REVIEW: “Wicked” – Jon M. Chu Adapts Act One of Beloved Stage Musical to Astoundifying Effect

by Jacob Jones

For nearly twenty years, Wicked has been one of the theater world’s most popular and enduring productions. People come from all over just to catch a glimpse of the now iconic story on the stage, with all its bombast and belt-worthy musical numbers carrying the audience through its jam-packed three hour odyssey about the Wicked Witch of the West. Multiple Tonys (though not the big one), countless cameos from the original stars in nearly half of all musical-related media still produced, and a cultural staying power thanks to both the books (and Best Picture-nominated film) from which it pulls the bulk of its inspiration have given the musical mega-hit a sort of untouchable quality when it comes to cinematic adaptations. To pull this off would be an act of defying gravity in itself. And yet, in watching the film play out the first act, one might never have suspected the story’s finding its origins in any other medium.
 
The central conceit, for those unfamiliar, is an origin tale centered on the iconic Wizard of Oz villain, the Wicked Witch of the West, whose name is Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo). Following a traumatic home birth which saw her father scorn her for having green skin, she grows up ostracized from her community and is considered a shame to her family, to which her parents have added a paraplegic sibling named Nessarose (Marissa Bode). Partly raised by some of the family’s talking animal servants, partly by their parents, life for Elphaba is a constant struggle of inward repression and outward temperament. After her sister is eventually accepted to Shiz University, the magical wizarding school, Elphaba is tasked by her father with looking after her, and by an accidental show of magic, is also enrolled at the school at the request of Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). It is here where she meets Glinda (Ariana Grande-Butera), a popular girl with all manner of privilege, and the two begin a love-hate relationship that would ultimately come to a crossroads after a fateful meeting with the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) himself.
 
Suffice it to say, my expectations for Wicked were tempered to say the least. From its washed-out, practically colorless trailers, to the introduction of an unlikely popstar not known for theater as one of the story’s central figures, if not a tad uninspired. Would it look like every other MCU or Disney project coming out now, with their copious amounts of poorly-rendered green screen and overuse of soundstages, or would it rise to the occasion as a cinematic work in its own right? After all, both of director Jon M. Chu’s previous films took place in reality; they don’t exist in fantasy worlds. Would his direction translate well to the demands of that kind of film? Well, dear reader, after a twenty-year wait, I’m surprised and delighted to say that not only is Wicked a more-or-less faithful adaptation of the beloved stage musical’s first act, but a genuinely cinematic translation of the story, complete with everything it needs to feel as though this translation was not only necessary, but crucial to understanding just how grand the audience was always meant to feel watching it.
 
I was already familiar with the story of Wicked prior to this film’s release, as most of its core audience is likely to be, and yet I remained shocked at just how often the film found new ways to surprise me even amidst my familiarity. Impressively-crafted from its very first frames as the overture soars overhead, the grand scale of the film begins to overtake the screen rather quickly, the camera following a pack of flying monkeys over a waterfall and into a wonderful world full of color and stunning production design that feels as physical and lifelike as it could ever be. Even the color-grading from the trailers – which still has some issues in both directions depending on which scene one is watching – was far less obtrusive than I expected, and the direction from Jon M. Chu feels as grandiose as the world of Oz is, the cinematography rising to meet the occasion and capturing not only the scale of the production, but the monumentality of having successfully pulled this off. Even some of the more noticeable soundstage sequences are chock full of tangible set designs that feel as though one could step into them at any time, and the visual effects on the animal characters look just right without being over-reliant on realism. There are a few instances where the film falters in some of its visual fidelity (not every scene’s blue screen effects translate well to smaller-scale moments), but by and large, the film is a stunning display of incredible craftsmanship worthy of multiple Oscars should the Academy have any extra to give out.
 
And that same quality extends to nearly every performance the film contains. Jonathan Bailey, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage’s vocal turn as Dr. Dillamond – everyone came to play for their parts. Truthfully, the only performance that doesn’t quite impress is Jeff Goldblum’s turn as the Wizard; he’s more or less playing himself as a wizard, rather than transforming into the part, but given the Wizard’s characterization in this story, it’s something I’m willing to look past. (He’s still Jeff Goldblum after all.) In true Wicked fashion, though, no one outpaces the two superstars at the story’s center. Both Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande (credited here as Ariana Grande-Butera) not only turn in their best screen work to date, but unlock new levels of performance for themselves, each leaning on each other’s ability so that neither performance can feel or even remotely be considered inessential to the other. Erivo is particularly impressive here, able to pull of both notes of meekness and steely resolve within the same expression and carry her songs vocally with an unbelievable confidence in her pitch, even when the story calls for her character to be distinctly insecure. She manages all the right notes at such a rate that there’s no need for showing off range, and yet when it happens, I remain captivated by what she’s able to do with her face alone.
 
The biggest surprise though, it turns out, is Ariana Grande-Butera’s absolutely magnetic turn as Glinda the Good Witch. I couldn’t imagine not predicting her for an Oscar nomination for this part. Following the overture and the beginning of “No One Mourns the Wicked,” she arrives in Munchkinland with an already grieved look on her face; those familiar with the show will know the origins of this look within the story, but it’s nonetheless a uniquely impressive skill the pop star pulls out in the film’s opening moments. In every close-up, every medium, every wide shot, one can see a quiet sadness behind her eyes as she holds back some underplayed tears in assuring the people of Munchkinland that the Wicked Witch is, in fact, dead. It was somewhat already a given that Grande-Butera would shine in the musical/poppier sequences in the film – her pop star persona off-camera is no small help in that department – but it’s in these quieter moments away from all the pomp and circumstance where one can see that she truly has that screen-worthy X factor that every actor so deeply covets. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised to see her win her first Oscar for how good she is here.
 
There are other elements of Wicked I’m dying to discuss here before wrapping this all up, but they may have to wait for a spoiler review before they can be appropriately addressed. Suffice it to say, this is not simply one of the best movies of the year, but the best movie musical we’ve been treated to in quite some time. Fans of the Broadway show will love it, musical skeptics will at least like it (I think), and Wizard of Oz fans all over the world will be delighted to find themselves in that fantasy world once more. I can’t wait to return to Oz when Wicked: Part Two opens next year.
 
I’m giving “Wicked” a 9/10.
 
- The Friendly Film Fan