'Wicked' Review: A Wonderful Bit of Cinematic Wizardry
The last time we saw anything Wizard of Oz related on the cinematic stage was more than a decade ago, with Sam Raimi’s often overlooked prequel effort, ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’. What folks have managed to remember about that one, they usually recall between groans and mumble through palmed faces.
That was a film that was, and still is, criticized for lackluster special effects, a suspect cast, and an adhesion to a corny tone that bled into the film’s visuals, as well as impacted the screenplay. Raimi, in accordance with his cinematic character, preferred kinetic camera movements and sharp colors and lighting over other such worries about tonal cohesion and character, at least in that instance.
What’s become odd in retrospect, factoring in the release of the topic at hand, ‘Wicked’, is that the new film struggles with the same issue in a slightly different way. Sure, Wicked’s computer generated elements are cleaner, and much glossier, than anything the world of Oz had to offer in 2013.
But the new film doesn’t just utilize those effects — it relies on them. Wicked has become yet another unintentional bastion for slapping CGI on every single scene, and every little thing. Impressive practical sets here are washed out with brown and grey digital overlays; the sunshine has lost the colorful aura which defines it, and the moon emits only a flat blue hue.
Where is the true middle ground for bringing Oz to life on the visual front, then? That still isn’t clear, but in the case of the newer film, we’ve taken a step in the right direction with many new merits.
The film, of course, closely follows the story of the famous stage play that has, and continues to, sweep the world. The Wicked play has become notorious for the way that it manages to subvert the expectations of the classic tale on which it is based, and the film successfully replicates that feeling of shock and awe about as well as you could ask it to.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are a tantalizing duo in the main role. Their musical numbers are expectedly expert, and when the drama is thick, they both hold their own, too. What may be the unexpected highlight of both their performances though, is the comedic aspect.
The film starts off on a serious note, recounting the disputed birth of Erivo’s Elphaba, her troubled childhood, and her harsh introduction to the world as someone who looks different than everyone else. Quickly, the film spins this tone into cheeky interactions between her and Glinda, Grande’s preppy, know-it-all character that could fit in alongside the Mean Girls cast with ease.
From makeovers to hair flips tutorials to fighting over space in their shared room, Erivo and Grande spend a great majority of the first act building character by battling one another. This portion of the film is wonderfully memorable, and does well to bridge a portion of that exasperated runtime.
The film is nearly three hours long, and apparently, it’s only the first part in a two part story. And while that first act is a ton of fun, the film really starts to sputter throughout the middle portion as it struggles to consistently balance the multiple plots at play.
The tone becomes confusing during this period as well. Some of that early humor remains, especially as Glinda falls for Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero, but a much more serious plot thread is introduced at about the same time he is, as well. These two stories fight for the spotlight more than they should, pulling Elphaba in either direction as forcing her character to lack any real shine in either. If it weren’t for the ever-engaging musical numbers scattered throughout this portion, serving as sonic lifelines, the film would be much worse off.
But it is a musical, after all, and those segments carry it into what is an engaging, bombastic final act that should lead to this thing working on the whole for most. Those practical sets shine more than every in the musical sequences too, even if there are overwrought digital details weighing the frame down more often than not.
Characters bound through vast, intricate sets to the chorus of cheering crowds and singing extras. Director Jon M. Chu shows a particular expertise during these kinds of scenes; those who came for the musical elements derived from the play should leave satisfied on that basis alone.
Your enjoyment of Wicked will likely come down to how familiar you are with the story, whether or not you like it, and whether or not you enjoy a good musical. By all counts, this is a solid adaptation and a well made musical movie, even if it doesn’t necessarily shock in either department.
The cast is a starry sky, the film looks and breathes money, and even among the various problems, there’s a clear and evident care for the craft here. Fans of the property will be particularly satiated, but even if the broader genre just appeals to you, Wicked is a solid entry in that way too.
If you can set aside the 165 minutes, this is a totally worthy afternoon at the movies meant for family and friends. The World of Oz needed a refreshment, and perhaps an inoffensive revisit like this one is exactly what the wizard ordered.