ArranReviews’s review published on Letterboxd:
It should be said that before I dive into this review that I’ve never been a big fan of musicals and I’ve not seen the stage play or read the book.
Right, what to say… Wicked Part One, a 160min movie that for the most part is pretty solid. It must be hard to adapt one if the most beloved musicals of all time but it think Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians (2018)) just successfully pulls it off. The musical numbers are really great. It is massively entertaining and you can’t help but smile. For me it’s the best musical adaptation to film since Les Miserables in 2012.
I don't know if it was the bombardment of marketing for this film but I found the plot to be predictable. You can see where the film is going and leaves no surprises. So on plot I have to detach points.
I'm glad they cast Jeff Goldblum as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I think that worked really well. I enjoyed the performances of the leads Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo but we need to talk about Peter Dinklage. Stole the show for me.
Bonus points for going for big practical sets even if the CGi is slightly odd at times. It’s so anti colourful that I think it makes it worst. I’m not a colourist but my god I could literally just crank up the saturation and it would actually look so much better.
I need to talk about the split into two films. I genuinely think it works splitting the film where the intermission in the broadway play would be… in theory. But for me I don't think it works. I've rather have the complete story in one constant go. I can see some audience members feeling cheated at the fact that it hasn’t been marketed as a part one.
Wicked for me feels that it would work better as a mini series or even better keep it as a stage musical.
To Be Concluded next year.
2024 | The Wizard of Oz (1939) | Previous: In the Heights (2021)
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