On Nov. 22, 2024, the highly anticipated movie version of Wicked was released, and it did not disappoint.
The movie was originally a novel released in 1995 but was adapted into a highly acclaimed musical in 2003. The movie stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. It is the prequel to The Wizard of Oz, and is the backstory of the Wicked Witch of the West, the Wicked Witch of the East, and Glinda the Good Witch. The movie was split into two parts, although all of it was filmed at the same time, starting in 2022. Part two will be released in November of 2025. The movie has powerful music numbers, including No One Mourns the Wicked, Dear Old Shiz, The Wizard and I, What is This Feeling, Something Bad, Dancing Through Life, Popular, I’m Not That Girl, One Short Day, A Sentimental Man, and finally, Defying Gravity.
The movie starts off in present-day Oz, right after the Wicked Witch of the West, a.k.a. Elphaba was killed by Dorothy after she threw a bucket of water at her head. The Munchkin’s celebrate, and Glinda recalls how she and Elphaba were once friends. We then go back in time to see their story, starting when Elphaba’s mom got pregnant, and she was born. Elphaba always had powers from the day she was born, but she never knew how to control them. While taking her sister, Nessarose, to Nessarose’s new school, Shiz, Elphaba loses control of her powers, but the professor of sorcery recognizes the greatness of her powers, and invites Elphaba to join Shiz. Elphaba’s new roommate, is surprise surprise, Glinda. If you have seen The Wizard of Oz, you may remember Glinda as a kind, selfless person. But in Wicked, she is selfish and mean, not to mention incredibly vain. After some feuds and fights, they become good friends. But will their friendship last the hardships they face? And more importantly, how does Elphaba become evil?
Wicked was overall a fantastic movie. If you like musicals, theatre, and a little bit of romance, this movie is perfect for you. It had a great soundtrack, and the acting was top notch. My favorite songs from it had to be Defying Gravity and Dancing Through Life. Although there were a few rather questionable moments, such as Fiyero flirting with the librarian, the movie was mostly fun and lighthearted, though there were some parts that were more serious. Even though it was a movie, they did a great job of making you feel all kinds of emotions. I think the movie was incredible, I was just disappointed about how part one ended on a cliffhanger, and that we have to wait 1 more year until part two! But, if you think about it from the perspective of how we get more content, it’s not that bad. All in all, it was an amazing movie, and I will definitely be back next year for part two.
