Reviews

Wicked is such a beloved stage production that it has been playing on Broadway for 21 years and in London for 18. Now it’s time to see if the movie adaptation is just as popular.

This two-film adaptation, directed by Jon M. Chu, is essentially a prequel to The Wizard of Oz and details the origins of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.

The first half begins when the green witch Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) arrives at Shiz University and is made to share a room with the privileged and pretty Galinda Upland (Ariana Grande).

The story shows us how they became friends from enemies and how Elphaba came to be considered wicked.

Fans of the stage musical will be absolutely thrilled with this extremely loyal adaptation. The scale of the production design will make your jaw drop, the costumes are stunning, and the musical numbers are done justice (some more so than others).

Also, Grande was perfectly cast as Glinda. There was some criticism about her casting at the time but she easily proves herself as a hilarious comedy actress here.

Her comic timing, her line deliveries and physical comedy chops are spot-on and she can easily reach the high notes live on set, which is a feat in itself.

She forms a solid partnership with Erivo, who brings the drama as the much-ridiculed outsider. Erivo nails the songs (which are very difficult to sing) and drives home the emotion of the piece, although she perhaps looks too old because of her young-faced counterpart.

They are backed up by a star-studded cast featuring Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard, Michelle Yeoh as Elphaba’s mentor Madame Morrible and Jonathan Bailey as the charming rogue prince Fiyero.

However, Chu is possibly too loyal to the source material as he could have get rid of a couple of subplots to bring the runtime down.

It doesn’t feel as long as two hours and 40 minutes but there are places where it drags a little. There is no reason why it should be as long as the entire stage show when it’s only telling the first half.

Admittedly, some of the songs are instantly forgettable, but the key ones from the show – Popular and Defying Gravity – are staged brilliantly, although the latter is a bit too stop-start.

Wicked does not connect on an emotional level and may not appeal as much to people unfamiliar with the musical. However, fans of the stage production should come away very satisfied by the performances and the musical sequences.

In cinemas on Friday 22nd November.

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