Last Wednesday, my good friend Kayetlynn and I hopped into my car and drove to Cinema West to see “Moana 2” on the day it came out. We wanted to see the 7:30 showing, but when we got there, we were treated to a surprise. Both showings for the night, 7:15 and 7:30, were sold out! We were next in line and had a choice to make: do we just up and leave, or find another movie to watch? Then, there it was, a 7:10 showing for “Wicked.” It was exactly 7:10, so we made a split-second decision and bought two tickets for it. We ran into the theatre just in time, where we had to sit in the front row because all the other seats were taken. As I sat there and watched it, I realized that this “mistake” might’ve been a happy accident after all…
First performed on October 8, 2003, “Wicked,” based on the 1995 novel of the same name, follows the story of witches Galinda and green-skinned Elphaba, their unlikely friendship as college roommates, and Elphaba’s eventual downfall. The 1995 novel is adapted from L. Frank Baum’s 1900 book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” as well as the 1939 film.
In 2012, however, it was announced that there would be a film adaptation of the musical, but it was not able to be set in motion with a cast figured out until 2021. It was then announced that pop star Ariana Grande would come back to act in a major film in the role of Galinda. Subsequently, it was finally released to anticipating audiences on November 22, 2024. So, is “Wicked” worth the watch? Does it live up to the novel and musical that came before it?
Acting: As mentioned, Ariana Grande has been cast to star in the role of Galinda Upland, with costar Cynthia Erivo in the role of Elphaba Thropp. Along with Jonathan Bailey as Prince Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard of Oz, and Grande’s now ex-boyfriend, Ethan Slater, as Boq Woodsman, plus more. If I were to use one word to describe the acting in this movie, it would be “dynamic.” Grande and Erivo on stage together are like lightning. They bounce off each other and work so well together on screen, despite their characters’ differences. Even though this movie appears lighthearted, the serious moments are just as captivating and emotional as the funny moments. Erivo is just able to display such emotion onto her face, when she’s sad, angry, etc., and it pulls the audience in, a serious case of method acting. Grande is just as good, pulling her skills out from her days in 2010’s “Victorious.” She sells the role of the “popular, blonde hair” girl. Jeff Goldblum is as great as ever, just like in “Jurassic Park.” He plays the role of the seemingly-nice-turned-evil main boss character well, and as I did not check the cast list before watching, he was a nice surprise to see when he came on screen as The Wizard of Oz.
Songs: Along with the acting, come the songs in this movie. The most obvious facet to note is that Ariana Grande crushed these song performances. Casting a pop singer who can already sing, and is known for her type of singing, was a greater choice than an actor who would have to learn to sing. No matter if you are a fan of this movie, or the original musical, it is easy to say that she does Kristin Chenoweth, the original Broadway actress for Galinda, justice. Songs like “Popular” which primarily features her, just showcase her talents. I found myself wanting to sing along with her songs throughout the entire movie. Enrivo is just as outstanding in this movie. Her song “The Wizard and I” really was just beautiful, and her singing is profound. This is not even to mention her song “I’m Not That Girl.” It had SO much emotion behind it, and she sang her heart out, and even almost made me emotional with her. The huge number at the end, “Defying Gravity” with both women singing together was just so fervent, same with “What is This Feeling?” Their alto and soprano voices simply click together so well, The songs will leave you singing them in your head (or out loud) when you exit the theatre.
Plot: The first thing to note about the plot, is that this movie is just a part one. This first movie poses as the “Act One” of the musical. The second part, or “Act Two” is set to come out on November 21, 2025, basically exactly a year after the first one. The movie plot follows the on-stage drama all the same, and pretty well. The main difference is that the movie, when both parts are put together will be extremely longer than the stage musical, which is two hours and 45 minutes long. Part one of the movie is already two hours and 40 minutes. The plot mostly moves along slowly, except the ending might have been just a little bit rushed, arguably rightfully so, considering the thing was almost three hours long. But, because of the long runtime, Elphaba’s childhood was able to be shown and explained more, providing more context for audiences that have maybe never seen the stage musical before (like me!) In general, I think the plot is fine and does the stage version justice.
Overall: So, the big question is, does “Wicked” defy expectations? I think so. Going into it, I wasn’t expecting that grandiose of a movie, since it wasn’t the one I wanted to see. But my friend and I were pleasantly surprised with what we ended up watching. The real test will be when I eventually go see “Wicked” on Broadway in April with the Mason City Choir! Only then, will I be able to see how the true comparison. Although, of course, watching the movie in a theatre on a screen would not be as impressive as the experience of being there live watching the musical, I would still highly recommend giving the film a watch. It will be worth your time. Overall, I give “Wicked” a five out of five stars.
