“Wicked,” which premiered on Broadway in 2003, was a huge hit in the theater community. The music by Stephen Schwartz and the original cast’s performances were a prime example of what a great musical could be. This new film adaptation, releasing November 22, 2024, and directed by Jon M. Chu, is no different. From the brilliant sets to the performances of main characters Glinda and Elphaba, played by Ariana Granda and Cynthia Erivo respectively, it feels like you're watching the events unfold from Oz itself.
The film picks up where “The Wizard of Oz,” the film that “Wicked” serves as a prequel to, leaves off, with the Wicked Witch of the West dying and all the munchkins celebrating her demise. “No One Mourns The Wicked” is the first song we hear; it’s also the first example of the ensemble being one of the best parts of this movie. Everything from the dancing to the vocals to even Glinda’s sad looks as a wooden Elphaba statue burns down is beautifully detailed and a perfect introduction to the film.
Though Elphaba, or the Wicked Witch of the West, is the villain in the 1939 film, “Wicked” is all about that story being a lot more complicated than people think. Narrated by Glinda, we see a flashback of young Elphaba, showing not only the hatred Elphaba faced as a child at the hands of her own father, but also protectiveness she feels for her younger sister, Nessarose, played by Marissa Bode. Elphaba’s relationship with her sister throughout the film is a big driver into who she is as a character. She might be quick to anger which in turn causes magical outbursts, but it’s her caring personality and innate sense of right and wrong that makes her such a compelling character.
It’s at Shiz University, the college within the land of Oz, where Elphaba really becomes her own person. It’s also where we see one of the most beautiful settings in the film. Every bit of this school is incredibly intricate and really draws you into the magical land that is Oz. During Erivo’s rendition of “The Wizard and I,” Erivo dances through the set and I found myself torn between devoting my attention to her beautiful singing or the beautiful set.
Aside from the set, this film does a great job of not solely relying on the vocals and choreography as musicals tend to do. Every bit from the costumes to the lighting did a great job of showing each and every character’s personality to set the mood for the scenes.
One of my favorite scenes in the film was Grande and Erivo’s performance of “What Is This Feeling?”. The song did a great job of bringing together these different aspects of the film. The contrasting costumes for Elphaba and Glinda emphasized the differences in their characters while the lighting was absolutely gorgeous, especially at the beginning when they used pink lighting to contrast against Elphaba’s green skin tone.
Where this movie really shines is in the way it portrays the emotional story of the animals of Oz. These animals used to be important creatures in society, teaching in schools and working with other citizens. However, we learn that due to an event called “The Great Drought” they have been oppressed and seen as the enemy by Oz society, some even losing their ability to speak because of this harsh oppression.
I’m not one to cry during movies but the raw and heartfelt performances from the animal characters, such as Shiz University history professor Dr. Dillamond, a goat character played by Peter Dinklage, did result in some very tearful moments from me. Animal cruelty is such a heavy topic to cover, especially in a musical where they break out into song every other minute, but “Wicked” does a great job at not letting the music make light of what is going on in the plot.
I wasn’t the only one getting emotionally invested in the plot though. From beginning to end this film had more audience engagement than I’ve seen in any other film. At the end of most songs, you’d hear an applause outbreak throughout the crowd. When characters like Fiyero, played by Jonathan Bailey, appeared on screen you could feel the excitement, and sometimes the swoons, from the audience. There were more gasps and cheers from the crowd at the Whittenberger Auditorium than I’ve ever heard at any other movie theater.
It's audience engagement like this that I think speaks the most to how great this film is. It amps up your own excitement because you can feel the energy from everyone around you. Whether they were fans of the original musical or were just interested in seeing a new movie, it was very clear that everyone loved being there and that made watching it more entertaining.
But whether you watch this film in theaters or when it’s inevitably available to stream after its theatrical run, “Wicked” is worth watching. And though it’s a disappointingly long way out, I will definitely be waiting for part two of the film to hit theaters next year.
