A Reel Review: WICKED

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the first novel in the Oz series of books by L. Frank Baum, has been the basis for several pillars in our culture. The first and most definitive came in 1939 with the classic THE WIZARD OF OZ. The second came in 2003 with the Broadway smash Wicked, which was a loose adaptation of a novel by Gregory Maguire…which told the story of the early friendship between the famed Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. Here in 2024, we get another trip down the yellow brick road, with Jon M. Chu’s big screen adaptation of the Broadway show. 

 

After the apparent death of the Wicked Witch/Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), at the hands of Dorothy, Glinda (Ariana Grande), recounts her first encounter with her, which includes their days as students at Shiz University. 

 

Directed by Jon M. Chu and based on the long-running Broadway play, WICKED is a dazzling musical using a monkey-load of modern visual effects to return to that magical, colorful, and wonderful world of Oz. Despite the large setting, WICKED early on finds a great balance between the spectacle and its characters. The bulk of the film is centered around the initial rivalry and eventual friendship between Elphaba and Glinda. Elphaba, who is treated as an outcast due to her green screen color, is forced upon the prim-and-proper Glinda as a roommate, and is then accepted by the Dean of Sorcery (Michelle Yeoh), as a sorcery student…a position coved by Glinda. 

 

The tension between the two makes for an emotional, and workable character-driven story. There is a heart to WICKED with Elphaba’s skin color working against her, and she is constantly mistreated by nearly everyone at the university. Great lengths are taken to make this real-world issue of those who are different being treated badly work in Oz, and it all works beautifully. 

 

WICKED also has the task of operating as a prequel to eventual story of Dorothy that we all know so well, ticking off items such as the creation of the yellow brick road, the Wicked Witch’s outfit and broomstick, and the flying monkeys. It is executed well and never feels forced. WICKED also has to work as a movie musical, and the performances are nothing short of dazzling. The film is also saturated in Oz lore, with subtle and sneaky references to the 1939 film. Pacing is brisk, and the 160-minute run-time flies by. Visual effects are standard for a film of this scale (not tremendous, not terrible), but the overall production design is breathtaking. 

 

Acting is superb. Cynthia Erivo and Araina Grande are perfectly matched, and both give their characters a lot of heart. Michelle Yeoh is excellent as always. Jeff Goldblum comes in as the Wizard and is a blast. 

 

WICKED is only part one of the entire adaptation, and it has a solid ending that stands very well on its own. But the many story threads here are so good it is going to be a very long wait before part two arrives next year; there is a lot to look forward to in our next trip to Oz, and should finish as another wonderful pillar in our culture. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it