Wicked (2024)
Oz and the Not So Powerful and Great Singer
The best thing that I can say about Wicked is that it takes its time to tell its story, but it never feels long or slow. Even at a whopping 2-hours-and-41-minutes, the movie feels like it’s leading somewhere, but because there is plenty of time allotted for character-development, world-building, and of course, the dazzling musical numbers, the movie always has something bright, shiny and over-the-top to do and say, without it ever really being overbearing or nonsensical. A lot of that credit has to go to director John M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, two Justin Bieber movies) for never overwhelming the audience and always making it easy and simple to get this story, even for those who have never seen the Broadway production, or even, for those who don’t even like or care for musicals.
And especially those who don’t appreciate movies that are a first in a duo, even despite there not being much promotion about it being such. Which is to say that yes, Wicked is a Part One and you can tell, especially in the last half-hour or so - all of a sudden, you realize that there’s not much time left and we’ve just now gotten to the central conflict of the film. That means that while this installment may have all the brightest and shiniest moments, the second one may in fact be the darker, more adult-like one. Does that mean this will pale in comparison?
Maybe? Maybe not?
Honestly, it doesn’t matter because as it stands, Wicked (Part One, yes) is a solid musical that’s big on production, big on stars, and big on the song and dance numbers. That mostly has something to do with the fact that Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, as Alphiba and Glinda respectively, do great jobs at being charismatic, bright, bubbly and entertaining, even if they are essentially playing what seem like cartoon characters. Erivo has the hardest part of playing someone who is essentially, very standoffish, but comes to light and becomes an enjoyable presence. Grande too does a great job at playing this somewhat self-centered ditz, but also shows that there’s more to her beneath the surface and to watch as her relationship and dynamic changes with Erivo’s character is truly a delight. They truly are polar opposites and it’s nice to see a movie make that work, as opposed to it being a jarring mistake.
And of course, the singing is great.
But honestly, how could it not be?
Song of the Day: “Defying Gravity” - Wicked Cast
Come on! You know I had to! You’ve been hearing it everywhere, so why not here?!?!
-Dan O.