Wicked Movie Review: Defying Expectations 

Jon M. Chu reimagines the beloved Broadway play Wicked into a one-of-a-kind movie accentuated by show stopping performances from Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.

Suddenly, a joyus light appears and down in a pink bubble floats the effervescent Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande, of Don’t Look Up), gracing her loyal admirers to confirm the news of the evil witch’s death. However, as the townspeople cheer and celebrations commence, there is a far-off look in her sparkling eyes. 

Before returning from where she came, a young woman in the crowd asks Glinda if it’s true that she was once friends with the villainous witch. Glinda, along with the people of Munchkinville, recoil at the question, but then she begins to tell us the story of their friendship. Wicked serves as a predecessor to the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz and is based on the beloved Broadway musical that derives its story from the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.” 

Wicked reveals the untold story of the Wicked Witch of the West, or, as we come to know her, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo, of Bad Times at the El Royale). Elphaba has gone through life reviled for her green skin, most adamantly by her own father Frexspar Thropp (Andy Nyman), the Governor of Munchkinville. While accompanying her younger sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), to Shiz University, Elphaba gets caught in a fit of rage exposing her magical powers in front of the entire incoming class.

Shiz University’s headmaster Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh, of Everything Everywhere All At Once) is taken aback by Elphaba’s magical powers and immediately decides Elphaba must join the incoming student body and study under her guidance to hone her powers. She promises Elphaba that if she makes good, she will be introduced to the mysterious Wizard of Oz, who has the power to grant anyone their truest wish to come true. 

However, Elphaba is not the only standout new student at Shiz. On the same day arrives the effortlessly charming Glinda, a young woman whose beauty and charisma help her make the entire school fall under her spell. All but Elphaba and Madame Morrible who see her as nothing more than a self-absorbed pretty face that always gets her way. 

In a bid to try and win Madame Morrible over, Glinda unknowingly volunteers to share her private suite with Elphaba, forcing the two girls into one another’s orbit. What ensues is a battle of wits, a one-of-a-kind connection, a remarkable journey to meet a wizard and a heartbreaking decision to be made. 

Every moment of Wicked is filled with magic. From the luscious set design to utterly inspired costumes and the Ozian’s ultra-specific vernacular, there is intention behind every detail. When beloved stories like this are set to hit the big screen, there are always doubts about whether or not those in charge of its reimagination will be able to handle the task at hand. Rest assured, it’s immediately apparent that Chu and his team of collaborators have made this film with an immense love for this story guiding each decision.

The film’s success hinges on the chemistry and performances of its central duo, and Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo melt into these characters wholeheartedly. Grande floats while Erivo soars, neither taking away from the other’s undeniable star power. While expectations for the Wicked movie have been exacerbated by the three-year production timeline, these two women perform these roles seemingly paying no mind to the hype surrounding the film, but rather with a palpable devotion to these iconic characters. 

Simply put, Ariana Grande was born to play Glinda. She inhabits the role in a way that feels  instinctual, her movements innate and her heavenly voice like a true rebirth of an artist we thought we knew so well. Cynthia Erivo’s voice is transcendent and her Elphaba’s muted desperation to prove herself to be good will break your heart. By the time the film culminates in her show stopping rendition of “Defying Gravity,” there will not be a dry eye in the house. 

While completely entertaining, Wicked also has a deeply impactful message at its heart about true goodness versus perceived goodness and the bravery it takes to be good. Glinda is never challenged to be brave; she’s born perfect. Nothing she does can be frowned upon because she is the barometer for what is socially acceptable and “cool”. She glides through life, collecting admirers and devotees with no need to examine if she is truly as good as everyone thinks she is. 

Glinda understands how to play her role and knows exactly what to say and when to say it. She often plays up her goodness to her advantage and Elphaba immediately sees past her farcical act due to her ability to see people for who they are, even though no one has attempted to see her beyond her shocking appearance.  

It’s through her closeness with Elphaba that Glinda realizes what goodness really is: not a tactic to employ just to get what you want, but something that can genuinely reshape someone’s life. In the most emotionally potent moment of the film, Glinda invites Elphaba to a party their entire class will be going to and offers her a hat she describes as so ugly she wouldn’t even give it away because she doesn’t hate anyone that much. 

Elphaba, wanting to give Glinda a chance after Nessarose convinces her to, wears the hat and attends the party only to be mercilessly made fun of. In a moment of realization, Glinda understands how horrible she’s been to a girl who has never had anything easy in life. Elphaba decides, like she always has had to, to be brave. She not only stays, but begins to dance and Glinda, letting go of her constant concern about what other people think of her, goes to join her. 

It’s one of those rare times in film where you feel the colossal weight of a moment with an understanding that it has the power to change people’s lives. Elphaba’s decision to not run away from people snickering at her and instead stand in her power paired with Glinda’s realization that kindness is far more important than perceived “coolness” is a moment I wish I had been able to watch as a little girl. 

This is the magic of Wicked: there’s an understanding that a moment like this can make children fundamentally comprehend the power of empathy while also holding the power to heal the inner child of the adults who go watch it at the same time.

This story has been changing people’s lives as a musical for 20 years, and now Chu has brought the same magnetic charm baked into the theatrical production to the big screen. While there has been plenty of conversation regarding the choice to break the film into two parts, after seeing part one you will understand the necessity of the film’s division. The world of Oz feels tremendous and if there was an attempt to tackle all this story and necessary character development in one movie, it simply would not do this highly cherished story justice. 

It is worth noting there is a slight hitch in the film’s transition from Act Two to Act Three that does a disservice to the magnitude of the film’s crescendo. Act One and Two dive deep into the motivations and ambitions of these characters through the context of their social environment. Act Three then thrusts its heroines into the Emerald City in a way that makes your head spin as you leave behind the world of Shiz to understand how these women fit into the world of The Wizard of Oz. 

While the film stays incredibly loyal to the plot of the original Broadway play, even having the dialogue almost shockingly identical throughout its progression, this is one of the moments where a smoother transition of themes and tone could have benefited this version’s reimagining greatly. 

Wicked is not just a movie: it’s an immersive experience that completely enraptures you from the moment you enter the mystical world of Oz. For a film as grand as this, there’s so much intention in the smaller moments that allow for the movie to feel fully fleshed out as a three-dimensional world. It’s a tale about the power and importance of empathy told in the most majestic way imaginable with an ending that holds such an impactful punch you will be waiting with bated breath for next year’s release revealing our heroines’ fates. 

Wicked will be released in US theaters, in UK & Irish cinemas, and globally in theaters on November 22, 2024.