Wicked (2024) Review

Wicked (2024)
Director: John M. Chu
Screenwriters: Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande-Butera, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum

It has been 85 years since the release of MGM’s The Wizard of Oz. Based on the children’s novel of the same name, which was published in 1900 by author L. Frank Baum, The Wizard of Oz is easily the most successful and recognizable adaptation of the novel, as well as one of the greatest musical films ever made. With unforgettable technicolor iconography like Dorothy’s ruby slippers and the yellow brick road, oft-repeated lines like, “There’s no place like home,” and Judy Garland’s stunning vocals, The Wizard of Oz continues to occupy a pivotal space in pop culture and acts as a reminder of old Hollywood glamour and indulgence.

It would be understandable to assume that Wicked (2024), based on the long-running Broadway musical of the same name that tells a revisionist tale of the origins of the Wicked Witch of the West, might struggle to get out from under the weight of its predecessor, but the iconic reputation of MGM’s beloved musical is the least of this movie’s problems. While fans of the Broadway show will no doubt rejoice in seeing and hearing its musical numbers staged for the big screen, director John M. Chu’s aimless composition, along with janky CGI and a shallow albeit competent script, makes Wicked a washed out, unfocused mess, despite powerhouse performances from leads Cynthia Erivo and pop star Ariana Grande.

Premiering on Broadway in 2003, the musical “Wicked” is a loose adaptation of the 1995 novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire. Its tagline, “So much happened before Dorothy dropped in,” lets us know we’re about to see the events leading up to Ms Gale’s arrival in the Land of Oz via tornado from the primary perspective of the original story’s central antagonist, the Wicked Witch of the West. The musical offers quite a different version of the story to the one we think we know, a version where Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West were actually, at one time, best friends. Wicked, which is part one of a two-part sage, the latter set to release November 2025, recounts the first act of the Broadway show.

In its transfer to the big screen following a twelve year stay in developmental hell, Wicked begins with the death of the Wicked Witch of the West, after Dorothy dumps a bucket of water on her. Her henchmen, the flying monkeys, who were played by actors in makeup and costume in The Wizard of Oz, and are now brought to life by some truly underwhelming special effects, take flight through the sky as composer Stephen Schwartz’s iconic overture plays. After Glinda (Ariana Grande-Butera) descends from her bubble and one of the munchkins questions her about her apparent relationship with the Wicked Witch, the film travels several years back in time to recount their shared history. The Wicked Witch was actually a young girl named Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo), who from the moment she was born, was ostracized for her “unnatural” green skin. The result of an affair between her mother (Courtney-Mae Briggs) and a mysterious man with a green elixir, Elphaba is rejected by her father, Frexspar Thropp, governor of Munchkinland (Andy Nyman), and left out of society for the color of her skin and her talent for magic, which she is unable to control. Her only friend is her half-sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode), who is paraplegic due to their father’s vanity and fear over Nessa possibly being born with the same affliction as Elphaba.

Upon arriving at Shiz University to see her sister off to college, Elphaba’s magic is made apparent and she catches the eye of Madame Morrible, the dean of Sorcery (Michelle Yeoh), who takes her under her wing. Now a student, Elphaba incurs the wrath of Glinda (who was then going by the name of Galinda Upland and is shown to be perky, air-headed, and nearly always dressed in pink) when they are forced to room together. Eventually, Elphaba and Glinda become friends, but everything is not as it seems in Oz. Doctor Dillamond, played by CGI goat Peter Dinklage, warns of “something bad happening in oz,” that is causing the animals, who are productive members of society, to lose their ability to speak. Unnerved by this, Elphaba plans to confront The Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) about it, but the wizard is, as we all know, not who he appears to be. 

Following the release of The Wizard of Oz, many filmmakers have attempted retellings or spiritual sequels, to varying degrees of success. There was, most notably, 1978’s The Wiz, directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Diana Ross as Dorothy. Adapted from the Broadway musical of the same name, The Wiz was an urban fantasy take on the classic tale, featuring an all-Black cast. Despite its initial failure, the film eventually became a cult classic. On the other end of the spectrum is 2013’s Oz the Great and Powerful, directed by Sam Raimi, which is set 20 years before Dorothy’s arrival and serves as an origin story for The Wizard. It was a commercial success, no doubt, but otherwise entirely forgettable. Neither have managed to eclipse the cultural impact of The Wizard of Oz.

Wicked doesn’t have the same problem that other adaptions and retellings have had in the past, thanks to a built-in audience. The show, which has been running on Broadway for over 20 years, has enough of a reputation outside of the cultural significance of The Wizard of Oz that it is much easier to judge it for what it is rather than compare it to MGM’s golden era classic. The biggest strength of the film is its musical numbers, or at least the essence of them. Fans of the musical will be happy to know that, thanks to the film’s 161-minute runtime, every song from the show made the transition to the screen almost completely intact. There is even an extended dance sequence in the large group number “Dancing Through Life” that was cut from the original Broadway show. While other recent musical film adaptations like Mean Girls seem almost ashamed to be musicals, Wicked relies on the strength of its musical numbers to carry the film, even though Chu rarely trusts his actors enough to allow them full range of their physicality to embody their roles. As a result, the film rarely feels like it’s dragging and goes by in a flash.

Even though the film is roughly the same length as the entire Broadway show, screenwriters Dana Fox and Winnie Holzman, who wrote the book for the original musical, make basically zero attempt to add depth to the story, aside from a few scenes expanding upon the animal rights subplot that never gets much time to breathe in the show. The book of the musical is bare bones and the script for the film is nearly identical to it, speaking scenes treated as mere transitions for musical numbers rather than compelling interactions in their own right that add to the story. Additionally, the third act wraps up a little too quickly. This is an issue in the stage show as well, so it’s disappointing that the filmmakers didn’t take the time to flesh it out.

If Wicked’s musical numbers are the highlight of the film, its performances are equally enjoyable. It is a joy to see Ariana Grande revel in her theater-kid roots, something she has rarely indulged in since her pop career took off more than a decade ago. Although she has dipped her toe back in to this world before, most notably in 2016 with her performance as Penny Pingleton in NBC’s ‘Hairspray Live,’ Grande hasn’t been in a musical since she starred in “13” on Broadway when she was 15 (in 2008). Grande flawlessly makes the transition from pop vocalist to contemporary musical theater, and her impeccable comedic timing enables her to get the most laughs out of everyone in the film.

Cynthia Erivo’s performance as Elphaba is equally great, with her bright mezzo-soprano belt being particularly impressive. Having starred in “The Color Purple” on Broadway and in HBO’s ‘The Outsider’ miniseries as Holly Gibney, Erivo is no stranger to playing outcasts, and she infuses Elphaba with vulnerability and quiet strength. Other performers of note include Jonathan Bailey, who recently skyrocketed to fame playing Anthony, the rakish eldest Bridgerton sibling on Netflix’s ‘Bridgerton’. He oozes charm as Fiyero, a bored prince who prefers to sail through life rather than think too hard about it. Though he is technically coupled up with Glinda, he clearly harbors secret feelings for Elphaba, and his ability to convey those feelings with his eyes makes Bailey especially swoonworthy. Ethan Slater as the munchkin Boq, who has a crush on Glinda, does quite a lot with the limited screentime he has, as do Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James, who play Glinda’s friends and are pretty effective as comedic relief. Michelle Yeoh is regal, if not a bit wooden as Madame Morrible, her vocal ability clearly lacking, and Jeff Goldblum is surprisingly sinister as The Wizard, though his obvious reluctance to fully commit to the song and dance of it all is disappointing. 

Chu is lucky that his actors give it their all, considering he plays the majority of the movie off their faces, opting for medium shots and extreme close ups for almost the entire runtime. His tendency to frame his actors in the center of the screen, usually from the shoulders up, creates an uncanny effect that makes you wonder if half the frame is actually missing. There is so much dead space above heads and on either side of the characters that it’s obvious Chu is unable to compose shots that take full advantage of the film’s wide 2.39 aspect ratio. For comparison, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is shot in the same ratio, but Spielberg makes full use of the entire frame, blocking his actors and using furniture and landscapes to perfectly balance every single shot. Chu and cinematographer Alice Brooks (In the Heights, Tick, Tick…Boom!) instead opt to blur nearly every background, relegating the obviously lavish and colorful sets to a fuzzy, half-hearted existence. The large group numbers are especially egregious when it comes to blocking, and Chu refuses to show any performer’s entire body, the director completely uninterested in how bodies move in dance. The lighting is also hideous, with back lighting that washes out actor faces and flattens them.

Wicked is, for all its faults, a decent musical adaptation. Fans of the show will most likely get exactly what they want out of the experience. The songs play well and the performances are almost enough to forget about how visually uninteresting it is. But since the songs in Wicked existed before this, since the story is told every night on stage, one has to wonder what this film version has to offer that the Broadway version doesn’t. Chu’s direction unfortunately doesn’t do much to answer that question.

Score: 12/24