Wicked has been smashing box offices around the globe since its release on November 22nd, and with good cause. Although the actors have been meme-ified all over the internet, with Cynthia Erivo’s Target commercial, Boq-fest, and of course, the holding space interview, they did not take away from the masterpiece that is Wicked (2024).
From the moment that the lights dimmed in the movie theater and the film began rolling, I had chills all over my body. Hearing the overture as we saw Oz in all its glory brought a tear to my eye. The merry old land of Oz holds a very special place in my, along with many others, hearts, and director John Chu did a wonderful job of bringing it back to life.
The sets of Munchkin Land and the City of Oz were different from those of The Wizard of Oz, but it was a welcome change . It would’ve been cool if they had used painted backdrops similar to that in the 1939 movie but I understand that that probably isn’t very practical anymore. The only thing that sincerely let me down was the use of color. I was hoping for a brighter, more dream-like look to the movie, but many scenes, while still colorful, were dark. I believe the movie would have benefitted from a coloring more similar to that of Technicolor, as seen in La La Land.
My number one worry approaching the film was the animals in Oz. However, I was pleasantly surprised by them. CGI animals are typically a downside to any movie they appear in, but they did not distract me at all. They were a welcomed addition, as I would rather see a CGI goat than a man dressed as a goat. They offered a little silliness to the movie with a few animal puns but also offered a serious topic that’s relevant to the movie as well as real life in a way that is easier for younger children to understand.
Although when most musical fans hear that their favorite musical is being turned into a movie, they fear it being ruined by people who don’t care enough about the story, that cannot be said about Grande and Erivo. They played their characters beautifully, and it was obvious to anyone who watched the movie that they loved what they were doing. Wicked was honestly the most tastefully done musical-to-movie adaptation I have ever seen, and I, among other Wicked fanatics, look forward to part two.
