It was the highest privilege and honor to see an early release of the juggernaut movie Wicked (2024)! Therefore, it is my duty to give you all a SPOILER-FREE movie review dedicated to all of the Elphabas and Glindas out there.
It has been no secret that this movie is coming and causing a big commotion. You've probably seen pink and green splattered on every product by now, but I must say the hype has been fun to watch and the budget most certainly needed the help. That's right if you didn't already know, Wicked is HUGE. The sets, the costumes, the stunts, the dance numbers; it's all fleshed out to the biggest form it could possibly be. Many were surprised that this 2-hour and 30-minute film was only part one (covering all of act one of the musical), but I can see where the time was made up. Each element that you know and love from the stage production has been upgraded and elongated to the utmost degree. I am no purest when it comes to musicals, so I had full-body chills and my jaw on the ground.
As for our leading ladies, I have nothing but gloriously good things to say! Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba stirred up a few feathers with their casting. Many see Grande as a" non-girl's girl" since she had an on-set affair, and Erivo was labeled a diva after her comments on a fan-made poster that covered her eyes. Regardless of what their public perception is: I have to admit these ladies kill it on screen and have a magical chemistry that's hard to pull away from. Grande's falsettos and classically trained vocals left me giggling with glee and impressed by her new range. Erivo's hard-hitting and strong voice gave me full-body chills each time she opened her mouth. Their voices and performances blend just as every Glinda and Elphaba casting should.
My final ending note is that, as I mentioned before, the movie is ungodly long BUT I did not notice or even care! Keep in mind: I have only seen one traveling stage production of Wicked when I was a little one, but I thought every element was perfectly balanced with the run-time. I was dazzled by the ten-minute dance sequences and I was excited to see each act turnover, leading to the biggest ending riff known to man. It was like I knew what was coming, but I never knew how they were going to pull it off. If you're scared you're going to hate sitting down for that long: just don't buy a soda and you'll never be the wiser!
Take your family to see Wicked this weekend! You'll have plenty of Thanksgiving dinner topics to discuss after your viewing, so it's definitely worth it. Wicked brings back the classic, big-budget Hollywood movies that we've all been missing, so show it some love! Remember: everyone deserves a chance to fly!
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