Wicked

11/22/2024

The film adaptation of Wicked is based on the Broadway musical, which is a loose adaptation of the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. Both Maguire’s novel and the musical are expansions of L. Frank Baum’s original The Wizard of Oz novel was published in 1900 and its film adaptation in 1939. The musical is one of the longest-running and financially successful Broadway musicals of all time. With a screenplay by Winnie Holzman (writer of the book of the Wicked musical) and Dana Fox (Cruella) and directed by Jon M. Chu (Now You See Me 2, Crazy Rich Asians), Wicked begins around the time The Wizard of Oz ends. The Wicked Witch of the West has died and Glinda the Good Witch is breaking the news to Munchkinland. As the munchkins celebrate

11/23/2024

*THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS* I've been a Wicked fan since 2010. My expectations for this film were extremely high! And I was blown away by how Jon M. Chu was able to bring this story a new life. Everyone involved did an excellent job! The choice to sing live paid off! Not one note was out of tune! Bowen Yang & Bronwyn James were absolutely hilarious as Phannee & Shen Shen. Marissa Bode was fantastic as Nessarose. Can't wait to see her story continue in Part 2. I hope they include "Wicked Witch of the East" in the Part 2 Soundtrack. Ethan Slater was great as Boq. I'm excited to see how he becomes the Tin Man in Part 2 because that's not shown on stage. He transforms behind the cabinet but I hope we actually see it in Part 2. Michelle Yeoh was great in every scene as Madam Morrible. Sh

11/23/2024

OK, so I'm going to be swimming against the tide a bit with this, but I didn't love it. We start where the "Wizard of Oz" story finishes off, only without the catchy "Ding Dong the Witch is...". Instead we get an ensemble dance number that is energetically performed, colourful and expertly choreographed but instantly forgettable. Then we meet "Galinda" (Ariana Grande) who arrives in her pink bubble to confirm the news and enjoy the celebrations. Turns out, though, that she and the erstwhile "Wicked Witch of the West" were once friends and so back in time we go to the birth of a little green baby who may (or may not) have been conceived within the bounds of happily married wedlock. Scoot on many years more and we discover that said green person - "Elphaba" (Cynthia Erivo) is accompanying he

11/24/2024

It’s quite a rare occurrence these days when a much-anticipated film actually lives up to all of its pre-release hype, but this screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical truly does so in every regard. Director Jon M. Chu has brilliantly brought to life the back story behind the lives and relationship of the two witches from the original L. Frank Baum novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and its 1939 classic screen adaptation, as well as Gregory Maguire’s 1995 prequel novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. In this stunningly beautiful and delightful big-screen production, viewers learn how the supposedly evil Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) came to know the purportedly Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande-Butera), sorcery students and college roommates whose relationshi

11/26/2024

Very good! I enjoyed <em>'Wicked'</em>. Always impressive when a long run time flashes by - no doubt a sign of a sturdy movie. 2hr 40mins is how long this one lasts, I thought I might have felt that whilst watching but, honestly, I didn't. Since sharing my reviews online I have appreciated musicals much more, to the point that when I learn a film is from this genre it barely registers. I have never seen the stage musical, in fact the only detail I knew for certain was that it was from the world of <em>'The Wizard of Oz'</em> - which, in turn, I only know from the 1939 and 2013 movies, as well as one or two other flicks. As such, I wasn't actually sure where they were heading with the Wicked Witch of the West - but I approve. Cynthia Erivo impresses as the aforementioned. I have to

11/28/2024

https://good.film/guide/haters-will-tell-you-wicked-sucks-heres-why-theyre-wrong Broadway hits rely on a suspension of disbelief. With the right ingredients, even the oddest of ideas can take flight on stage… but in the delicate translation to screen, they crash-land. Take Cats: something about that core premise of humans playing felines – which theatre audiences lapped up (sorry) for decades – just didn’t work at the movies. From the outside, it’s easy to paint Wicked with the same brush. Isn’t it all a bit… silly? There’s a blonde Godiva who floats in a bubble. A green woman who was raised by a bear (and whose father may or may not be a wizard). And when they meet at a Hogwarts-style university, we find out their professor, Dr. Dillamond, is a talking goat. These aren’t exactly the