Eight years after it was originally announced, “Wicked” has finally made it to the big screen and, so far, has been very popular with audiences. 

Starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, “Wicked” is one of, if not the, best theatre-to-film musicals ever produced. 

While only act one is covered in the movie, it’s even longer than the entire Broadway show with a runtime of two hours and 40 minutes. The movie doesn’t feel long though, especially with the lengthening of the songs and the way the plot is crafted. 

While I wasn’t sure about the main stars of the film going in, I now can’t imagine anyone else playing Elphaba and Glinda. Erivo played Elphaba’s mannerisms and demeanor perfectly and Grande’s comedic timing as Glinda was perfect for the prissy witch. 

When I watched the trailer and heard Erivo’s “Defying Gravity” war-cry for the first time, I wasn’t sold on her version but after watching her sing the song while doing her own stunts, I can easily excuse the change in the iconic riff. 

It is not without flaws though, as throughout the movie, the relationships can feel forced. Grande manages to have more chemistry with a green witch than her own boyfriend, Ethan Slater, who is in the movie as Boq the Munchkin. I know they’re taking from the source material but, to me, the connections could have been better. 

The beginning sequence of the movie sets everything up perfectly. It starts right after the Wicked Witch of the West is killed by Dorothy. It shows the black witch’s hat and the flying monkeys with Glinda talking in a voice-over. During which, we see a figure (Elphaba) riding away on a horse and Dorothy traveling to Oz. 

Throughout the movie, there are moments explaining things from the original stage play or “The Wizard of Oz” that weren’t there before such as Elphaba and Glinda picking the color of the road. 

The entire movie is very Broadway-esque. From the choreography to the singing and even the camera work, everything feels very theatrical. The song “What is this Feeling” is a perfect example of this.

While it would’ve been great for Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth to reprise their roles, they’re just too old now. Menzel and Chenoweth, however, did have cameos in “One Short Day” which made the song twice as long as its stage version. 

Menzel and Chenoweth’s chemistry with Erivo and Grande during the scene was perfect. Menzel did the “Defying Gravity” riff in her scene and Chenoweth gave the audience even more of the pink prissy witch when she acted with Grande. 

My only qualm with this movie is the fact that I now have to wait a year to see the rest of it. If they did this well for act one, I can’t wait to head down the yellow brick road for act two. 

Official Score: 9/10

Categories: Arts & Entertainment