A vivid reimagining of the classic "The Wizard of Oz", "Wicked" spotlights the untold stories of Oz's most famous (or infamous) characters, namely The Wicked Witch of the West or Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and her unlikely friend Glinda (Ariana Grande), The Good Witch. The film follows green-skinned star Elphaba from birth to college and through the life-changing events which eventually label her 'wicked', introducing spoiled rich girl Glinda, local prince and heartthrob Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) and even the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) himself, a troubled man very unlike the one you may remember. As Elphaba, a passionate political activist if there ever was one, fights injustice and seeks to undo the mistakes of the past, dark secrets, and personal tragedies shape the history of Oz, paying homage to the classic 'Wizard of Oz' story while simultaneously changing fans' understanding of it forever. A cautionary tale about love, friendship, and trust, "Wicked" effortlessly reveals that there are indeed two sides to every story.
Others to round out the cast are Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Ethan Slater as Boq, Marissa Bode as Nessa, Peter Dinklage as Dr. Dillamond (voice of), Andy Nyman as Governor Thropp, Courtney Mae-Briggs as Mrs. Thropp, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, Bronwyn James as Shenshen, Aaron Teoh as Avaric, Shawn Prendergast as Shiz President and Keala Settle as Miss Coddle
This was brilliantly directed with such whimsical flair by Jon M. Chu ("Step Up 2: The Secrets" '08, "Step Up 3D" '10, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" '11, "G. I. Joe: Retaliation" '13, "Justin Bieber's Believe" '13, "Jem and the Holograms" '15, "Now You See Me 2" '16, "Crazy Rich Asians" '18, "Triage" (TV movie) '20, "In the Heights" '21) plus other films, TV, shorts and music videos, Considering there was a great deal of story involved with the screenplay, this filmmaker was able to sequence this story with such pathos, finesse and passion all in a film that was very entertaining. If you like this director's brand of work, his "Wicked: Part 2" is in post production for a 2025 release. Yes, there will be a Part 2-a continuation if you will. It was also equally written with excitement and adventure by Winnie Holzman ("'Til There Was You" '97) plus TV and a short and Dana Fox ("The Wedding Date" '05, "What Happens in Vegas" '08, "Couples Retreat" '09, "How to Be Single" '16, "Isn't It Romantic" '19, "Cruella" '21, "The Lost City" '22) plus TV, based on the musical book by Winnie Holzman, which is based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, which is based on characters created by L. Frank Baum. This was a clever look at the story considering it's about the meeting and subsequent friendship of Elpaba and Glinda well before Dorothy et.al. converged in Oz. The effort that went into the birth and the ultimate entering college for Elphaba made the story that much more compelling. The script was concise, cohesive and kept the audience's attention for the entire 160 minute running time. As aforementioned, this is Part one of a two part film released in 2025. Hopefully this won't become yet another franchise like so many other films. A two parter I get to tell the complete story, but after that, it simply risks getting old. The visual effects predominantly created by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) and Framestore were seamless and definitely added to the story. And the cinematography by Alice Brooks asc was breathtaking. And even though I knew nothing about the music of this production, the music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz were amazing. And the two leads in Erivo and Grande were superb and could possible be in the running come Oscar time.
Certainly if you enjoyed the Broadway production or any other production of "Wicked" you will revel with this film. It's a fresh, original update of the story that all should see. The message? Don't judge a book by its cover, because you will probably be quite surprised. Enjoy!
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: PG 160mins.
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