Wicked (2024)

Director: Jon M. Chu

Starring: Cynthia Erivo,Ariana Grande, Jeff Goldblum

Elphaba, a misunderstood young woman because of her green skin, and Galinda, a popular girl, become friends at Shiz University in the Land of Oz. After an encounter with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads.

If you’ve never seen ‘The Wizard of Oz’ maybe you shouldn’t watch it. I fear ‘Wicked’ might ruin the legacy of ‘The Wizard of Oz’. Why? Because in the ‘Wizard of Oz’ the Wicked Witch of the West is the antagonist. In ‘Wicked’ she is given a name, Elphaba, and now suddenly becomes the protagonist. We learn about her childhood, and how she became a witch filled with hate and vengeance – the very character of ‘The Wizard of Oz’.

‘Wicked’ starts with the Munchkins of Oz celebrating the death of the Wicked Witch of the West, therefore we already know Elphaba’s fate. The film then goes back in time to tell her story, how she was born from an affair, and how her dad rejected her because she was born with a green skin.

When her sister, Nessarose, goes to University, her father orders Elphaba to ensure she settles in safely. When Elphaba accidentally practices magic in a rage of fury, Madame Morrible, the Dean of Sorcery Studies, notices her talent and offers to privately tutor her.

Elphaba meets Galinda (who is the Good Witch Glinda in the original ‘The Wizard of Oz’), and shares a room with her. They can’t stand each other at first but then become friends (although it still looked all pretend to me). Elphaba is constantly being made fun of by the other students. When she discovers a plot to stop animals from teaching at the University – and to prevent animals from talking – she takes matters in her own hands to save them.

There’s no denying ‘Wicked’ is an incredibly well made film with amazing visuals, stunning sets and impressive production design, but there simply are way too many yawn-inducing scenes. The film is slow, overlong, and way too slapstick for my liking. Some scenes also felt utterly ridiculous, especially character reactions. It felt schmaltzy, cheesy and with the film not even all that interesting, I became bored. I almost stopped watching around the halfway mark. It also felt more like a Harry Potter spoof.

At least the final 30 minutes or so were interesting, and I enjoyed the final act. With all the lengthy character introductions and plot set-up out of the way, I’m sure Part 2 will be better paced and more interesting. Oh, yes, they don’t promote ‘this 2 hour 40 minute long film as PART 1…

Ariane Grande certainly can sing, but can she act? Hmm, debatable. In contrast, I thought Cynthia Erivo was well cast as Elphaba, and by far the film’s best asset (apart from the visuals). Hollywood has become a synonym for ego, and I think I’m officially done with big budget Hollywood superhero films; they’re just so egotistical.

‘Wicked’ was a box office success, earning $648 million on a budget of $150 million, and already received almost 200 award nominations.

Would I watch it again? No.