There’s probably no better – or more convoluted – place to begin than the beginning.
Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked” movie is an adaptation of the 2004 Broadway musical of the same name, featuring music by Steven Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. The stage show is, in turn, an adaptation of Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel “Wicked,” which is inspired by Frank L. Baum’s novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”
“Wicked” is the origin story of The Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), who, long before Dorothy, is a student of magic at Shiz University. Elphaba struggles to fit in because of her uncontrollable magic and green skin. While not initially intending to attend school, Elphaba agrees to take classes under the sharp Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) to develop her skills and care for her younger sister Nessarose (Marrisa Bode). Despite her rough start at school, Elphaba befriends the popular Glinda (Ariana Grande-Butera) and catches the attention of the worriless yet complex Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey). When unrest arises in Oz over the rights of animals, Elphaba finds herself to be an advocate and eventual challenger to the “wonderful” Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblume).
The 2024 film was undeniably controversial, not because of the story itself but due to the hit-or-miss nature of movie musicals.
There are no shortage of traps and pitfalls to be found in the adaptation of stage to screen. There’s the difficulty of moving across mediums, concretely visualizing abstract sets and of course, casting.
Casting involves the perpetual push-and-pull between those vocally apt and those with big screen experience and appeal. Further, more traditional musicals don’t always have the right sound to become mainstream or widely marketable.
Occasionally, “Wicked” becomes too synth-heavy in its arrangements, relying on audio embellishments over rich orchestrations. Sometimes, I wished there’d been a more traditional take on the instruments to counter the more contemporary vocal styles and trills.
Generally speaking though, the performances were great.
Goldblume and Yeoh are not the best singers, but sell their performance in terms of charisma and dedication.
Erivo and Bailey, both stage-veterans, are stunning vocally. “Dancing Through Life” and “The Wizard and I” remain not only music highlights, but some of the most compelling scenes in the movie. Erivo is captivating, and Bailey is scene-stealing.
Grande-Butera is perfect in her acting of Glinda, embodying the bubbly yet occasionally manipulative nature of the Good Witch. She performs well in duets, complimenting Erivo and Bailey both, but in group numbers, Grande-Butera is easily overwhelmed and lost to the music.
Glinda provides the show with a higher register, and is necessary for rounding out the sound of ensemble numbers. In some of the songs, notably “No One Mourns the Wicked” and “One Short Day,” Glinda’s sound and lyrics are difficult to pick out.
I can forgive this, mostly, because of the chemistry of Erivo, Bailey and Grande-Butera together.
No matter the combination in which these three exist, the scenes are compelling and absorbing. I looked forward to each moment where they could interact and learn more about each other.
This is my greatest disappointment. Despite a nearly three-hour runtime (and only half of the narrative’s material therein), there is little substance to drive the story forward.
Elphaba’s backstory is touched on, but not for long. Glinda and Elphaba’s friendship is established abruptly and undeveloped past this point. By the time Elphaba tearily asks Glinda to stand with her against the Emerald City’s corruption, I found myself asking: “Why?”
Fiyero and Elphaba’s scenes are electric, and there is easily room for more, or at least more drawn-out interaction. This can be true of Glinda and Fiyero too, who see themselves as kindreds but are never shown acting in tandem.
What does fill this time is expansive shots of CGI rendered landscapes. It’s certainly beautiful, but the artifice gets in the way of artistry. The reality is that much of this wonderful land is a green screen that loses its believability as time goes on. The more attached to the characters I became, the more I wished they’d had dynamic locations in which to interact.
The fact remains that “Wicked” is only half of the story. Next year’s release of the conclusion will not only feature iconic numbers like “No Good Deed” and “As Long as You’re Mine” but also fully flesh out the characters’ development and pay-off the set-up of the first movie.
Perhaps, once the entire story is available, the time commitment and anticipation will feel worth it.
For now, “Wicked” is average, with the potential to be wickedly good.