Jon M. Chu’s Wicked, based on the book and Broadway musical, tells the complicated past of The Wizard of Oz. Wicked places its audience at the celebration of The Wicked Witch of the West’s death. We are then taken back in time through the college memories of Glinda, played by Ariana Grande. She tells of the development of an unexpected friendship with the wicked witch, Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo, up to the sudden escape of Elphaba.
Overall, Wicked combines an incredible plot with engaging and captivating writing, cinematography, costuming, choreography, and vocals.
First, the very foundation of every movie is its writing. Wicked combines fast-paced and natural character progression with the unexpected turns this story takes. At many times, this caused the theater to erupt into laughter at perfectly executed jokes sprinkled throughout.
However, regardless of the many humorous moments, Wicked managed to stay away from the label of a comedy movie. Instead, viewers also get to see many very touching, heartwarming moments between Glinda and Elphaba—many of these moments bringing the theater to tears. Pulling all the writing together were the groundbreaking performances of both Grande and Erivo. From the screen, they radiate the passion they have for these characters and their stories. Grande’s biggest addition to this story was her perfectly comedic timing and mannerisms, while Erivo stole the show with her heroic and powerful interpretation of Elphaba.
Visually speaking, this movie was very well planned and thoughtful, down to the details included in Glinda’s hair clips. The costuming for this movie was truly over the top. Most characters had a never-ending wardrobe of high-quality ensembles that served as a direct reflection of their characterization. Unfortunately, many of the less impactful characters were confined to a very limited wardrobe consisting of one, maybe two outfits.
The sets, however, did not disappoint. Each setting was colorful and extended the story beyond the plot. The settings helped to enhance the immersion the viewer feels as a result of the acting performances with the mystical imagery and bold coloring included in each set.
One aspect that definitely could have been improved was the use of special effect animations. In contrast to the immersive sets and powerful performances, the animations of the animal characters did sort of distract from the overall greatness of the movie. This is not to say they were especially bad in any way, but they did not quite live up to the standards Wicked had set the audience up to expect.
Musically, though, Wicked stands alone in perfection. Each song furthers the plot and additionally provides added context to the backgrounds and emotional depths of the characters. The performances of each song are breathtaking. Not only are vocals nearly perfect on songs such as, and especially, “The Wizard and I” and fan favorite “Defying Gravity”, but they are paired with phenomenal acting and satisfying choreography that leaves eyes glued to the screen.
To pull everything together, the cinematography of Wicked only added to the splendor this movie managed to have. Somehow, the use of unique camera angles was able to grab attention and expand the world of Wicked wider than the confines of the screen. By capturing the inner workings of these characters so intentionally and so perfectly with the camera, so much more can be taken away from the little details and the minute acting choices made by our very talented protagonists.
All in all, Wicked was absolutely one of the best movies to have been released in a long time, and it may continue to be until next year, when it will be followed up by the conclusion to this epic, Wicked II. Hopefully Wicked II will continue on the path Wicked began and wrap up any loose ends left. It will be a long wait, but given the caliber of Wicked, it will be worth it.
Headline: Wicked: Stuns stage and screen