Wicked
As the citizens of Munchkinland celebrate the death of the Wicked Witch of the West, one woman is bold enough to ask Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande) if it was true that she was once her friend. Clearly a bit rattled, Glinda, who throws the torch to burn the witch in effigy, admits that yes, she had known her in school a long time ago, but what she doesn't admit to is that she once called Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo, "Widows," "Harriet") her best friend and that several betrayals led to the misunderstood green woman becoming reviled as "Wicked."
Laura's Review: A-
Now here is a story for our times, that of an outcast who stood up against fascism in defense of those being made voiceless, a film whose villain declares 'The best way to bring folks together is to give them a real good enemy.' Adapted from Gregory Maguire's bestseller and the Broadway musical by the Broadway musical's book writer Winnie Holzman, "Wicked" imagines how "The Wizard of Oz's" good witch and bad witch became who they are as well as giving us the genesis of those ruby red slippers, winged monkeys and the yellow brick road. It has also been split into two parts (Part Two arrives in November 2025), the first alone weighing in at 2 hours and 45 minutes (the same length of the entire Broadway musical including a fifteen minute intermission), but audiences should not mind as director Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights) delivers one spectacular set piece after another while his perfectly cast stars captivate.
After that opening flashforward, director of photography Alice Brooks' ("In the Heights") camera swoops over the landscape of Oz, from Munchkinland to a yellow brick road bearing four familiar figures to an Emerald City gleaming in the distance. But we'll go back farther, witnessing Elphaba's mother (Courtney Mae-Briggs) mother engaging in a drunken affair, then birthing a baby who's appearance is so shocking, her father, Governor Thropp (Andy Nyman, TV's 'Severance'), demands it be taken away. Elphaba will be mostly brought up by her nanny, Dulcibear,
a formative relationship endearing her to the talking animals of Oz. Early on she'll become the protector of her father's favored wheelchair-bound daughter Nessarose (newcomer Marissa Bode), championing her sister's independence over her father's over protectiveness.
It is this that brings her to Shiz University, Thropp demanding his elder daughter, who he has not enrolled in the school, watch over Nessarose until the young woman is safe in her room. The much coddled and entitled Galinda Upland (Grande) has also arrived, intent on attracting the attention of Dean of Sorcery Studies Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). Imagine her surprise when the green woman everyone has gawked at unleashes her anger with a blast of magic so powerful, Madame Morrible not only covers for Elphaba, but takes her on as her private student, ignoring the pretty and popular Galinda, except to purposefully misinterpret Galinda's raised arm as volunteering to take Elphaba as her roommate.
The two will tangle over space, respect for history professor Dr. Dillamond (voice of Peter Dinklage) (Galinda will later virtue signal a stance for the last animal teacher, the oppressed of this story, by changing her name to Glinda, which is how the goat pronounced it) and the attentions of Winkie County's Crown Prince Fiyero Tigelaar (Jonathan Bailey, TV's 'Bridgerton,' 'Fellow Travelers'), the new student who appears carefree and shallow but recognizes the same injustice Elphaba does. But when Glinda recognizes her own act of cruelty in gifting an ugly hat to her roommate, her better angel overcomes her mean girl and she joins Elphaba in a dance for all to see. The newfound friendship blossoms and when Elphaba is honored with an invitation from the Wizard on Morrible's recommendation, the Dean having suggested she might become the Wizard's vizier of magic, she invites Glinda to join her. But what they will discover in the Emerald City will separate them, Glinda too fearful (and ambitious) to join Elphaba's moral stand.
I have no doubt "Wicked" will be a huge hit and deservedly so. Having recently seen the pre-Broadway tryout run of "Wicked's" composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz's 'The Queen of Versailles,' without having ever seen 'Wicked' on stage, I was surprised I didn't come out of the film humming any songs as I had for his latest, but that is not to denigrate "Wicked's" musical numbers, especially those sung by Erivo (Grande's high pitched voice often makes for incomprehensible lyrics). Both actresses are pitch perfect, Erivo soulful, her Elphaba past caring what other people think, Grande's obnoxious self absorption tempered with a genuine desire to be helpful, one the actress paints with Glinda's need for admiration. Costume designer Paul Tazewell ("Hamilton") differentiates the two perfectly, Elphaba severely clad in black with square-toed boots while Glinda looks like pink frosting, her shoes bejeweled heels (an oddball ruby red pair will be gifted to her roommate during a makeover session). Bailey and Ethan Slater (TV's 'Fosse/Verdon') as Boq, a Munchkin besotted with Glinda yet seeing Nessarose at Glinda's instigation, are both multi-layered male foils for the leads. Dinklage endears us to his noble history professor. Other cast members, like Yeoh and Goldblum as well as SNL's Bowen Yang and 'Harlots'' Bronwyn James as Glinda's enablers Pfannee and ShenShen stand out less, are fine but stay tuned for some exciting late breaking cameos.
The production occasionally shows its backlot and computer generated roots, but overall the film is visually stunning. Fiyero's introduction singing 'Dancing Through Life' occurs in Shiz U's fantastical library, where giant rotating wheels allow access to books. The movie's main theme, 'Defying Gravity,' is performed as Elphaba runs across a massive golden field ending in majestic white cliffs looming over the ocean. A fantastical green clockwork train transports Elphaba and Glinda to the Emerald City where the Wizard's Throne Room features a giant, menacing mechanical head. Numerous visual effects enhance the film, from messages from Oz delivered by tiny mechanical 'hot air' balloons to talking animals and wings sprouting from monkeys' backs.
An additional plus? For a film divided into two parts, "Wicked's" part one finds such a good place to wrap it could stand alone, but that opening song 'No One Mourns the Wicked' keeps us on tenterhooks about Elphaba's fate.
Universal Pictures releases "Wicked" in theaters on 11/22/24.
