Wicked Review
A high-gloss, high-reward adaptation of the famous stage show.
Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), a young woman who is misunderstood because of her green skin, and Glinda (Ariana Grande), a popular girl, become friends at Shiz University in the Land of Oz. Amidst ongoing dramas regarding the plight of animalia in the kingdom, Elphaba’s magic draws the attention of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum). She and Glinda visit him in the Emerald City, but there they discover that not all is as it seems, and the pair have to decide on a path for their unlikely friendship as they reach a crossroads.
Directed by Jon M Chu, Wicked is an adaptation of the first half of the stage show. It’s riding on the back of a huge wave of expectation; after all, the stage show is one of the most successful and popular musicals of all time. And this film lives up to the hype.
It’s anchored firstly by two wonderful lead performances from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Embodying Elphaba and Glinda respectively, they both have the lyrical chops and the acting talent to carry the big and small moments alike. They are ably matched in entertainment level (if not always in vocal performance) by the supporting cast, from Jeff Goldblum to Jonathan Bailey.
Visually, the film is spectacular. It blends an array of high-quality CGI with a range of practical sets and some wondrous costuming to create a world that feels magical, yet lived in, and always pulsating and thriving with colour and energy.
There lingers still some questions perhaps about the sanity of splitting this film into two parts, and there are definitely moments throughout that feel like they could be pacier; after all, this is a 2 hour 40 minute movie that is only half of the stage show. But there is enough to love here that you might be willing to put aside that cynicism and just enjoy the ride.
By the end of the film, in one climactic, glorious, scenery chewing rendition of the hit song Defying Gravity, you’ll be hard pressed to not be fully enthralled and singing along.
