One of the most anticipated movies of the last year graced theaters in November 2024. As this movie is a part of a long-time and beloved franchise, it has ignited excitement among fans. Its debut will inspire a rise in musical theater representation across many forms of media. While the film has sparked mixed reviews, its anticipated impact is undeniable.
The newly released “Wicked” is based on the backstory perspective of the original movie “The Wizard of Oz” made in 1939. However, “Wicked” was originally adapted from a Broadway musical in 2004, creating a massive theater fanbase and following.
Ever since the news broke that an adaption was being made starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Galinda, there were skeptical reviews critiquing their performances and whether the new production was going to stay true to the original musical.
The movie adaptation follows a woman named Elphaba, who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West and is oddly green. Her distinctive complexion makes her inherently a target for bullying at the university she attends on the Ozian grounds, Shiz University. Galinda, better known as the good witch of the North, is portrayed as a stereotypical ditzy, dumb, popular blonde.
Ironically, these women have opposite personalities and begin their relationship with a fierce sense of loathing, but throughout the movie, they become best friends. This was slightly confusing as no memorable or distinct moment in the movie takes note of this drastic change.
However, as they learn of the dangers that surround their community, they receive the greatest honor of meeting the powerful Wizard of Oz. Things take a turn for better (or for worse, depending on who you ask) once they meet the Wizard. This movie explores themes of the contrast between good and evil, political unrest, corruption and discrimination.
As mentioned previously, this musical has a massive theater following. Usually with adaptations, specifically musicals, the fans are often left disappointed due to the lack of care and nuance in recreating an authentic version of their beloved show. But, this movie caused a craze in pop culture, and a revival of musical theater through the appreciation for the theater community and their accomplishments. As I come from the musical theater community, this show is greatly appreciated even though some fans may find it a bit niche and one of the less liked musicals.
Wicked’s overall production was one of the most meticulously crafted I have seen in recent movies, creatively mimicking the famous Broadway set with intricate detailing and coloring. From the features of the buildings and sets to the costumes and makeup, this movie hit it out of the park. The practical sets play a huge part in the immersive tone, with one of them having planted over nine million tulips, which shows dedication to the art of production and the fans.
One of the primary goals of the movie’s director John Chu was to make the movie as true to the original adaptation as possible. This included teasing easter eggs for the Wicked fandom and sharing behind the scenes. Although the pop culture in this movie was rich, the plot did fall flat at some points, such as when Galinda and Elphaba’s friendship started and their “loathing” for each other ended. It felt unoriginal with the themes it represented. Since the context of the movie was very specific to that of The Wizard of Oz, many who have not seen the original may lack background understanding of the relevance of the movie.
The movie was critiqued for its very long run time, but the director shared that this was due to the film having many small plot points to create a holistic one. The first part of duologies is often the least favored in franchises because it lacks the exciting events that happen in the majority of Part Two, as is the case for many musicals. The struggling plot may be due to bad editing in post-production, as the movie shared a lot of deleted scenes that made the movie make more sense.
However, the performances by the cast were, for the most part, outstanding. Many well-known cast members sparked inspiration and awe such as Erivo. She is a Tony Award winner and an amazing vocalist, so there was no doubt that she was the star of this production, receiving raring applause for her performance. Her talent is undoubtedly one of the best of the past decades. Her musical and acting performance was incredibly impressive, as her role required deep emotional intelligence and voice agility.
In contrast to Ervio’s performance, her co-star Grande’s performance was good, but it felt flat in some parts of the movie. The media pointed out her excellent comedic timing, and although she had much respect for her character, Galinda, her comedy was not revolutionary. Grande’s comedy was at most decent, but the effort was clearly shown; it was surely not top-tier musical theater comedy. Yet, Grande has made it clear that she loves this franchise and for that, her performance deserves recognition in terms of just her love for the roles.
Grande’s singing was expected to be on par, but just not insanely amazing. The same goes for her acting when compared to a previous Galinda, the famous and talented Kristin Chenoweth, who can sing much better. Even though she has had acting and Broadway experience, Erivo still stays blowing her out of the water acting-wise and vocally.
The rest of the cast also gained a lot of attention, as many well-known actors were included, such as Emmy nominee and Oscar-winning actress Michele Yeoh (Madame Morrible), Oscar winner Jeff Goldblum (Wizard of Oz) and Peter Dinklage for his miraculous performance playing a goat. Although this wonderful cast was criticized for not being able to sing or keep up vocally with others, their cameos were enough to foresee their lack of vocal agility.
This musical, although very astounding in production, fell off in the plot and acting for some, not all actors. If someone is of the musical theater community, they should see this as a huge step in representation that is well done. However, those who aren’t fans of theater are probably going to be left a little clueless or maybe even bored. But remember, sometimes, all you need is to imagine that you aren’t quite in Kansas anymore.
By Carolina Fournier Miranda
