Wicked (2024)

Wicked

• For the months leading up to this film, I was not super excited at all. In fact, I was almost against it, because I thought it would tarnish the legacy of ‘The Wizard of Oz’. But I’ll say it now, I was blockheaded. This film does definitely do some stuff differently than the 1939 film, mostly in terms of looks of characters and landscapes. I don’t think it’s a problem at all, but it does make the continuity feel a little weird. But not horribly. I still very much enjoyed this, and thought it was wonderfully made. At first, I thought the added backstory wasn’t necessary (until I remembered that this film is based on a Broadway play and book, so it’s not like it’s anything new), but I loved everything that was added to the lore. Seeing the rivalry turned friendship between Elphaba and Glinda was both heartwarming and tragic. I’m always a fan of a good origin story. And seeing those two go through school and then onto Oz was very entertaining. It was done in a way that I didn’t expect. The performances were next level, specifically from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Their embodiments of Elphaba and Glinda were tasteful, emotional, and just perfect. It’s nice to have more screen time for those characters. I see some Oscar nominations for them in the near future. It was also awesome to see Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh. The production design was absolutely amazing, and though sometimes the color looked a tad bit desaturated, I still loved the cinematography and the way everything looked. The costumes were stunning and beautiful, with tributes to the past along with new looks. Lastly, the soundtrack was phenomenal, with great vocals from everyone involved. My only big question for the film is how accurate it is to the play. Some of you die hard fans can let me know. Overall, this film was cheerful with some dark tones, and I’m very excited to see part two, one year from now. I’d recommend this to all fans of ‘The Wizard of Oz’, and of course, if you like musicals. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go see it now!