Universal’s Wicked, directed by Jon M. Chu, was a highly anticipated movie starring Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. After over two years of work and production on the movie from the tulip fields to costumes, the crowds are thrilled to see the Broadway show brought to life again with the film doing extremely well after its release on November 22, 2024.
The movie has made $455 million worldwide putting it as the second highest-grossing film based on a Broadway musical, with Mamma Mia! being at the top. It also broke the record for the most money made on opening weekend by a Broadway musical adaptation. It grossed $163 million on Thanksgiving weekend. Many of its ratings surpass those of other Broadway musical film adaptations. Currently, Wicked has an 8.1/10 rating on IMDb placing it ahead of Chicago, Hairspray, and Grease. In other words, Wicked has been extremely successful. But is it really all it’s cracked up to be?
The movie starts off in Munchkinland. The opening scene is meant to occur on the same day as “Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead” from the original The Wizard of Oz movie, as it shows the aftermath of the Wicked Witch of the West’s death. Although they don’t sing this song, the Munchkins cry out with joy upon hearing about the death of the Wicked Witch of the West, or, as her friends call her, Elphaba. Glinda the Good Witch arrives in a pink bubble and is greeted with applause. One of the Munchkins asks Glinda to verify a rumor she heard – that she was once friends with the Wicked Witch of the West. The rest of the movie is a flashback of the history between these two.
Elphaba Thropp was the product of her mother’s affair and was born a permanent, shockingly bright green. For her entire childhood, Elphaba was a catalyst of fear and disgust for everyone around her. Her younger sister, Nessarose, was born without the ability to walk and was thus wheelchair-bound. Their mother, Melena, died upon giving birth to Nessarose. The girls’ father is very protective of Nessarose and shameful of Elphaba.
When they come of age, Elphaba and Nessarose attend Shiz University, an elite school where many students aspire to learn sorcery. When Elphaba shows up, she is addressed in the same way she has been her entire life- with looks of disgust and remarks about how ugly her green skin is. Galinda (who will later change her name to Glinda) arrives with loads of luggage and many pre-established friends. She has but one goal at Shiz: to get instructed by Madame Morrible, a professor at Shiz and a highly accredited sorcerer. There’s only one issue for Galinda: Madame Morrible only instructs students who she thinks have what it takes to become remarkable sorcerers, and Galinda is not this student; Elphaba is who she wants.
To their dismay, Galinda and Elphaba find out they are roommates, and immediately establish a loathing for each other. However, this division melts, and they end up becoming best friends. But there’s more hardship to come. During all of this, some unfavorable changes have been happening at Shiz. Since the beginning of time, animals have had the ability to talk and live free lives in the land of Oz. But now humans are becoming threatened by these animals, and they are getting taken away and locked up. Elphaba feels the need to stop this injustice, but Galinda feels that there’s nothing they can do about it, and doesn’t want to risk her reputation and social status. While the two women struggle against the society of Oz, they also have conflict between themselves.
The opening scene was not my favorite scene because I found it overwhelming, but there were some great elements to it. First off, the vocals were beautiful. The large amount of voices harmonizing made the experience feel very theatrical, almost as if you weren’t watching a movie at all, but a live show. On top of that, the set was breathtaking, as it is in every scene. With the 9 million tulips (yes 9 million) that were planted for the movie, it will be shocking if Wicked does not get nominated for the Academy Award for Best Production Design.
“What Is This Feeling?” was undeniably the best number in the show. From the beautiful visual effects to the pristine choreography to the impressive vocal harmonization, this scene was an immersive experience. The split screen, for example, added playfulness. It highlighted the contrast between Elphaba and Galinda, and yet somehow made it feel like they were the same. Erivo and Grande had great chemistry throughout the movie. Their fun banter throughout the scene added so much personality. They both produced a unique dynamic that could not have been replicated by any other actors.
Unfortunately, there weren’t more scenes like this because it felt like Galinda and Elphaba went from enemies to best friends in a very short amount of time. The audience didn’t get enough of the gradual moments that led up to people becoming very good friends. It seems as if they thought “What Is This Feeling?” would illustrate this passing of time, but it wasn’t enough, especially since this story is centered around the relationship between the two women.
“Defying Gravity” has become the most popular soundtrack from the movie. In the original Broadway production of Wicked, “Defying Gravity,” performed by Idina Menzel who played Elphaba, is the essence of the show. Her enchanting onstage “flying” is a key moment in Broadway history. Although Erivo’s vocals were just as powerful, the movie version failed to deliver the same effect as the Broadway production. First off, the movie broke up the number with too much action and speaking in between verses. This diminished the build-up to Elphaba’s last riff, which took audiences’ breath away on Broadway because of the sheer power it brought. What’s more, there was too much going on. Elphaba flew around on a broomstick and sang while a mass of guards tackled Glinda. This took away from the intimacy that was achieved in the Broadway production, where the stage was darkly lit and the only focal point was Elphaba, who was suspended in the air. The scene would’ve had a stronger effect if the shot had been simplified to show just Elphaba and her expressions.
Speaking of Menzel, she and Kristin Chenoweth, who played Glinda in the original Broadway production, made a cameo in the Emerald City scene. This was a pleasant surprise, and it was certainly necessary to acknowledge the two incredible actors who made the musical what it is today. However, the directors could’ve done so much more with their gifted talents. Their appearance consisted of them singing loudly and playfully pushing each other out of the way, competing for attention. This was disappointing because it didn’t showcase their true talents, and it wasn’t even that funny. It felt lazy, almost like Menzel and Chenoweth were asked at the last minute and they had to be squeezed into the otherwise completed number. If the directors wanted a truly memorable cameo, they should’ve brought more clever humor and irony to it. Menzel and Chenoweth should’ve been making funny remarks and breaking the fourth wall, rather than being the butt of the joke.
Despite finding some changes I would make in the film Wicked, I was thoroughly entertained the entire time. I saw its flaws, but they weren’t overbearing. Believe it or not, I found the movie utterly enjoyable. It was intense, immersive, and well-casted. Grande’s high airy voice and sparkly personality went in perfect contrast with Erivo’s smooth, rich voice and thoughtful expressions. The two stars compensate for any weaknesses in other areas by making the characters’ unique relationship the focus.
If you want to see a movie that is an experience, from the set to the songs to the emotions it produces, buy a ticket to Wicked! If sales continue their trend, Wicked could surpass Mamma Mia! and become the highest-grossing film adaptation of a Broadway show ever. So route for Wicked!
You can see it at a theater near you, or if you prefer streaming it will likely be available by February or March of 2025. After watching Wicked, there’s no doubt that you’ll want to see how the rest of the story plays out. Not to worry though- Wicked Part Two is set to come out on November 21, 2025. Lastly, if you’d like to have a go at being a student at Shiz University, click the link below!
