‘Wicked’ Is The Magical Adaptation That The World Has Been Waiting For – Review

Stage-to-film adaptations have always been hit or miss — with many often falling under the latter category.

It’s an incredibly tough feat to pull off what most productions can do with both a smaller space and budget, given that it takes a unique vision and attention to detail to fully capture what makes these shows quite special. And with such a beloved Broadway classic like Wicked, it’s difficult to recreate the same magic that most audiences have associated with the show.

Yet following eight years of development, multiple rewrites, and several changes in production, Jon M. Chu’s take on the tale of Wicked is finally here for the world to behold. With the film’s inescapable marketing campaign, prolific cast, and levels of anticipation from fans worldwide, it could easily feel like just another studio blockbuster released this year, but it isn’t.

Wicked, otherwise known as Wicked: Part I (given that it only adapts the first act of the musical), is in fact the magical adaptation that the world has long been waiting for. Bursting with humor and heart, it’s absolutely enchanting from beginning to end and is heavily anchored by tremendous performances from its two main performers.

While Cynthia Erivo has long been a staple of the Broadway community, the whole world is going to know her name thanks to her performance as the spunky, witty, yet well-intentioned character of Elphaba (who then becomes known as the Wicked Witch of the West). 

Erivo’s take on such a popular character may borrow some aspects from her predecessors in the role, yet she manages to incorporate a more fleshed-out depiction of the vulnerability that her character portrays in her performance. As powerful and impressive as her vocals already are, some of her best work in the film utilizes complete silence and the gaze of her eyes to convey hurt in its loudest (and most affecting) form.

Though it was already a given that Erivo was going to nail the role of Elphaba, the world wasn’t ready to witness just how pitch-perfect Ariana Grande is as Glinda The Good Witch. Shedding any semblance of her pop star roots, Grande is unrecognizable in the role — characterized by the character’s sassy yet humorous depiction of your stereotypical ‘popular’ girl. 

The physicality she brought to the role was spot-on to the source material and added so much depth and vibrancy to an already colorful character, especially with her impeccable comedic timing. The Grammy-winning pop icon just disappears into the role and fully embodies who Glinda is — making her one of this year’s most memorable on-screen performances to date. It’s reminiscent of what the original Glinda, Kristen Chenoweth, had popularized over the years, and while both performances seem to be within the same vein, Grande ultimately makes it her own.

Together, these two leads embody the essence of this story, which fundamentally is a tale of unwavering friendship. The complementary energy of both Erivo and Grande are akin to some serious yin and yang energy, which in turn allows them to play off one another’s performances with such formidable banter, effortlessly bringing the story to life via their natural chemistry. With how well both actresses portrayed their roles, I can’t think of who other performers could have brought these characters to life in this adaptation.

To Wicked’s credit, its other performers are just as well-casted as the lead actresses, with due credit deservedly cast to Jonathan Bailey, who brings the role of Fiyero to life. While acting veterans like Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum are just as commendable in their roles, it’s Bailey who surprises the audience with his multi-faceted approach to his character, as he captures the duality of the shallow yet overconfident heartthrob with a nuanced and self-examining intellectual simultaneously. 

At the helm of it all is Jon M. Chu, who is to be credited for the entire work of art that this film is. With a length of nearly three hours, one would expect the film to drag on at some points, yet it surprisingly makes full use of its extended runtime to add even more emotional beats to the narrative that pay off. 

Despite my initial apprehensions, the film glides through its pacing with such finesse that you never feel the weight of its duration. Certain sequences have been prolonged in service of the story and its character, further building upon key themes and several of the character’s relationships, resulting in a more fleshed-out adaptation of the novel that the musical itself is based on. To its effect, it also strengthens the audience’s understanding of the characters in a better fashion than ever before, which surely works to the benefit of the film.

With his special touch, Chu’s direction allows for an abundance of very kinetic and faithful musical numbers, with each of them dazzling in their own right and making great use of the excellent practical sets that were built for the film. Several of the musical’s songs are perfectly adapted into larger-than-life settings, especially with that of the grand scale of songs like “Dancing Through Life,” and “One Short Day,” or even with the simpler settings of “What Is This Feeling” and “Popular.”

However, not all of the musical’s numbers translate as well on the big screen as others, given how some sequences are bogged down by murky color-grading or unconvincing visual effects. Unlike the ornate detailing of its practical numbers, such moments end up detracting audiences away from enjoying the spectacle of it all, though it’ll most likely bother those nitpicking on every little detail of the film.

But when looking at the bigger picture of what Jon M. Chu has accomplished, the film certainly carries the magic and spectacle of what made the stage musical a fan favorite after all these years. It’s just as beautiful and enchanting as what fans have become enamored with, yet it still finds a way in which it can reinvent the wheel to make it feel as fresh as possible.

Should Wicked: Part II be just as excellent (or even better), Wicked could very well stand along the likes of Chicago, Mamma Mia!, All That Jazz, and Singing In The Rain as the most enthralling musicals in cinematic history. Though on its own, it’s already an absolute delight that’s sure to become a favorite among audiences as the year ends, as one of 2024’s biggest blockbusters.

Watch the official trailer of Jon M. Chu’s Wicked below

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