Wicked: Musical Magic or Missed Opportunity?

I’m generally not a fan of musicals. It’s probably important to understand that before reading any further. I can appreciate the talent involved, but as a rule they tend not to resonate with me. Still, I was interested in seeing Wicked as I do know, and like, some of the songs, and I was interested in the story. But while Wicked has a lot to offer, I was hoping for some solid storytelling to go along with the songs, and it never quite delivers.

Wicked is, of course, and adaptation of the Broadway musical that tells the story of when Elphaba (eventually the Wicked Witch of the West) meets Glinda (or Galinda as she is known at the time) at Shiz University in Oz. Although initially not fond of each other, the two develop a strong friendship. But there is something dark afoot in Oz, and as Elphaba’s power grows, she draws the attention of one of her professors, and eventually, the Wizard.

Overall, the performances in Wicked are terrific. Cynthia Erivo is amazing as Elphaba. She hits all the right notes (ha ha, get it!) in crafting a character both vulnerable and strong. One who needs to appear self-assured, yet angry (not wicked) and still searching for her identity. And she is a phenomenal vocalist. Truly amazing.

Ariana Grande is right there with her. Her vocals are quite amazing as well, and the harmonies when the two sing together are just (I hate to make the pun, but…), spellbinding. But I was impressed by her acting as well, particularly her comedic timing. She’s quite funny. It’s the chemistry between the two characters that drives this movie, and what kept me mostly positive.

The other performances are mostly very good, although I was not a big fan of Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard. It’s not a bad performance, but it just seemed like Jeff Goldblum being himself (other than a little singing). I get it, the Wizard is supposed to be an enigmatic character and that just screams Jeff Goldblum. But it didn’t feel like he did much with the role. There should also be a little menace with this character, and I just didn’t feel it.

Visually, Wicked is impressive. It’s bright, colourful and vibrant, and both the costume and production design are immaculate. The CGI is good as well, although there are some moments where it falters a bit. The movie does work best when it uses practical sets, but this is a fully realized, magical world of Oz. There are one or two scenes where everything feels weirdly washed out, as if they imported a few additional suns from other solar systems and it was just too much for the cameras. But overall, this is a good-looking movie.

There really is a lot to like about Wicked, even if you’re not a fan of musicals. There were times early in the movie when I did think it was going to win me over. I did enjoy most of the songs and the musical sequences are staged and choreographed very well. But this movie is way too long, and the pacing is uneven at best. I was checking my watch a fair bit during the second half, and that’s never a good sign.

Weirdly, the movie feels long, yet the story feels rushed. Wicked raises issues of identity and acceptance, and even power and corruption. But none of these are fully explored. Even the blossoming friendship between Galinda and Elphaba felt rushed. It is a musical, so story often takes a backseat. And I do realize it’s just part one, so maybe my opinion may change with part two. But often, especially in the second half, the story almost feels like an afterthought. There seems to be a lot of fluff, and Wicked either needed to use its runtime to explore the story more or shave off a bunch of time.

And can someone please explain why a person would be ostracized because she has green skin when you live in a world where talking animals are nannies and university professors, and the most revered person in the entire world (the Wizard) lives in a city where the colour scheme is ‘the more green the better’? I just don’t get it.

There truly is a lot to like about Wicked, and I think for the most part, fans of musicals will enjoy it. And I am mostly positive about it as well. But the length and the pacing really hurt, and there just wasn’t enough story for me. The movie looks wonderful, and I loved the performances. I would happily listen to the soundtrack (which is saying a lot for me and musicals), but as a movie, it never all comes together. It’s good and I think worth seeing, but it never fully won me over.

Have you seen Wicked? Are you planning to? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.