Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Wicked was directed by Jon M. Chu, and stars Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande-Butera, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum and is based on the popular musical Wicked. Before they were the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good, they were known as Elphaba Thropp and Glinda, who met at Shiz University and started as strangers to reluctant roommates to close friends. Elphaba is looked down upon for her green skin, and Glinda is the popular girl at school. Growing up, I’ve always been a fan of the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz but never saw the Wicked play, nor have I read the book based on it. I went into this movie feeling excited due to how good the trailers were. I left enjoying this movie even more than I expected to.
Wicked is a musical, so it won’t be for everyone. As a fan of musicals, the movie does well in great musical performances from the singing of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera, to the upbeat rhythm and dance choreography. Each song was memorable and stood out, with ‘Defying Gravity’ being the most powerful performance. Since I haven’t seen the Broadway musical, I honestly had no idea which songs were from the musical or added on, if any, but they all landed.
The main leads deliver as Elphaba and Glinda. Cynthia Erivo delivers one of the most powerful performances in a musical film. Seeing the development of Elphaba and how her motivations change throughout the movie was some of the best character development I have seen in a film this year. Ariana Grande-Butera as Glinda was terrific as well. She provides a lot of comedic relief and starts as a snobby, popular student who grows to care for Elphaba and goes through her own character development. The costume and makeup designs for these characters are spot on.
Jeff Goldblum plays the Wizard, but don’t expect a lot of screen time for him in this movie. Even in his early seventies, Goldblum still has charm in any role he plays. Michelle Yeoh plays Madame Morrible, who mentors Elphaba at Shiz University and has her secret motivations. Even voice performances like Peter Dinklage as Dr. Dillamond, a goat who is one of Elphaba and Glinda’s professors, are great. Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar, a prince who transferred to the university, stood out as well.
Wicked has a lot of practical effects and sets, from the Munchkinland to the train that leads to Emerald City. The movie has a perfect balance of light and dark tones with a powerful message about prejudice. Even when Elphaba starts to be treated better, the message shifts to how animals like Dr. Dillamond are being treated in Oz. The CGI talking animals look better than the talking animals in live-action Disney remakes. Wicked is two hours and forty minutes long, yet the runtime never feels that long. The movie is perfectly paced, and there is never a dull moment. I was disappointed when the movie ended since I now have to wait a year for the next part.
Overall, Wicked is one of the best movies of the year and one of the best musicals in recent years. The acting from Erivo and Grande-Butera was terrific. The musical numbers were fun and great. The practical work and CGI looked fantastic. My final grade for Wicked is an A. Wicked fans and musical fans will love this one. I recommend you check this one out.
What are your thoughts on Wicked? Let us know in the comments below.
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