Movie Breakdown: Wicked

Pre-Screening Stance:

I’ve never seen Wicked The Musical and I’m pretty picky when it comes to musicals in general, so I really couldn’t be heading into this movie with my expectations more in check. With that being said, my gut is telling me it’s going to be good.

Post-Screening Ramble:

I walked away rather impressed by Wicked: Part 1 (as it’s noted on the opening title screen). It’s not perfect – there’s one thing in particular that’s a total whiff – but it works on just about every level. All the musical numbers hit (expect a roller coaster of emotions). The story is compelling, and even though it’s very much the first part of a larger tale, it builds nicely and earns its cliffhanger. I don’t know if I would say it fully feels like a standalone effort, but it does come to a close in a spot that isn’t annoying and will instead leave you excited to see where it will go next (like the first two Lord Of The Rings entries or Dune). Ariana Grande as Glinda is an absolute delight here. I never could have imagined that she would be this good – when she’s on the screen, the movie pops. On the flip side of Grande’s kinetic work, Cynthia Erivo is equally wonderful as Elphaba. Her performance is certainly more grounded but where Grande is the bounce that keeps things moving, Erivo is the film’s heart. Unfortunately, despite all the great things that Wicked: Part 1 contains, it looks terrible. Even if you were to toss out the green screen backgrounds and other bits of CG jazz, you’d still be left with one of the most poorly lit films of the year. When you consider the awesome performances, the music, and everything else that works so well here – along with a (reported) $160 million price tag – it should be a visual feast, but it just isn’t. Bummer.

Aside from the less than stellar cinematography, Wicked: Part 1 is a winner, and you should for sure catch it in a theater – it opens this Friday, November 22.

One Last Thought:

There’s a few unintentionally funny parts in this movie, and my favorite of the bunch is when Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) emotionally sprints into the jungle holding a lion cub. You’ll know it when you see it. Think of me when you do.