Film review: ‘WICKED’ by Nick Gardener from ‘Built For Speed’
Wicked is the hotly anticipated cinema adaptation of the hugely successful musical theatre production of the same name. I haven’t seen the stage version and all I knew was that it was a prequel of sorts to The Wizard Of Oz that involved origin stories for the good witch Glinda and the wicked witch Elphaba. The filmmakers certainly believe in the power of this tale with this 160-minute film being only part one of two. If that sounds like a daunting prospect for non-fans who face being dragged to this movie, don’t let that put you off as it’s actually kind of fun.
A cautionary tale about the dangers of prejudice and narrow mindedness, Wicked is very much a product of the more enlightened political sensibilities that have emerged since the Wizard Of Oz hit screens in 1939. Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba, a young woman whose life in the land of Oz had been largely unhappy due to her green skin making her a victim of ridicule, bullying and isolation. When she enrols in the Hogwarts-like Shiz University to try and develop her nascent magical powers, she at first encounters the same bigotry but finds what appears to be acceptance through the friendship of the well-meaning, slightly ditzy popular girl Galinda later just Glinda (Ariana Grande). Elphaba’s affinity with the oppressed, however, sees her leap to the defence of Oz’s talking animal population who are mysteriously being persecuted which puts her on a collision course with the powers that be in Oz.
Stage to screen adaptations can be tricky as the theatrical version relies upon character and dialogue in a highly artificial setting. Sometimes the magical intimacy of the theatre setting is lost when the play is adapted to the big screen. Director John M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights) has succeeded, for the most part in placing the story in a more visually expansive world. His camera swoops and dives through fields, hills and the ornate gardens and corridors of the university and later the Emerald City to create an impressive sense of physical space. Along with frequent collaborator, cinematographer Alice Brooks and production designer Nathan Crowley (Wonka), Chu has chosen to render Oz in bright sunlit pastel shades rather than the shadowy gothic gloom of other recent fantasy film series like Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings giving it a pleasingly distinctive look.
Stretching the stage play to a two-part film is problematic, though. The sheer length will prove taxing for some viewers. Also, as a character-based musical, there isn’t a lot of narrative drive to Wicked with the story at times drifting along slowly unfurling exposition before another musical set piece erupts.
The film very much relies on the quality of the lead performances and thankfully Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are great. Erivo gives Elphaba a touching pathos as a fundamentally decent and intelligent person whose dreams have been thwarted by others’ ignorance. Ariana Grande shows a gift for comedy giving Galinda a genuinely funny mix of vanity and wide-eyed innocence that evokes Barbie, Mean Girls and Jane Austen’s Emma. Jeff Goldblum, who pops up fairly late in the piece as the Wizard, does his usual droll schtick amusingly enough and adds a slight touch of menace. Michelle Yeoh, always a magnetic screen presence, appears as Madame Morrible, an enigmatic witch mentor to Elphaba. Jonathon Bailiey is also amusing as a preening Prince Fiyero (from a people oddly known as Winkies) and love interest for both Galinda and Elphaba; he looks like he could have come straight from The Princess Bride.
As a musical, Wicked will no doubt satisfy fans but probably won’t convert those who dislike the constant interruptions to the story in these types of films. The musical numbers are standard contemporary show tunes delivered with vigour but containing only flickers of melody. The songs are often hard to distinguish from one another but Erivo and Grande both sing them wonderfully.
Refreshingly, while this film weaves in elements of the original Wizard of Oz movie, it doesn’t pay the sort of slavish fan service that so many sequels and movie revivals seem to these days. It has a distinct identity and adds to rather than feeds off the 1939 classic. Parents should note, that like the original Oz, this film is very family friendly but has a few spooky moments including a fairly intense winged monkey sequence.
Wicked has a few dull patches and some bland songs but Chu has conjured a pleasing and immersive fantasy world and gives the well-cast leads the chance to bring a touch of magic to this film.
Nick’s rating: ***1/2
Genre: Drama/ Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy/ Comedy/Musical.
Classification: PG.
Director(s): John M Chu.
Release date: 21st Nov 2024.
Running time: 160 mins.
Reviewer: Nick Gardener can be heard on “Built For Speed” every Friday night from 8-10pm on 88.3 Southern FM.
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