Ever since the new movie Wicked came to theaters, critics and audiences alike have been raving about the adaptation, and this article can be added to the hundreds proclaiming the perfection of this film. The whole movie was as wonderful as the wizard himself, or at least, as wonderful as he seems to be, through incredible casting, film techniques, and more.
Perhaps the first thing that needs to be mentioned is how clever the film was with the saturation of colors. The original Wizard of Oz movie was famous for revolutionizing color usage in film; Wicked paid homage to that by making the movie colorful and bright, and it made the whole experience more joyful.
However, the thing that made the Wicked Broadway show so famous was not its color, but the incredible musical numbers, and the movie represented those wonderfully as well.
“I had seen the musical [show] before and I thought [compared to the show] the singing was good!” says Ryleigh Giffin, a sophomore at Briar Woods, “My favorite musical number was What is this Feeling, because I really like the rhythm.”
One would think that most audiences favorite song would be Defying Gravity, as it is the film’s blockbuster song. However, Giffin was not the only one to say that What is this Feeling is her favorite song in the film, with Natalie Posusney, a sophomore here at Briar Woods and Akshaya Gajula, also a sophomore, agreeing with her. In fact, Posusney even thought “Defying Gravity” ruined the movie.
“It just kept on repeating, it was kind of annoying to me,” Natalie explains.
Perhaps the reason people love the song so much is because it features both Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, and showcases their voices equally. Which leads to the topic of the amazing casting.
“My expectations were pretty high for this movie after seeing the trailer,” says Gajula, “Hearing Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande [made me want to see it], and because it has Jonathan Bailey.”
However, while the movie may be fantastic, there have been quite a few controversies coming out of it. The most notable is the tear-filled press tour put on by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, to such excess that many are wondering if it is legitimate.
“To be honest, in the beginning I thought it was nice,” explains Gajula, “But after a couple of times the crying felt a little comical, and a little disingenuous.”
Giffin agrees, saying, “I think it’s good they have such a close relationship, but I think they’re crying is excessive.”
There is also the controversy over how much Ariana Grande stole the show from Cynthia Erivo, despite Erivo portraying the main character. Commercials, posters, and countless merchandise have been dedicated entirely to Glinda, while Elphaba has faded into the background.
“Everyone is focused on Glinda,” Giffin commented, “she’s like a popular girl, you know? I think Elphaba is underrated in her own movie.”
Despite the many controversies, Wicked is still defying gravity, having grossed $457.5 million worldwide. That is well beyond enough to be considered a win, and it is now the most successful broadway movie adaptation, beating out “Les Miserables,” “In the Heights,” and many other wildly successful movies.
Wicked will be in theaters for only the next few weeks, and will be wrapping up its theater time around Christmas. Go see the movie before the curtains close, and you can even see the sing-along version if you feel like belting “Defying Gravity” with Elphaba herself.
