WICKED – The Musical Hits the Big Screen at Last!

WICKED is directed by Jon M. Chu. It stars Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum. It’s an adaptation of the musical of the same name, which in turn was based on a 1995 novel, as well as THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ novels by L. Frank Baum and their 1939 film adaptation, THE WIZARD OF OZ. This is film one in a duology adapting the complete musical.

Following the death of the Wicked Witch of the West at the hands of Dorothy Gale, Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, tells the citizens of Munchkinland the story of how the Wicked Witch became that way in the first place. Born Elphaba and subject to discrimination and mistreatment from her green skin, she forms an unlikely friendship at Oz’s Shiz University with the bubbly and eternally optimistic Galinda (who later becomes Glinda), forging a bond and finding their place in the world. But when Elphaba sees injustices in Oz she can’t ignore, she sets out to ask the one man for help she believes can offer guidance: The Wizard of Oz. But shocking revelations and events will forever cement Elphaba’s destiny, being branded as the Wicked Witch of the West.

I’ll be honest. I was dreading this screening. With few exceptions I’m NOT the biggest fan of musicals. The nearly three-hour hour run time was also grounds for concern (and it was only to be part one of two!) Prior to going to the movie, I even had to do my homework on exactly what WICKED is; I think I’ve only seen two musicals/plays in my life, and this wasn’t one of them. It’s a musical based on a book based on a movie that’s based on an even older series of books (is anyone else’s head spinning yet?) And with the exception of the legendary 1939 film adaptation, I haven’t experienced any of them.

Fortunately, as I quickly discovered, my fears were completely unfounded, and I was pleasantly surprised with what unfolded on the IMAX screen at AMC Town Square here in Las Vegas that day. With top-notch production values, some amazing performances from the cast, and themes that deeply develop the land of Oz and its inhabitants, WICKED was one of the unexpected surprises of the year for me, and easily one of 2024’s best films.

One of my biggest fears about WICKED were that the movie would be a CGI nightmare. I’m happy to report that, while there is some pretty obvious CGI work for some elements of the film, namely the animal characters, it never overwhelms the character development or world building. There are still plenty of practical sets, not to mention fantastic costume work. A story like WICKED doesn’t work if the visual elements aren’t there, and I’m pleased to say they enhance the Land of Oz rather than take away from it. Production design here is more than worthy.

A chief complaint I often have with musicals (again, this isn’t exactly my favorite genre of film) is that stories often screech to a halt to make room for musical numbers. Fortunately, that’s not the case in WICKED. The musical numbers enhance and develop the storyline rather than stopping it dead in its tracks. Despite the running time that pushes three hours, director Jon M. Chu manages to keep the pacing brisk, the story interesting, and the overall film appealing to a wide array of audiences. During my screening, it wasn’t uncommon for audience members to cheer after each of the musical numbers. It doesn’t hurt that, unlike a lot of mediocre musicals out there and their often lackluster film adaptations, WICKED actually has some great songs. It’s no surprise it’s been a hit musical for over two decades now. I’m going to end this paragraph by saying something I never thought I’d say going into this screening: I actually want to see the musical now.

But where WICKED shines brightest is its cast. Most of the marketing, unsurprisingly, is based around Cynthia Erivo’s performance as Elphaba, the green-skinned young woman who eventually is branded a Wicked Witch. The film succeeds in painting her as a sympathetic character, but also one who isn’t afraid to step up and take action when she sees injustice. The chemistry between her and Ariana Grande as Galinda (later Glinda the Good Witch) is the best part of the movie, with two polar opposites serving as foils to one another who, despite their differences and means of upbringing, forge a bond. Erivo is the one who’s getting the bulk of the attention in the marketing, but WICKED’s best performance is from Grande, who plays Galinda as an obnoxiously optimistic spoiled brat oblivious to the world around her, bringing some comic relief and laugh-out-loud moments to what otherwise would be a pretty dreary story (these fortunately don’t come at the expense of the drama or character development). The supporting parts, including the likes of Michelle Yeoh as a Shiz University Professor, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, and Peter Dinklage in a voiceover role, are fantastic as well, but there’s no denying the movie belongs to Erivo and Grande. It would be criminal if these two don’t get Oscar nominations.

The flaws of WICKED are fortunately few in number. I don’t know that the movie really needed to be nearly three hours long. While that time flies by, I do question whether certain tertiary characters and plot elements needed to be included. Likewise, the third act of the film gives the shaft to a lot of the supporting characters which is disappointing, but at the same time, I suppose that’s why we’ve got Part Two coming next year. And I’ll be first in line to see it.

WICKED is wicked good entertainment, bringing together brilliant production design, fantastic performances from its leading ladies and supporting cast, and some damn good songs. I wasn’t expecting to like this movie, let alone call it one of my favorites of the year. Young or old, and regardless of your taste in movies, WICKED has something for everybody. Even if you’re not a fan of musicals, give this one a chance. I’m glad I did.

Highly recommended!