The first part of the new Wicked films hit theaters on November 22nd. The movie is based off of the Tony award-winning broadway production of the same name which tells the backstories of the characters in the famous 1939 film “Wizard of Oz”. This movie was a fantastic musical adaptation and did an amazing job at transforming the on-stage magic into a feature film.
The star of the show was obviously the songs featured in the movies. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo have beautiful voices that blend together seamlessly. The duet “What is This Feeling” is produced so well and I believe that the differences in line deliveries make it even more catchy then the theater production. The fluid movements in the choreography were so aesthetically pleasing to watch. Ariana Grande’s comedic acting, dancing, and line deliveries in “Popular” were so fun and fit Glindas over the top character very well. Although the obvious choice for the best song would be defying gravity. Cynthia has such a strong voice which is perfect for this song. During the movie, the music mixed with the visuals made the song feel so powerful it gave me chills. I especially like the more complex battle cry at the end. It just exudes the slight bit more passion Cynthia’s Elphaba had compared to the original.
Despite what critics initially thought when the castings came out, I think Cynthia and Ariana played their roles perfectly. I know people thought Ariana’s casting was due to her status and that she would make the role too pop centered but in my opinion she stayed true to the original Glinda’s essence. Her portrayal perfectly mixes realistic movie acting with exaggerated theater acting. She’s able to be dramatic and over the top while still feeling real and raw during important moments like defying gravity. She also did a good job at making Glinda likable enough in the beginning that the audience can forgive her when she befriends Elphaba. Although I think Cynthia did the best in her role. She made Elphaba such a strong and passionate character. In the beginning she plays her as very defensive due to how everyone has always treated her. Then the few people who accepted her turn against her you can see how all that defensiveness and passion for helping animals turns to strength.
I enjoyed the additions they added to the story to make it fit into a feature length film. Fleshing out the relationships between Fiyero and Elphaba along with nessa and boq are really going to make the events that happen in the second half of the musical hit a lot harder. Another great addition I think we’re Glinda’s 2 friends. They were a great way to show off and amplify glinda’s initial mean and popular girl tendencies. They also made for a good contrast when Glinda switched and became friends with Elphaba.
I think this movie masterfully adapted and elevated the original play. I would 100% recommend this film not only to theater lovers but to anyone who enjoys musicals in general.
