, considering this is only Part 1, it feels like it had a solid beginning, middle and end. So, while I know there's more to come, I still felt satisfied with the conclusion to Part 1. I'm now genuinely looking forward to seeing Part 2!
I enjoyed the clever flip on The Wicked Witch perception. This is obviously a credit to original writer Gregory Maguire who wrote Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West back in 1995. This narrative is likely no surprise to avid fans either but I'm just joining the party now! Wicked also neatly probes a little deeper into themes of anxiety, depression, loneliness and rejection without ever feeling too heavy. The story feels like it has genuine substance despite it's lighthearted exterior. It also has some contemporary things to say on the supression of language, racism and even the treatment of animals.
However, this is a musical! I'm happy to report that the music is fantastic! I haven't stopped singing and strangely finding myself relating to the never ending supply of memes and reels online in relation to men's unexpected response to the film! (This one in particular accurately represents my feelings after the screening)
Simply put, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are phenomenal. Such unbelievable talent! Their performances blew away all of my previous conceptions of them. They are incredible musical forces in the film! I don't know how many times I had goosebumps listening to them effortlessly blasting out one of the film's many note perfect bangers. Impressively, they also sang all their songs live on set too! Adding a sense of authenticity to their performances. They are excellent when dueting together but Erivo is easily the stand out musical performance in the film. Her powerful vocals sent chills down my spine. Her performance as the constantly misunderstood outsider also feels sincerely heartfelt and endearing. I genuinely cared about the character!
As characters, Elphaba (Erivo) and Galinda (Grande) couldn't be more opposite, however, the chemistry in the performances is very evident. Erivo and Grande have a natural bond that shines through their characters, even as adversaries. It's fun to watch them interplay as their relationship grows and develops in the film. Not only does this provide believable character development but it provides essential emotional weight to their arcs and the overall story. It also makes the more comedic moments feel natural and earned too.
There is some great comedy in the film too! Grande, in particular, is responsible for most of it. She has great sarcy one liners and even her subtle mannerisms and movements, some impressively choreographed into the music and dance sequences, had me laughing out loud constantly.
The cast is riddled with many great supporting performances too! Jonathon Bailey is another impressive all singing and dancing addition as Fiyero. With other big name appearances from Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage and Jeff Goldblum doing his Jeff Goldblum thing as The Wizard of Oz himself (who else?).
The dancing and choreography in the film is extremely impressive as is the creative camera movements and tilts used to capture it. The camera motion feels like it's constantly moving fluidly rather than noticable cuts.
Wicked is filled with beautifully composed shots by Alice Brooks. I've read some people's gripes with colour grading in contrast to the aesthetic of The Wizard of Oz, I can't say this is something that bothered me. Not many films are using technicolor these days! I did notice the lighting was particularly bright on the characters at times causing slight disoriention but nothing that really took me out of the film. In fact, I was more notably impressed at how exceptionally well made the film actually is. Especially since my first impression was that it would be a CGI filled mess. The digital effects are extremely well handled and used selectively in the film, they are mostly subtle, mainly used to extent the practical sets. In fairness, there are a number of talking CGI animals too, however, they fit into the world of Oz more seamlessly. They certainly look much more convincing than the fictional animals of Gladiator II!
The film's huge scale and use of mostly practicial sets and locations is amazing! The train, the campus, Emerald City and even the never-ending fields of tulips are all created without the use of CGI! It's very commendable. It adds a real dazzling sense of enchantment to the world with its whimsical metropolis design. There's a sort of hybrid aesthetic of steampunk meets theme park to Oz that works well to give it a more otherwordly feel.
Overall, I had a great time with Wicked! It's an exciting and joyful big screen spectacle crammed with fantastic music. I really didn't notice the lengthy runtime either! I was fully engrossed in the story and characters. The colourful world of Oz is vividly brought to life with amazing practical sets, effects, costume design and most importantly, the outstanding performances from a very talented cast. I can't wait for Part 2!
I'll definitely adding this to the "Things to watch with my daughter list" too!
