Wicked: Did we need to hold space for it?
A fans take on the beloved classic
By Hal Reed
“Wicked” arrives with one of the year’s most talked-about promotional campaigns, fueled by controversy and fan debate long before the film hit theaters. The initial poster showed Elphaba’s face more fully than the original playbill silhouette which drew backlash online. Casting pop star Ariana Grande as Glinda also sparked heated reactions across social media, as did noticeable physical transformations among several cast members.
The movie “Wicked” reimagines the 1939 classic “The Wizard of Oz”, first through a series of books and then a hit Broadway show. This time, on the big screen we follow the real story of the Wicked Witch of the West, aka our beloved Elphaba.
Elphaba arrives at Shiz University with her sister, Nessarose, but her green skin and unexpected powers instantly make her stand out and not in a good way. After a rocky start, she and Glinda, played by Grande, eventually create a special bond.
When Elphaba gets the chance to meet the Wizard in Emerald City, Glinda tags along. But the trip takes a turn when they discover the Wizard is a fraud who can’t perform real magic. Elphaba’s reaction pushes her to break away to try to expose the truth.
On screen, part One delivers stronger up-beat music, pairing its standout vocals with vivid, polished visuals. Part Two may not reach the same overall impact, but it still offers memorable numbers, including “As Long as You’re Mine,” “No Good Deed” and an emotionally loaded rendition of “For Good.” The emotion starts to fade when you’re getting hit with ballad after ballad. That final duet provides the release longtime fans expect, leaving few dry eyes in the theater.
For the most part, they actually got the casting right. I’ll admit, when Ariana Grande was first announced, I was skeptical but was willing to wait and see if she could actually pull off Glinda. And she did. Grande presents the role surprisingly with ease, perfectly bubbly, funny and the powerful vocals fans were hoping for.
But the chemistry elsewhere isn’t as convincing. When Fiyero, who was the love interest of Glinda, runs off to reunite with Elphaba and the two break into their big love duet, making the dynamic feel lopsided. Both characters are canonically a little fruity, but the only real romantic tension on screen comes from Jonathan Bailey. Cynthia Erivo brings the emotion, but the spark just isn’t there. And maybe I’m biased, because Jonathan Bailey’s chest hair alone could win Best Supporting Actor. The man wasn’t crowned Sexiest Man Alive for nothing.
Madame Morrible, who is played by Michelle Yeoh, might be the film’s most baffling misstep. Yeoh is an accomplished performer, but her vocals fall so flat that the production quietly sliced away several of Morrible’s songs from the original stage version. Even more surprising are reports that the director begged her to audition, a move that now looks more like wishful thinking than artistic vision.
Overall, I’d give the full storyline a solid 5 out of 5. But breaking it down by production and acting, part one lands at a 4 out of 5, while part two drops slightly to a 3.5. The second half just doesn’t hit the same high energy marks, part one has more upbeat, memorable musical numbers. Even with that dip in ratings, the film still delivers an emotional take on a beloved story that fans will appreciate.
Part one- 4/5
Part two- 3.5/5