4 stars
Picture this: A young girl stands for the entire 2 hours and 40 minutes of the runtime, her eyes glued to the screen (except to look away at the unnecessarily graphic monkey gets its wings scene). She doesn’t sing along or pantomime any of the action in front of her. She’s transfixed., Mesmerized. When the final “To Be Continued” ending is splashed across the screen, she applauds louder and longer than anyone in the room, which is saying a lot because everyone applauds.
That image, that young girl, says more about Wicked than anything you’re about to read. It’s good enough to satisfy even the most hardcore fans of the multi-award-winning Broadway show and strong enough to capture the next generation of musical lovers.
As a big fan of the original, even though I only saw it performed in Boston (twice), I admittedly went into the screening of Wicked with a bit of a chip – OK, a giant log – on my shoulder about whether the director Jon M. Chu could pull it off. I had mixed feelings about his last big screen musical effort, the uneven In the Heights. And let’s not forget he helmed G.I.Joe: Retaliation. As I prepare to see his latest film a second time, I’m happy to admit I was prematurely overreacting. He does a great job capturing the art and energy of the show, filling the screen with dazzling imagery without ever overpowering the actors, who are all pouring their heart and soul into every scene.
He also hit all the right notes in terms of the big showstopping numbers in the movie. What is this Feeling? is fun, but with just enough edge. Popular is frothy and fantastic. Defying Gravity gets a little lost in the visual blur, but just for a second (fans will know when), close your eyes and listen. It’s thrilling.
Of course, naysayers will try to compare Broadway stars Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda with their movie counterparts, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. They need to stop because it’s apples and oranges, and the Broadway show was over twenty years ago. Erivo is stunning as Elphaba, particularly in the way she conveys such deep emotions through the camera’s lens straight into the audience’s hearts. Her voice is strong and vibrant, with a deeper, warmer tone than Menzel initially gave the character. Grande, whose acting experience outside of various music videos and hilarious SNL skits is limited (I didn’t see Don’t Look Up, so I can’t comment on her performance), feels born to play the future Good Witch Glinda role. She not only deftly handles the physicality of the part but uses her exceptional voice to add shade and color to everything she sings or says.
The fact that they both sing live on the screen instead of lipsynching to a pre-recorded soundtrack deserves special recognition and a round of applause. In fact, people should feel free to applaud at the end of each musical number in Wicked the movie just as they would watching Wicked the Broadway musical. Every person who worked so hard to make the film as good as it is, behind and in front of the camera, deserves the recognition.
Not all of the performances in Wicked are as effective. Jeff Goldblum feels awkward and out of place as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, as does Michelle Yeoh as the sorceress Madam Morrible. And even though the singing parts of their performance are limited, they both approach them too timidly to be effective. Here’s hoping they get more to do it better in the movie’s second part, due sometime in 2025.
