First of all, I have seen the stage musical and will see it officially when it comes to the ASU Gammage in March of next year. Yes, this is another long review if you do not care because I am a professional yapper, I'll say that it's good, it's really good and worth watching. Probably one of the best musical movie adaptations in a really, really long time (until I adapt Heathers, Something Rotten, and Avenue Q but whatever ig).

First of all, let me just say that I am disgusted by the nature of film bros and their effect on movie musicals. The way how Mean Girls sounded and that trailer, the way Todd Phillips can discredit an entire genre is disgusting because you will see people jump with Guillermo del Toro and support animation (until it's a live-action adaptation of an animated property) or bully Martin Scorsese for not liking Marvel movies yet the second Musicals and Theatre Kids get targeted, suddenly it's okay. Yeah, I get it, Musicals are not realistic but this is THEIR WORLD, these shows revolve around people singing, of course, people within aren't going to think that's weird because it's the world of musicals like if we can just accept Deadpool and Wolverine running around the world, then why is singing the point where we say "No, that's not okay". I would also like to blame it on sexism because "Ew "Girl Movie" and not "Man Movie" is getting recognition but we're not ready for that conversation yet. Why when Cynthia and Ariana cry because they're attached to the project, they are mocked but when Marvel or Harry Potter actors cry, they're rejoyicifed and praised for it? Most of you cannot stand theatre kids and for what, what did these musicals and theatre kids ever do to people yet when film bros praise Joker, cheer at Multiversal Spider-Men, and the Avengers join together, it's seen as a good, normal thing.

I go on this rant because musicals are an art, why have talentless hacks making soulless adaptations? Why does Horror have to be "elevated"? Why do Musicals have to be "realistic"? Why does Superman have to be evil and emotionless? Why can't Barbie have her Elle Woods Pink Lawsuit moment?

Now that's out of the way, I want to discuss the books as I finished the first two Oz books, rewatched The Wizard of Oz, and watched Return to Oz, Wicked, and The Wiz for the first time this year. I have my gripes with how the filmmakers of The Wizard of Oz decided to make Dorothy's journey to Oz a dream, essentially decanonizing the rest of the Oz books, that's right Oz is not a dream, it's just another world and Return to Oz did it better but guess what film flopped. I mention this because The Wizard of Oz has a rich world like The Lord of the Rings and deserves to have the works of L. Frank Baum be properly adapted but nope, people only think Oz ends with the first book because of that dumbass "it's all a dream ending". But going onto the book, specifically Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch, this is a horny book, and omfg I do not care for any of these characters. Guys, I can support Gelphie for the musical but for the book? Just because they kiss doesn't mean there's any chemistry between the two, or maybe it's because of the book's constant switching perspectives or constant fucking, masturbation, and green pubic hair turning purple that just keeps me turned off from even finishing the book. The musical, while it has to cram all of it into two acts, does it very well in my opinion, I really do love it. I think the Wicked Musical keeps the tone of the Oz books throughout the middle of Act 1 and Act 2 but the magic of the first book and original film is in the first book.

Wicked Act 1 is beautiful, gorgeous even. I love how the increased runtime of Act 1 is able to flesh out these characters however I'm curious as to why they were on the fields together but I do like how they kept the Nanny from the original book in the film as well but tied her into the animal/human politics and why Elphaba cares for the animals despite her feeling like an outsider. The film made me cry at multiple moments not just because I relate to Elphaba as an autistic, queer Latino but also the impact of Elphaba and Glinda's relationship, and the movie really emphasizes how being accepted can truly change people. The songs are all done, thank Oz that these fucks at Universal didn't add any new songs or cut any songs because if you're going to adapt a musical, you better fucking adapt it. I like how a lot of the sequences were adapted from the stage show, I've seen people complain about movie musicals and how "bland" music sequences are shot and it's like dude wtf are you asking for, how would YOU adapt these sequences? Speaking of which, I was really worried when seeing ads, trailers, and videos online and hearing this weird noise whenever the actresses sing and I was worried that it might've been on the official soundtrack or worse, in the film, thankfully, outside of one bit from "The Wizard and I" although I think it might've been Cynthia's delivery of the line rather than the sound mixing or music, everything sounded so beautiful and I loved how everyone delivered their own takes on these songs. Ariana and Cynthia are obvious highlights but I do like Jonathan Bailey, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, and Peter Dinklage are all really great standouts for me, especially Dinklage's performance in "Something Bad" which was originally my least favorite song out of the soundtrack, same with "Sentimental Man" but these two are definitely much better here imo. I also like how "One Short Day" was expanded upon and features the wickedly talented Trisha Paytas in the song however I do miss the "Wiz-O-Mania" section of the original song but eh, it's whatever (it's still there but still).

The biggest critique thrown towards this film is the color grading and I do agree, it's my one issue with the film itself. I know Jon M. Chu's reasoning but I call bullshit on that, The Wizard of Oz is a technicolor masterpiece, and the fact Zach Synder has more of an impact on modern-day Hollywood compared to The Wizard of Oz is sad, I miss color so fucking much, I really do.

Outside of this, I'm really excited about Wicked Act 2, especially in our current political and film environment, I truly do hope this film is able to change people for good.

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