“Wicked” Brings the Magic from the Stage to the Screen – Review
- Colton Gomez
- Dec 25, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 17
Review
By Colton Gomez | 12/25/24 | 9:29 P.M. Mountain Time
Musical, Fantasy | Rated PG | 2 hr 40 min | "Wicked" Release Date: November 22, 2024
As you may have heard, “Wicked” is part one of the Broadway adaptation to the big screen, even though it rivals the runtime of the stage version. I saw the stage musical when I was too young to really understand what it was and what it was doing (not in New York but in Utah), so I won’t be evaluating it against its original counterpart. I also won’t be measuring it against “The Wizard of Oz,” and to mention “Oz, The Great and Powerful” seems wholly unnecessary. Nevertheless, the body of work in this world is rich and forgettable. “Wicked” certainly adds to the richness.
“Wicked” (part one) is the story of Glinda and Elphaba. One is a bubbly, popular persona dressed in a color palette of pinks who is used to getting her way. And the other is an unnaturally green, defensive character dressed in dark colors who has a unique gift for sorcery. Both find themselves studying and rooming together at Shiz University where they transform their hate for one another into a deep, loving friendship. Throughout, you’ll find themes of friendship, persecution, racism, deception, and disillusionment to color the world of “Wicked.” There are some new scenes to the movie and more character development moments.
But “Wicked’s” draw is the music more so than the story. Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba both deliver majestic performances in their musical numbers. Each of them commands their voice like the rest of us wish we could. Here, Grande’s singing is the standout of the two, though both really deliver. It’s in her musical numbers that Grande feels like the true star of the film. She’s funny, makes her own pace, and has the charisma to embody a bright, bubbly, and popular girl like Glinda. Grande’s work here is amazing and I hope to see more musical movie work from her.
Grande and Erivo are without a doubt the best parts of this film. They hold an onscreen chemistry that feels authentic. Here, I feel Erivo is the acting standout of the two. Upon review, it seems as if they are employing different acting styles with some overlap into each other’s; Erivo is performing for film where Grande is performing on stage. Erivo delivers a subtler performance that grounds her character, while knowing that she is in a musical; it’s not too heavy. Grande’s expressions are loud, as if she’s trying to make sure the seats in the middle can see as well as the seats up front.
Despite being two hours and forty minutes long, this film mostly flies by. There are some stumbling moments in the very long setup which could be argued to take the first half or so of the film. But even at this film’s slowest points, it’s still much faster than movies that are ninety minutes long but feel like twice that. Its pace, credit to director Jon M. Chu and Editor Myron Kerstein, is very well set. The sorcery Chu used to make this film feel like a moment away from time is perhaps unteachable. It truly is a magnificent feat on his part.
This certainly adds another great helm to his resume, joining the ranks of “Crazy Rich Asians” and “In the Heights.” Surely, this is a complicated film to put together and he does so almost effortlessly. The film feels awake and alert but fails in some aspects to really feel alive and breathing; though it’s close. A lot of sets are obviously sound stages and you can practically see where they end and the green screen starts to expand the background. Some of the scenes are over reliant on CGI which takes me a little bit out of the story. To see a real sunset during the film’s iconic number, “Defying Gravity,” would have elevated and grounded the film to make it all the more impactful. Nevertheless, his direction on Grande’s and Erivo’s performances, the immersive camera work, and the spectacle of it all is something few could achieve.
This is a wonderful film and the songs hit hard. Any fan of musical theater will want to see this. This is a film that I think has the power to inspire a generation of artists across diverse fields. See it, if you haven’t.
_______________________________________________________________
Review by Colton Gomez
Colton Gomez earned his BA in Film Studies from Weber State University. He owns and operates ColtonGomez.com. Here, he covers new releases in theaters and on streaming. For short versions of his reviews, check out his LetterBoxd https://letterboxd.com/ColtonGomez/.
_______________________________________________________________
Summary
Comments