'Wicked' review: Entertaining and visually stunning, but needlessly overlong
Jon M. Chu's fantasy musical drama Wicked, based on the namesake stage play, stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. Its visuals are a feast for the eyes, the acting is consistently stellar, and most of the dialogue is cheeky and clever, making the film largely entertaining. However, it's bogged down by its punishing (2 hours, 40 minutes) runtime, which tests your patience.
This is what happens in 'Wicked'
The film, narrated in flashbacks, tells the story of Elphaba and Galinda/Glinda, who meet at Shiz University in the Land of Oz. Elphaba, who was born green and has unexplained magical powers, raises eyebrows wherever she goes, and the film probes their time at the University, initial friction, and eventual friendship. The powerful Wizard of Oz also appears in the final act.
Do you need to know any character's backstory?
Even if you're unfamiliar with the stage musical/Oz literature, it won't be a barrier when you watch the film. Everything is explained in-depth, and prior knowledge of no character is mandatory. With its fast-paced beginning and introduction of characters, Wicked faces no problems hooking you in, and before you know it, you become invested in Elphaba and Galinda's lives.
The production design is stellar
The set pieces, costumes, and cinematography are utterly magnificent and leave no room to complain, and nothing less can be expected from a project of this scale. Each location—the Munchkinland, the Shiz University, and the Emerald City—all look strikingly different from each other. The lattermost, particularly, has heavy, purposely heavy shades of green, so when Elphaba first goes there, she feels right at home.
Erivo and Grande's strong partnership shines onscreen
Erivo, who plays Elphaba, and Grande, who essays (and lives) the mean-rich-girl-turned-kindhearted-person trope, are a perfect match and the screen crackles with their shared acumen. Grande flails her arms around, does a lot of physical acting and voice modulation, and expertly delivers several funny dialogues. She meets her match in an even better Eviro who commands attention from the first to the last frame.
It could have been a lot sharper
Almost all of Wicked's problems have to do with its excessively long runtime. There are several junctures where you feel the film can, or should end, but it keeps going. For a film to have such a long runtime, there should be enough interesting sequences to keep you invested, but Wicked fails here tragically. In contrast, another Hollywood musical, Wonka fares exceptionally better.
It forgets about its secondary characters
There are several interesting secondary characters here, like Fiyero Tigelaar, played by Jonathan Bailey and Nessarose Thropp, essayed by Marissa Bode, but Wicked is hardly interested in them. Perhaps the second part, which is releasing next year, will do justice to their characters, but they seem tragically underutilized here. Eventually, it seems like the narrative's sole focus is on Elphaba and Galinda.
The musical pieces do more harm than good
After every two or three scenes, a musical interlude comes up, bringing back the tragic memories of Joker 2, another film that could have been engaging enough if it weren't choked by its endless songs. The same, unfortunately, goes for Wicked. Only some, and not all musical pieces are enjoyable; the narrative keeps stalling, and your attention begins to waver.
Watchable, but could have been better; 3/5 stars
Wicked has all the color, sparkle, and fun you expect from a musical, and the performances don't miss. Bailey doesn't get a lot of scope, but when he does, he hits it out of the park, so Bridgerton fans are in for a treat. If you're a fan of magic and musicals, Wicked is for you, but the runtime is a downer. 3/5 stars.
