Are people born wicked? This question has fascinated audiences for 21 years through the hit broadway show “Wicked.” The musical was a twist on “The Wizard of Oz,” centering the Wicked Witch of the West, casting the iconic villain as a tragic hero. At long last, this story made it to theaters on Nov. 22.
The film adaptation starred Cynthia Erivo as the Wicked Witch, Elphaba, and Ariana Grande as Glinda the Good Witch. It was directed by Jon M. Chu. This film adapted the first act of the musical, which told the witches’ origin story. A sequel is set to release on Nov. 21, 2025 that adapts the rest of the play, which reimagined the events of “The Wizard of Oz.” The play was also based on the novel, “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” by Gregory Maguire.
Highs
Between the beloved broadway show and the importance of the Ozian mythos, this film had high stakes. A high risk with a high reward, “Wicked” thankfully rose to the occasion!
The film brought the show to vivid life, with a high production that combined CGI and practical effects in perfect harmony. With impressive costuming for human actors, pleasing animation for the animal characters, eccentric and beautiful settings, and flawless sound design. This honored the technical impressiveness of the classic film and broadway source material.
Along with genius production was genius casting, especially for the lead characters. These actresses were perfect choices for the witches, both in regards to singing and acting! Erivo delivered a powerful, spellbinding, and dynamic performance with chill-inducing vocals while Grande was a humorous, self-absorbed Glinda with depth. Also notable were Jonathan Bailey as the attractive and shallow Prince Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum’s charismatic and dark wizard, Michelle Yeoh as a solemn magical mentor, and Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James as Glinda’s comedic sidekicks.
The show remained faithful to the play, surprising given the inflated runtime. Though the broadway show took on this story in a shorter time, the film’s expansions were welcomed improvements that fleshed out this story further. Instead of adding new elements, the inflated runtime mainly came from giving the already existing elements more room to breathe and thrive.
Lows
There was an element of the play that was somewhat left out of the movie which was wise, but needed a replacement. The character Nessarose, Elphaba’s sister, in the play was a wheelchair user and often belittled and pitied by the narrative, her disability was her main character trait.
The filmmakers seem to have noticed this as Nessa’s disability was treated more realistically, even casting an actually disabled actress. However, it could still have been improved, particularly by giving her more personality and development. Perhaps she will be given more time to shine in the next film, given her character was more important in the second act.
The backup dancers during the Shiz University scenes could have used more personality as well. In this film, it was easy to tell the main characters as all side extras dressed in a school uniform while main characters wore personalized wardrobes. This made Shiz feel less lived in, especially compared to the Emerald City where the ensemble had more character.
Verdict
Understanding the soul of the musical, “Wicked” delivered the story in a new, glorious way. At once a grand spectacle about a fantasy world in conflict and a personal tale about two women navigating a complicated connection. “Wicked” was the most magical movie event of the year!
Rating: 9 out of 10
Frank Remski is a film and theater reviewer for the Eastern Echo. He is majoring in media studies and journalism and minoring in public relations. He has worked for The Echo since summer of 2023 and has written both news stories and opinion pieces.
