From its opening frames, Jon M. Chu’s big screen adaptation of the hit musical Wicked captures the viewer’s heart and imagination. The jaw dropping production value alone will dazzle even some of the most hardened critics into gleeful submission, but this nearly three hour long re-mounting of beloved, culturally loaded material (which is only the first half of the story) will move along so confidently and effortlessly that the whole thing plays like a dream. Fans of Gregory Maguire’s novel (which I am admittedly more familiar with than the Broadway musical), the stage adaptation, and lovers of large scale cinema will find plenty to love about Wicked and not much to fault. (Unless, of course, you hate musicals, in which case, Gladiator II is playing right down the hall, and that will give you a different kind of bombast.)
Set in the realm of The Wizard of Oz, Wicked looks at a magical world of witches, enchantments, and talking animals from the perspective of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), a young woman ostracized for the colour of her skin, which is a dull shade of green. Her father, the governor (Andy Nyman), resents Elphada, but dotes upon her wheelchair bound younger sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), who is about to attend the renowned Shiz Academy, overseen by the esteemed Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). Ordered by her father to keep an eye on Nessarose for a little while, Elphaba accidentally shows the power of the magic within her, leading Morrible to offer her a chance to attend Shiz and study directly under her tutelage. This development irks the irrepressibly bubbly and determined Glinda (Ariana Grande-Butera), whose sole goal in life is to become a sorceress. Elphaba and Glinda become mismatched roommates, but begin to form a close bond when the latter learns the cost of her mean girl ways.
Wicked is one of those musicals that has found its way into mainstream consciousness through the power of the show’s original stars (Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel) and the catchiness of Winnie Holzman’s musical book. Even if viewers have never seen a single second of a stage production of Wicked, chances are the pop culture impact of the show hasn’t escaped them on the whole. Adapting something that has been such a touchstone for decades now is a daunting task, but Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights, and the underrated/wildly fun second and third Step Up films) proves to be a perfect fit for such a song and dance packed extravaganza.
Visually, the decision to film everything in a mildly soft focus (to make it look more like a relic from when the original adaptation of The Wizard of Oz was produced) is a little confounding, but there’s no denying that every cent of this film’s budget is visible on screen. From the lavishly decorated, and in many cases largely practical, sets to the seamlessly integrated visual effects that bring all sorts of creatures and magical elements to vivid life, Wicked is a feast for the senses. It’s debatable whether or not Wicked is too much, but given the nature of the story, I honestly couldn’t say how I or anyone else would’ve done things differently. This is a go big or go home sort of proposition, and it shoots for the moon and beyond. Chu’s background in dance also allows him to further elevate the film’s set pieces and musical numbers with exceptional choreography, including a jaw dropping bit in a library that involves book stacks on rotating hamster wheel-styled contraptions and another involving a raging party in an underwater cavern. There wasn’t a moment in Wicked where I wasn’t in jaw dropping awe of the visuals and direction.
Musically, the sound mix is shockingly basic for something this layered, but with voices as powerful and soulful as Grande and Erivo, they could be speaking into a tape recorder and it would sound great. Grande’s performance takes a moment to get used to, but once Glinda (pronounced GAH-linda, thank you very much) comes into her own as a character, the actress/singer leans into a considerable amount of comedic talent to camp things up. As her pitch perfect counterpart – in more ways than one – Erivo proves that she’s the star those in the know already knew she was. As Elphaba, Erivo belts every song as if the character’s life depends on this form of expression, and adds layers of wit and empathy for Wicked’s unlikely hero and protagonist. Their performances and voices will induce chills of greatness down the spines of viewers.
And even on a thematic level, Wicked strikes as the right film at the right time. It’s hard not to look at the film’s depiction of a crumbling utopia where people are looking for scapegoats (and in the case of one Shiz professor voiced lovingly by Peter Dinklage, a literal goat) to blame for all their unhappiness as a reflection of the current state of affairs in the outside world. Prejudice, sexism, and false altruism acting as a mask for selfish gains all come under scrutiny in Wicked, and Chu leans into these themes instead of skirting them to avoid audiences from thinking about his candy coated material. In a lot of ways, Wicked is delightfully and intelligently subversive in its messaging. Hopefully that’s not lost on viewers amid all the other easier to digest delights.
I went into Wicked not really feeling one way or the other about the material, but left an absolute believed in its power to move and entertain. While some of the plotting in the later stages feels sped up and like it’s holding back certain plot developments to ensure a well rounded second instalment, it nevertheless did the job of ensuring I am hyped for whatever comes next. Even though everyone knows how this thing ends, Wicked makes sure viewers will enjoy the ride as much as possible.
Wicked opens in theatres everywhere on Friday, November 22, 2024.
