Wicked: Part One (2024) – Film Review
Director: Jon M. Chu
Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jeff Goldblum
Certificate: PG
By David Reid
This sparkling movie is based on Stephen Schwartz’s 2003 stage musical, inspired by L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the iconic 1939 masterpiece that launched Judy Garland to stardom. It acts as a prequel to that pioneering piece of Technicolor magic.
The story centres on Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West, played by Cynthia Erivo. It sets out to explain how she became “evil” and the role played in her story by Galinda Upland, portrayed here by Ariana Grande-Butera. Later in the narrative, Galinda becomes Glinda the Good. A gratifying parallel exists in real life, as music superstar Ariana Grande reverts to her childhood name in the credits for this film for the first time.
The story begins with Munchkin celebrations following the death of the Wicked Witch of the West. Before you can say “Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead”, flying monkeys fill the screen, guiding us along the yellow brick road to the Land of Oz. This world evokes memories of Ron Howard’s Whoville in How the Grinch Stole Christmas—and is all the more endearing for it.
“Joyous”
Elphaba is rejected at birth due to her green skin and endures childhood discrimination. Galinda narrates, revealing how her story intertwines with Elphaba’s. While conveying her paraplegic sister Nessarose (a film debut by Marissa Bode) to begin her studies at Shiz University, Elphaba is persuaded to enrol by Madame Morrible, the Dean of Sorcery (played by Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh), after accidentally revealing her magical powers. Elphaba and Glinda meet, become friends, and are assigned a shared room. These chambers are more akin to fantasy Gothic quarters than student digs—this is Oz, after all.
A flurry of excitement occurs when Fiyero Tigelaar (Jonathan Bailey) arrives on campus and woos Galinda, stealing her away from Ethan Slater’s Munchkin, Boq Woodsman. Bailey’s dashing prince brings his Bridgerton panache, adding a touch of Disney-esque tongue-in-cheek flair. All three join in a joyous rendition of the musical number ‘Dancing Through Life’. However, the mood shifts when Elphaba learns from talking goat lecturer Dr Dillamond (Peter Dinklage) and other animal characters that their civil rights are under severe threat, with echoes of 1930s Germany in the narrative. The envisaged solution involves seeking the wisdom of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, played by Jeff Goldblum—a Willy Wonka-like figure we never knew we needed.
“Spellbinding”
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera make a complementary duo. Both are tremendous singers, with Erivo more than capable of matching Grande-Butera’s famous soprano range in their duets. Erivo (a Tony winner and Oscar nominee) was captivating in Bad Times at the El Royale, Widows, and Harriet, and is slated to take Jodie Comer’s mesmerising stage role in Prima Facie to the big screen. Grande-Butera made her film debut in the 2021 sci-fi satire Don’t Look Up. Director Jon M. Chu provides an assured presence at the helm. Having previously directed the unlikely smash hit Crazy Rich Asians, he demonstrated his musical credentials with In the Heights, a Lin-Manuel Miranda musical. The set-piece songs are spellbinding, complemented by an orchestral score to match.
As the movie builds to its climactic conclusion, Elphaba takes on the unforgettable form of Margaret Hamilton’s Wicked Witch from the original film. The aerial stunts during the ‘Defying Gravity’ number are literally spellbinding, combining live singing with breathtaking choreography for a spectacular finale.
Although the pace takes some time to build, this film invites repeat viewings. It is a joyous spectacle that will appeal to diehard fans of the stage musical and, despite being released a month before Christmas, will enhance any festive outing for those open to this genre. As an added bonus, fans have less than a year to wait for Wicked: Part Two!
