Wicked: Part 1 (2024)
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Premise: An adaptation of the first half of the stage musical inspired by The Wizard of Oz. Green skinned and magically gifted Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) enrolls at Shiz University and befriends Galinda (Ariana Grande). Their relationship is strained as Elphaba discovers the truth about the Wizard.
What Works: Much like 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, the film adaptation of Wicked is intended as a family friendly musical spectacle and as that the movie succeeds. The song and dance numbers are competently done and the production design is impressive. Practical and digital elements are blended seamlessly; talking animals are presented credibly without becoming silly. The film adaptation of Wicked is centered on the relationship between Elphaba and Galinda and this is the strongest aspect of the movie. Their friendship is unlikely; Elphaba is unpopular and cynical but studious whereas Galinda is attractive and upbeat but entitled. The two of them are not instant friends but the story engineers some effective moments of kindness and grace, especially a dance sequence that brings them together. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are well cast in their roles and both are terrific singers. Erivo conjures depth and gravitas in an underwritten role while Grande demonstrates impeccable comic delivery.
What Doesn’t: Although Erivo and Grande are good in their roles, some of the supporting cast are not. Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh play the Wizard and Madame Morrible, respectively, and neither of them are good singers. Wicked is plagued by a strange tension. It simultaneously feels truncated and bloated. The film runs 160 minutes (making it about the same length as the stage show which presents the whole story) and yet many of the characters and subplots are underdeveloped. Elphaba learns the truth about the Wizard and the government’s persecution of anthropomorphic animals. Very little comes of this idea. A love triangle between Elphaba, Galinda and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) is introduced but there’s no romantic tension or payoff. Elphaba has a complicated relationship with her sister (Marissa Bode) but that subplot is entirely forgotten. Other story elements such as a spell book and the truth about the Wizard have no set up and the reveals are rushed through. The lack of dramatic build up results in an emotionally flat climax. Wicked is about Elphaba becoming the Wicked Witch we know from The Wizard of Oz but she does not have a meaningful character arc. Elphaba grows very little and the climactic moment doesn’t require a meaningful choice on her part. Wicked lacks depth and complexity and that problem is rooted in its premise. The Wicked Witch of the West, played by Margaret Hamilton in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, is one of the great cinematic villains, albeit a straightforward, uncomplicated heavy. The conceit of Wicked places the witch at the center of the action and suggests that the Wizard is the real villain. Instead of embracing complexity or moral ambiguity, the story opts to just reverse the moral binary in a way that is just as simplistic. No one in Wicked is interesting and this story is an unimaginative use of iconic characters.
Bottom Line: Wicked: Part 1 succeeds as a musical spectacle and it ought to entertain mainstream audiences. It’s also an overstuffed and incomplete story that plays as a Harry Potter knockoff. The narrative is a bunch of story fragments that may or may not payoff in the second installment.
Episode: #1026 (December 8, 2024)