Wicked
Wicked
Elphaba, a young woman ridiculed for her green skin, and Galinda, a popular girl, become friends at Shiz University in the Land of Oz. After an encounter with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads.
rg9400 reviewedJanuary 1, 2025
Wicked's marketing intentionally hides that it is a Part 1, with none of the official posters or titles using that subtitle. However, as soon as the title card appears, it's clear this is just one half of a larger story. And it feels like it. However, I will say that unlike Dune, this movie does have a climactic ending that seems like a natural peak to the central character arc in this movie. Regardless, coming in at 2 hours and 40 minutes, this half is as long as the entire Broadway musical. Now, I haven't seen the Broadway play or read the book, so I can't really comment on what it adds to flesh out the story. However, it does feel its length, with a variety of scenes feeling a bit superfluous. Because they are clearly saving up major conflicts and moments for the second half, there also seems to be a lot of arcs that feel underserved within this movie. It's hard to comment on the setup done in this movie without seeing the second part, but that in of itself is a natural flaw in deciding to split it into two. I thought the interactions between Galinda and Elphaba were great, but I wasn't as engaged when Fiyero or Nessa were on screen. I think the movie could have spent more time developing some of the sociopolitical commentary. I liked the concepts, but they felt very surface-level in the movie. For such a long movie, it almost feels easy to forget they even exist considering the limited screentime. I get that the focus is on Elphaba, but her story easily parallels those elements. A few other comments from my side. I'll readily admit that this type of music is not my taste, and I found most of the songs either forgettable or annoying, but I liked the choreography in them. I think the set design and costuming is really great, but the lighting ruined so much of it. It feels way too brightened, washing away all the contrast and bright colors. I was the most impressed with Ariana Grande. I went in with very low expectations, but her performance and comedic timing was fantastic and the highlight of the movie for me. Overall, this is an entertaining movie that feels underserved by the decision to split the story into two movies.