Wicked Review

        My look into the Oz films concludes with the most recent one from last year. I’ll admit, it didn’t really interest me since it was a musical and I couldn’t comprehend on the idea of an origin story of the two characters Dorothy would meet. Again, it was a time where I passed judgement on it without doing my diligence. Right down to getting spammed various TikTok clips of the film and the theater experience as a small majority of theater folk where morphed into Marvel fanboys by going into a frenzy to the songs. It’s easy money for studio to milk that experience and make a sing-a-long cut. Aside from that, here’s what I think. 

1. Before Dorothy

        As I continue to mention in my look into the Oz films, the initial books that the MGM classic was based on went into the public domain. Meaning that the concept and characters can be used in any way without the author’s permission. Time passed as the novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” by author Gregory Maguire hit the shelves in 1995. It would spawn a series of sequel books that expanded on the Wicked Witch among other characters. And it’s still going on, no doubt after the subsequent success of the film adaptation. 

        Of course, it inevitably got made into a successful Broadway musical. I think my first exposure and maybe some other people was the poster used to advertise the play. Showing the Witch smiling as Glinda in white whispering to her. Something about it is interesting since it appears to be an inverse of the bad manipulating the good. And did that play win some accolades, winning the Tony award for Best Musical. The actress who plays Elphaba would later get recognition for voicing Elsa in Disney’s Frozen. Her song “Let It Go” has been compared to one of the songs from the "Wicked" play.

        Initially, I was tricked into thinking that the film was a one and done thing. In simpler terms, I got Dune’d. Since the subtitle pops in after a matter of seconds after the main title. Which I feel is needed since the movie going experience can’t exceed anything beyond 2 hours. One can’t condense a hefty play without an intermission. Those things used to be common way back when movies spanning three to four hours would have breaks in between. I think I’m getting sidetracked. The point being that if a movie is going to be a part one, announce that it is going to be as such. Although, one may run the risk of having the first part be labeled as set up instead of being independent. 

        Anyways, Wicked in it’s pure form is how the Wicked Witch became as such. It was when the author was watching the classic and wondered, “how did the Witch know Glinda?”. Inevitably we see the story between both Galinda and Elphaba Thropp. I know I misspelled Glinda with an extra “A”, but when discussing how she met Elphaba. I’ll refer to her as Galinda. So the story follows them as they had a contentious introduction until inevitably becoming friends. Amid that, Elphaba becomes aware of a conspiracy within her university that multiple talking animals have been disappearing. 

        I feel that Elphaba is such an interesting character that she’ll get her own tab. For now, I’ll talk about how this film basically nails everything to be a musical. It feels like after marathoning a variety of Oz films that the one thing that they could not manage to achieve was the overall cinematic tone. The Wiz tried and to me failed with adapting it’s spin off. Return to Oz was an ok attempt to pay tribute to the source material but didn’t match the original. Oz The Great and Powerful attempted to be an interesting origin story, albeit it fumbled the tone. 

        With this adaptation, it sticks through with being a musical and having it all be catchy. That’s one of the secret sauces to make a musical be at the very least enjoyable. The songs are catchy for one and match what’s going on as they help move the story along. The misconception is that the songs are just that, and nothing else. In a great musical, it helps advance the story and what the character is singing about wanting or feeling. A bad musical is just a greatest hits but not contributing to the overall story, just stops any progression of getting interesting. 

        With the music, the camera becomes very kinetic as it follows Galinda and Elphaba with what they’re wanting/feeling. The best moment before they’re friends is when the camera literally splits and we see them divided. How the camera is used is very bouncy and captures the songs visually. Such as when the love interest Fiyero, is dancing through Shiz University’s library. Fiyero is dancing through books, all the while as Galinda tries to get him to notice her. 

        I think everyone’s favorite song is the last one featured. I will admit that I have “Defying Gravity” in my playlist. Cynthia Arivo just absolutely nails her part in great fashion. And seeing it play out in the film is just the cherry on top. While I will talk about her, trust me. I’ll say that the song is practically a culmination for her whole character arc. I just love it when the backup chorus emphasizes that she’s “Wicked” and bringing her down, it’s like oogly moogly I have goosebumps. 

        Now it’s not just the two main characters getting their songs, other characters contribute to the soundtrack and help the story progress where it is basically a tragedy. Not to give it away since I’ll be going to the next tab. What I will slightly tease is that the musical has that tragic element where we know how it’s going to end just by the association it has with the MGM classic. It succeeds as a prequel where any thought of what’s going to happen is overshadowed at the how and why. A lot of times, prequels have it be where the person in question is passive in the plot where it’s preordained what he/she will become. With this, the characters are active enough in the story where what they do literally leads into who they’ll become. 

2. Jon M. Chu

        Might as well talk about the director since I’ve talked about the others in this retrospective. Honestly, it’s quite impressive how his career evolved when you look at it. My first exposure to him is when my Dad took me to watch the action stinker G.I. Joe: Retaliation. The movie was just fluff with loads of action eye candy, but I couldn’t tell you what it was all about. Looking at it more, he was mostly involved with the Step Up sequels and helming two Justin Beiber concert films. Chu hit rock bottom when he directed his worst movie Jem and the Holograms. While I haven’t seen it, just various videos of people unilaterally denouncing it as one of the worst films ever. 

        He rebounded with his adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians. From there he pivoted towards musicals with Warner Bros.’ In The Heights and this one. Just by technical merit, this film goes all out portraying his version of Oz. It all feels practical when we see how much goes into the choreography in the songs. The best one is when Fiyero sings in the library and everybody follows suit. Special kudos for Grande with dancing in heels. 

        What really sells the musical is that he makes it bounce with how he uses the camera. As I mentioned earlier, the camera is very bouncy and kinetic. None of it is very static but follows the characters and keeps up with the beat of the song. The best use of the camera is when the duo arrive at Emerald City. That whole section reminds me of a Disney park since it’s all predicated on The Wizard and a myth involving him. Lastly, that moment is literally a passing of the torch as we see the original Elphaba and Galinda meeting the movie versions of the characters. 

3. Elphaba

        Since the title of the film is called Wicked, it we mostly focus on Elphaba Thropp and how she got the title of Wicked Witch. What’s interesting is that the author explained that her name is literally a tribute to the original Oz author L. Frank Baum. Anyways, what’s interesting is that the movie shows and tells how Elphaba was born green and was an outsider. It’s ingenious to think that Glinda tells the Ozians about her association with Elphaba. More so that the preceding song cheers for her death and how Glinda is saddened by it. 

        I’ll get to that in a moment. From the start, we find out that Elphaba was practically born an outsider. To the point that her father has her assist her sister Nessarose with anything. She wasn’t even enrolled in the University, but has her power be in display which catches the eye of the headmistress. Again, possibly the author wanted to know how the Witch threw fireballs and appeared out of smoke. And I like how that she has powers due to her mom being injected by an adulterer who’s implied then confirmed to be The Wizard. 

        So yeah, Elphaba’s character arc is interesting since we understand initially what she wants. She wants to be accepted and feels that the Wizard can help her not appear green. All of it initially, is that she’s being used by headmistress Madame Morrible. Who wants her to control her powers when she lashes out in anger. Moreso that we clearly see that she’s an outsider and bonds with the only animal professor in the school. Peter Dinklage portrays Dr. Dillamond, who manages to say Elphaba’s name but not Galinda’s.   

        As I mentioned earlier, her relationship with Galinda is contentious. Due to their personalities and what they want individually. Galinda wants to be in the good graces of the headmistress but doesn’t take the hint that she looks down on her. Ariana Grande does a great job as portraying the young Galinda. She can sing, especially the high notes in some of her songs which may give Mariah Carey a run for her money. And it’s not by style as to why she sometimes sing high. It’s confirmed that the reason she sings high is that she’s lying about what she’s singing.

        One of the best moments in the film is when they’re together. And it all culminates when both are in a dance hall. All of it focuses on Elphaba wearing the black ensemble with the hat. Immediately being the odd one out, she dances as everyone laughs at her. Until Galinda joins her, in a way it’s sort of emotional because now they’re on the same level of tolerating one another. From there, the film gets even better as Galinda tries to have Elphaba become “popular”. That song is Ariana’s best solo song in the film. With her dancing and attempting to use her training wand just sells her as the next Glinda. 

        Now, with all that as I’ve established. I feel that the film is very contemporary with what it’s trying to go for. It’s an adaptation for one thing, but I like the message that it’s trying to get at. I feel that it’s partly about propaganda and alienation due to how people perceive Elphaba. They don’t like her due to her being called Wicked. More so that the real villain is pulling the strings and deems her as such. Compounding it is that Glinda knowingly goes along with the burning effigy in the beginning but can’t tell anyone who the Wicked Witch was in truth. It works in tandem with the tragedy aspect that I’ve talked about. 

4. The Oz Films

        It’s really quite something to see and talk about just how one film practically birthed multiple spin offs and having an incredible staying power. Now, every film has a fan base be it generally liked or having a cult following. This franchise has it where it’s both seemingly like a spectrum. Catering to the public right down to the non-conformists of society. It says something where it’s currently being put on display in Las Vegas. As The Sphere is showing a massive viewing of the film with the help of A.I. to cover its gargantuan screen. With the sequel coming out, this is the most Oz this year can get.

        I haven’t done a personal ranking of films since I talked about the four individual A Star Is Born films. With these Oz ones, I feel that it’s an experience to get a glimpse of for the technical merits they each have and how reflective they represent the time. From groundbreaking tech, experimentation, faithful adaptation and creating something new is what practically defines this evolving franchise. The future is unknown with how the next subsequent generations will see these films. Either a radical adaptation or a rerun of the Judy Garland classic. Only someone as talented as the filmmakers of the original and Wicked can pull it off. 

5. Overall

        Wicked is one of the best musicals of the decade. And one of the best all time musicals ever adapted.