Wicked: Part I (2024) review

Dir. Jon M. Chu

By: Steve Pulaski

Rating: ★★★

It’s surreal to see a film adaptation of Wicked hit theaters. I can recall being barely acquainted with the internet some-15 years ago reading rumors, blurbs, and stray morsels about a cinematic version of Gregory Maguire’s novel that later served as the basis for the record-breaking Broadway show. I harbor very little connection to either piece of source material. I write as a casual fan of Wizard of Oz lore who was never fortunate enough to see the stage production, but always harbored great affection for its cultural impact, and of course, the instantly memorable number “Defying Gravity.”

Tis pity, quite frankly because, to paraphrase the late, great George Carlin, at my showing of Wicked, I felt like it was a big club and I wasn’t in it. I envy the connection with the material that many do. I speak as a casual, who enjoyed the staging, choreography, cinematography, acting, and more of the adaptation, but sadly have nothing on which to base it. That makes for less-biased analysis, but also less personal satisfaction, if I’m being fully transparent.

Much was made about theaters creating their boldest signs and strictest protocols to ban people from singing at their showings of the long-awaited adaptation. I dunno, I would’ve welcomed it. This is a story that’s all passion and heart-on-sleeve emotion, so it’s only fair audiences match that energy. My showing had about 20 people, and at times I could hear their whispered singalongs, or the squeaks of theater chairs as some rocked with glee as they heard one of the most-played songs in their music library boom through the auditorium speakers. I presume future showings of Wicked will take on a level of participation akin to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. However, I’m not sure where toast would be necessary.

This adaptation was helmed by Jon M. Chu, the underrated visionary behind a number of high-concept musicals in recent years. Crazy Rich Asians was a cultural phenomena in itself. In the Heights is one of the best musicals of the last 25 years. And whether you want to admit it or not, his documentary Justin Bieber: Never Say Never was the first of its kind in telling the story of a pop-star’s rise with the help of the internet.

Chu brings the same level of care and attention to those projects as he does Wicked, with eye-popping production and big-screen spectacle. Relaying the plot is probably extraneous, but I’ll give you the basic overview. Wicked tells the story of the friendship that formed between Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), the future Wicked Witch of the West, and Galinda (Ariana Grande-Butera), the future Good Witch of the North. Much of the film chronicles their time at Shiz University. Elphaba is a green-skinned pariah; Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), the Dean of Sorcery, sees her as someone worth the attention of the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum). Galinda, on the other hand, knows how to flirt and win people over with her popularity.

Naturally, a romantic love triangle ensues involving Fiyero Tigelaar (Jonathan Bailey). He’s initially captivated by the flirtatious ways of Galinda, but soon finds himself more taken by the misunderstood Elphaba. A watershed moment at their school involving the suppression of talking animals prompts Fiyero to pick a side, and subsequently define the paths of both witches whom we accepted without question when we all saw that popular 1939 movie as children.

The spectacle of Wicked grabs one’s attention and rarely lets go. Chu’s staging is a masterclass in execution, effectively expanding a stage-based story into a grand-scale feature with sweeping camera angles, larger spaces, and the invitation of editorial influence (executed perfectly during the number “What Is This Feeling?”). If judged on the basis of transporting one to the land of Oz, this film succeeds to a show-stopping degree. Wicked never veers too far from being captivating despite being a “Part 1,” which runs at nearly three hours and occasionally feels its length.

For one, Grande-Butera’s “Popular” number runs too long and is plagued by too many start-stops.

It could be an empty candy-wrapper, but screenwriters Winnie Holzman (who wrote the book based on the Broadway play) and Dana Fox justify both the film’s length and incomplete status thanks to its delicate relationship-building. Wicked is one of those films where you grow to like the characters overtime. I found Erivo’s stoic Elphaba contrapuntal to Grande’s blissfully ignorant Galinda for much of the film’s first act, but eventually appreciated the way the two halves make a whole. The two shine brightly in their roles, tasked with polar opposite attitudes that manage to converge thanks to the clear affection they have for one another.

Even the fan service is delicately handled. Wicked stage performers/icons Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth are side-by-side in an extended cameo that has them interacting with their cinematic counterparts, a move that might cause die-hard fans to shriek. Familiar Wizard of Oz characters Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and Toto are briefly seen at the very beginning. This is a credit to Chu, Holzman, and Fox for incorporating these individuals naturally, no narrative disruption required.

Wicked is among the few films as of late to hide their incomplete status from the public, until it’s too late and a ticket is purchased, the lights have dimmed, and the feature has started. Dune did it because its sequel was not a guarantee. It did it because it made sense, even more-so to those who didn’t see it coming until it smacked them in the face. The original Broadway production of Wicked ran at under three hours, so to say the first half of this story doesn’t contain filler and dry spots is inaccurate. Yet, with attention paid to character relationships, and musical numbers being mined for their gravitas, there’s plenty of reason to be excited for the follow-up, which will hopefully provide the same care and detail, fatigue be damned.

Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande-Butera, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum. Voiced by: Peter Dinklage. Directed by: Jon M. Chu.