Review: ‘Wicked’ defies expectations alongside gravity

By Sara Davidson     12/3/24 11:10pm

Stars: ★★★★★

The highly anticipated movie adaptation of the hit musical “Wicked” has been released in theaters, and it does not disappoint — unless you went in thinking the movie would include both acts of the play. 

“Wicked” part one takes its audience from the moment where the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, is killed and launches into her tragic past, intertwining her story with that of Glinda the Good. The first part of the movie leaves off at the musical’s intermission with the show-stopping “Defying Gravity,” leaving watchers (me) sobbing violently and already anticipating the second half of the show, coming to theatres in November 2025. 

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Where to even begin in reviewing the movie, except to say that all of it was fantastic. The elaborate costumes and set, the incredible show-stopping song and dance, the jaw-dropping hotness of Prince Fiyero — I see now why Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who play Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, have acted so emotionally throughout their press tour. The movie has taken the musical and embraced it, including much-anticipated cameos from Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, Broadway’s original Glinda and Elphaba. 

Erivo and Grande both wholeheartedly embrace their characters, with Erivo offering a glimpse of the inner mind of Elphaba in every number she sang, from “The Wizard and I” revealing her aspirations of the future and acceptance, to “Defying Gravity” where she stands up for her morals, despite the loss of the future she had dreamed of. 

Grande also plays Glinda as if she was born for the role, from exuding her bubbly self in “Popular” to showing the complexity of her character in “No One Mourns the Wicked” as she comes to terms with the surface-level perceptions of her and Elphaba despite the reversal of roles behind the curtain.  

By comparison, some of the other actors, such as Michelle Yeoh, who plays Madame Morrible, and Jeff Goldblum, who plays The Wizard of Oz, fall flat in their singing skills — hardly a fair comparison to the likes of Erivo and Grande, though. Despite their lack of years of vocal training, award-winning albums and more from Erivo and Grande’s hefty resumes, Yeoh and Goldblum still manage to hold their own in the show and embrace the sinister side of Oz. 

Every musical number brought out perfect choreography, including the ballroom scene that crafted a well-done dance between Ethan Slater and Marissa Bode while still incorporating her wheelchair. “Dancing Through Life,” with the insanely attractive Jonathan Bailey as Prince Fiyero, included spinning bookshelves that I instantly researched for Fondren to invest in. The show includes a lot of foreshadowing for both the second act and the classic movie with Dorothy and her ruby red slippers, from the floating poppies that put the class to sleep to the lion cub poking his head out of the wicker bicycle basket. 

Overall, “Wicked” is a must-see this holiday season, and is truly a good movie to watch whether you have the background of the musical going into the show or not. Everyone can find space to hold for Wicked and grow a newfound appreciation for the classic “Wizard of Oz.” Expect to be left on a bit of a cliffhanger, but rest assured, the Wicked will make their return. 

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