WICKED | Review

Expectations were definitely mixed throughout the development and production of the film musical adaptation of Wicked but as its come closer to the release date and more details about the project have been revealed with reactions ranging from positive to glowing, my anticipation for the final product was immense. I can happily say that the end result is truly spectacular (however cloying and cringe that sounds, it fits the description!). Wicked is a remarkable musical epic detailing the backstory of the infamous villain and the famed lore of Oz, where it handles the iconic source material with care and attention, whilst making something unique and beautiful in its own adaptation.
 

What makes this adaptation particularly compelling is its willingness to commit and go all-out as a musical embracing the genre’s styles and modes of address. Musicals are one of my all-time favourite film genres and have grown to admire the craft and labour which goes into making one, as asides from the complications which arise when making any regular film, but add singing and complex choreography, it’s a tough venture! The musical numbers included in Act I of the stage musical were performed here with such vigour and were so entertaining and joyful to watch. From the emotional character-focused songs of The Wizard and I and I’m Not That Girl, to the musically comedic What is This Feeling? And Popular, to probably the best closing song for Act I in musical history with the bravura powerhouse that is Defying Gravity, all of them are performed with such theatricality and poise where there is justice in their execution and brilliance in the flare and flamboyance. Whilst it soars in the pure escapist fantasy which encompasses most musicals, the film functions as thought-provoking and incisive commentary on the untrustworthiness of powerful forces in control through its allegory on the rights of animals being stripped away.
 
YouTube personality, Grace Randolph, often brings up the term, ‘wedding cake musical’when describing a film among the genre that plays into the larger-than-life theatricality of musicals and presents a scale of grandeur with expansive set pieces and world building. Wicked achieves this with such ease through two of its most commendable elements, its detailed production design and its sumptuous costuming choices for the entire cast, but particularly the two leads. The director was insistent on limiting the use of CGI among the sets to create a fully realised world for the film and truly bring the land of Oz and its many locales to life, from Munchkinland to Shiz University to the Emerald City, the production aspects are truly a standout of the film. Despite best efforts, the cinematography unfortunately lends itself to some pretty unforgiveable colour grading, where the dynamic patterns and bold colours present among the production sets come across as dull and lifeless.
 
During the selection process for the casting of Elphaba and Glinda, it was clear that whichever actresses were selected to portray the two iconic characters would have a large weight of responsibility. With the original Broadway actresses, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, being so synonymous with the roles and are phenomenal in their own right to the theatre community’s fondness and admiration for the era-defining musical, these characters and their portrayals would come to mean a lot to many people. The incredible lead performances of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande ground the film and make the core relationship at the centre of the musical work where the narrative conflict and tension throughout the film hinges on this. From the emotionally nuanced performances of the both lead actresses are something to watch and admire, where Erivo’s radiant defiance in the face of intolerance and determination to fight against the system, to Grande’s comedic scene-stealing role that also holds space for dramatic soft-spots, all the flowers to these ladies!