Victor Fleming’s 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz is considered not just one of the great musicals of all time, but arguably the most recognizable film ever. Is there anyone who hasn’t seen it and loved it at some point in their lives? Its cultural impact has spanned generations but received a major boost with the Broadway debut of Wicked, a stage version of Gregory Maguire’s 1995 book that presented a much softer take on the Wicked Witch of the West. The Tony Award-winning musical has been a phenomenon. The anticipation and anxiety have been mounting for Jon M. Chu’s big-screen version, which has very big ruby slippers to fill.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s to always trust in Jon M. Chu…well, unless he’s making a Jem and the Holograms movie. Chu is as reliable as it gets whether he’s making a Step Up movie, a GI Joe sequel, or the criminally underrated In the Heights, and his ability to deliver dazzling choreography remains untouched. Wicked is an astonishing example of Chu’s talent, with breathtaking musical numbers (the centerpiece track “Defying Gravity” is a stunner), a surprising amount of world-building, and two magical performances from stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
Coming into Wicked as an outsider who only knew the bare bones of the story, to me it sounded like a lot of villain reclamation projects, whether they be Maleficent, Cruella, or others. But it also sounded a lot like The School for Good and Evil, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and other young adult fantasy tales set in the social cliques of some magical university. It’s probably true that many of those projects were inspired by Wicked or vice-versa, and it doesn’t really matter. Chu’s movie pulls you in immediately with the evolving story of Elphaba (Erivo), the green-skinned girl born out of adultery who nonetheless contains immense magical powers. While her father despises her, and even her paraplegic sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) seems merely to tolerate her, Elphaba finds her way into the prestigious Shiz University to train alongside Headmistress Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) in controlling her powers.
What separates Wicked from so many similar stories are the racial parallels seen in Elphaba’s ostracization due to her green skin. Hated simply for how she looks, she walls herself off from everyone else, which only makes the situation worse. It doesn’t help that Elphaba is also incredibly gifted, which draws the jealousy of Glinda (Grande), Shiz’s popular and self-absorbed resident Mean Girl. Their relationship forms the beating green heart of Wicked, as they start as rivals but eventually find common ground and even friendship.
Everyone knows Erivo has a powerful voice, but I would argue that her acting career has been spotty until now. While she’s way too old to believably be a student at Shiz (the same goes for most of the cast), Erivo beautifully captures Elphaba’s resentment, fury, and in her most private moments a touch of sadness over a situation not of her choosing. Grande has done some acting in the past but the pop superstar has never been in the spotlight like this, and she’s hilarious as the narcissistic Glinda. Both characters are given surprising amounts of depth, and even as they begin to soften to one another there’s complexity to it because each woman has aspirations that we know will eventually lead to conflict.
A subplot involving the harsh mistreatment of talking animals furthers the racial allegory. It adds some dark shading to the vibrant, fantastical world of Oz, and promises to play an even bigger role in Part Two which comes out a year from now. Production designer Nathan Crowley and cinematographer Alice Brooks capture the scope of Oz, the guilded opulence of the Emerald City, the vastness of the realm, the whimsicality of Shiz, and so much more. As a kid, I always imagined Oz as so big it defied belief, and Wicked captures that feeling.
It’s clear that Wicked is setting up for much greater things in Part Two. As such, it fills out the 160-minute runtime with a lot of groundwork for a future payoff. We don’t get to see a lot of Jeff Goldblum as Oz, and I’m hoping Jonathan Bailey gets more to do as Fiyero, the charming Winkie prince who captures the hearts of both Elphaba and Glinda for very different reasons. And I’m intrigued by Ethan Slater as Munchkin student Boq Woodsman, who dates Nessarose while secretly carrying a torch for Glinda.
Bringing a stage musical the size of Wicked to the screen is no easy task, but Chu has nailed it. He’s managed to bring the spectacle of Broadway in a fashion that gels wonderfully with the needs of a Hollywood blockbuster. Do yourself a favor and follow the Yellow Brick Road to your nearest theater and check out Wicked, one of the most enjoyable experiences you’ll have at the movies this year.
Universal Pictures releases Wicked in theaters on November 22nd!
