The highly anticipated movie adaptation “Wicked” directed by Jon M. Chu, brings the iconic Broadway musical to the big screen with vibrant visuals and memorable performances.
Based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 book “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” the movie retells L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz story from the perspectives of Elphaba, the misunderstood, green-skinned witch and Glinda the perky and popular, good witch.
Wicked the musical first debuted on Broadway in 2003 and has built a long-lasting legacy and devoted fandom, becoming Broadway’s fourth longest-running show.
The film starts where the Wizard of Oz ends, with the announcement that the wicked witch of the west, Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo is dead. As Glinda played by Ariana Grande watched the celebrations, she is asked about her friendship with the wicked witch, taking the audience back in time through their relationship.
The supporting cast is stacked with stars including Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Ethan Slater as Boq, Marrissa Bode as Nessarose and Peter Dinklage as Dr. Dillamond.
Throughout the movie, we see Glinda and Elphaba’s contrasting personalities and rivalry, though the students of Shiz University love Glinda and hate Elphaba, the professors and the Wizards take notice of Elphaba’s skills and intelligence.
As Elphaba navigates the world that is quick to judge and exclude her, she begins forming a unusual friendship with Glinda. At the same time, she begins to stand up for the animals of Oz who are losing their jobs and voices.
As Elphaba gets the opportunity to meet the Wizard, she and Glinda take off for the Emerald City. Here though they discover that the Wizard and Madam Morrible, Elphaba’s mentor, have more manipulative and wicked intentions for her.
Their actions are blamed on Elphaba, causing the citizens of Oz to deem her wicked and causing her to flee to the West.
Songs like “Wizard and I,” “What is This Feeling?,” “Dancing Through Life,” “Popular,” and “I’m Not that Girl” help transport the audience fully into the world of Oz.
At its core, Wicked is a story about the complexity of friendship and a commentary on stigma, oppression and resistance. Elphaba’s rebellion against the Wizard of Oz and his corruption mirror real-life struggles for justice.
The film makes it clear that while Elphaba is seen as the wicked one, she is the one actively fighting and advocating for others even if that comes with the sacrifice of her friendships and reputation.
The showstopping finale “Defying Gravity” shows these themes as it serves as an anthem of freedom. It also serves as a reminder to fight for what is right and that not everything is as it appears, questioning what is good and bad.
With beautiful sets and costumes, elaborate musical performances, powerful vocals and timeless themes, the Wicked movie stays true to the original musical while adding some surprises.
The film brings the magic of Oz to life and it’s not over yet as fans can look forward to the sequel movie which will continue years later in the lives of Glinda and Elphaba and intersect with Dorothy’s time in Oz.
Ximena Cordero is a staff reporter and may be reached at [email protected]
