3 hours ago5 min read

Film Review: Wicked: Part 1 (2024)

Directed by Jon M Chu. Adapted for the screen by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.

The most anticipated musical film of the decade defies gravity in a somewhat overstuffed but extraordinarily uplifting piece of cinema that will be a staple in this year's awards ceremonies.

Reviewed by Justin Clarke

Distributed by Universal Pictures

Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey and Jeff Goldblum In Cinemas Worldwide 22nd November

4.5 STARS

It's undeniable that the Tony Award-Winning musical Wicked is adored by fans around the world and the recent fever in the world tour of the much anticipated film adaptation of Stephen Schwartz's hit musical has reiterated this. Under the direction of Jon M Chu (In the Heights, Crazy Rich Asians) Wicked has finally been immortalised on the silver screen, and every audience member, established fan or not, will be changed for good.

The sheer energy that was felt throughout the Gala Preview of the Sydney premiere was palpable as musical theatre and Wicked fans alike swarmed to the State Theatre to see an instant classic unfold in front of their very eyes. It had all the energy of a big Marvel film release, with cameos and easter eggs for musical theatre fans to feast on. A significant reveal in "One Short Day" sent the crowd screaming.

The prequel origin myth of the infamous Wicked Witch of the West unfolds on the big screen, based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire which in turn is based off the golden age classic The Wizard of Oz. The story of Elphaba is given new depth, much as Maguire saught to do in his original publishing as he explored the essence of good and evil. What better way to do that then taking the meanest greenest Witch in Oz and unfold her character to explore ideas of prejudice, deception and acceptance?

Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande in Wicked (2024). Image: Universal Pictures

The story's metaphor of a woman who is scorned for the colour of her skin, but is nonetheless gifted with great power, only to be made Public Enemy Number One when she chooses not to conform to the powers that be is given new heights here. The choice to cast an Oscar-Nominated actor of colour solidifies Wicked's message of prejudice and conformity, but also the underlying message of the good capable of being shown from others (aka. Glinda) that have entitlement gifted to them.

For musical fans, we've had a rough slog of making musical movies cool again in recent years. Musical films have either been too afraid to say they're a musical (I'm looking at you Mean Girls), stayed too grounded in theatrical roots to explore characters believably on screen (Dear Evan Hansen anyone?) or created nightmare fuel CGI that is purely laughable - yeah, Cats is still in the litterbox.

Thank Oz then for Chu, whose adaption of In the Heights took what made Lin Manuel Miranda's first Tony Winning musical a hit and unpacked the richness of the characters further on screen with vibrancy and energy with an authenticness of culture. Chu, as well as every single person who has worked on Wicked has clearly approached the film with the utmost reverance, respecting the source material, recognising what makes Wicked so loved and giving the fans something inherently new. It's a kaliedoscopic piece of world-building as we're re-introduced to the land of Oz through quirky, rich dialogue, quirky, rich set pieces and quirkier, richer costumes. The specificity in the overall production design is splendiferous.

what could have been a simple run-of-the-mill theatre to film adaption, [is] instead cemented as an instant classic

It's a shame then that the background lighting of a majority of the film feels somewhat washed out. In comparison to the vibrancy of the original 1939 film, which saw the use of vibrant technicolour, Wicked appears like it's been through the washer in intimate daylight scenes or sweeping establishing shots. It's a common flaw in most films that utilise background green screens, but its prescence is felt here.

The padded run time makes way for writers Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox to delve into the characters that Schwartz has gifted to the musical theatre canon. At first, the choice to make Wicked a two-parter film reeked of a cash grab, and in some ways the smell still wafts through as the film does its best to patter before reaching the almighty mega Act One finale.

For new audience members, this patter will become a drag between the banger hits of Part One (the run time of the film is more than the runtime of the theatre production) but for the fans and the musical theatre nerds, there is enough to keep you glued to the screen throughout.

[Erivo] is every bit the Elphaba that fans deserve.

The success of Wicked then, comes down to the star power of its leads in Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. It's a cliche to use it, but I shall - they were born to play these roles. Grande's hair swishing Glinda exudes humour in pastel pink. Its her development from the heiress selfish soprano-princess to her acceptance of Elphaba that is at the core of the film. Opposite, Erivo approaches Elphaba with the strength and foundations of all the Elphaba's that came before her, forming what is a defining character in the musical theatre world and a deserved immortalisation on screen.

Erivo's first big number, "The Wizard and I" brings immediate tears as you're reassured that, yes, she will carry this film like a green sun with all the rest orbiting around her. Erivo's honesty is palpable through the screen as she instills every lyric, every bit of pain, and every bit of injustice into the vocal realisations of Schwartz's lyrics. She is every bit the Elphaba that fans deserve.

Any doubts people had about Grande taking on the role of Glinda the Good is quite instantly eradicated in her spot on comic timing and strong vocal talents in numbers such as "Popular" as well as the subtle depths given to her character. In what could have easily been a pop-casting choice, Grande instills the film with a richness that delivers laugh after laugh, and a hefty emotional depth.

Supporting the two leading characters are a host of actors who each add to the overall solidity of the film itself. Jonathan Bailey's Fiyero is undoubtedly perfection in casting. Chu's direction in fleshing out Fiyero's sexuality beyond just the eyes of Glinda is a positive step beyond, and Bailey's undeniable charm draws literal gasps from the crowd - literally, I'm talking audible moans of attraction.

Michelle Yeoh's Madame Morrible is given more screentime than the theatrical production to establish an acceptance and mentorship of Elphaba, with an epic slow motion shot in the finale that elevates her character's deception. Ethan Slater's Boq's clumsy adoration of Glinda is both charming and uncomfortable, given the timing of the pair's off-screen romance, but nonetheless the foundations of the Act Two conflict is established here. Jeff Goldblum's Wizard of Oz has all the Goldblum-isms despite his short-lived presence on screen as he goes from charming to weak in an instant. Marissa Bode's Nessarose is given a foundation here that will pay off in Act Two as she fights to sing strongly against the rest of the cast. The setpiece in the "Ozdust Ballroom" scene for the first actor in a wheelchair to play Nessarose is a highlight of inclusive choreography. Meanwhile, Bowen Yang's Pfannee is hilariously scene chewing in the shadows as one half of Glinda's posse, delivering gut punchingly funny dialogue.

Thanks to Chu's bravery in leaning into the sharp choreography and vibrancy of the show's score (which sounds incredible in a theatre), Wicked is elevated from what could have been a simple run-of-the-mill theatre to film adaption, and instead cemented as an instant classic in the film genre. Led with reverance, a detailed production design in every single frame, and performances you're sure to see plastered among the awards ceremonies this year, the only real crime is the extortionately long intermission we have until Part Two arrives in late 2025.