Wicked Review: Jon M. Chu Understood The Musical Assignment, And The Broadway Adaptation Defies Gravity

I always knew I’d love the Wicked movie, but I didn’t expect to love it this much. As a casual fan of the original musical as well as Jon M. Chu’s work – like Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights – I knew the project was in good hands. Plus, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo seemed like slam-dunk casting choices. Turns out, all of that is true. And not only is it one of the year's best movies, but it's an adaptation that could go down as one of the best modern movie musicals.

Wicked, which is the first of two parts, follows the first act of the Broadway musical. We meet Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) as they both attend Shiz University and are forced to room together. What follows is the development of a beautiful friendship that will serve as an emotional lynchpin in the story of how Elphaba became The Wicked Witch of the West.

Overall, it’s a beautiful story about acceptance, inner strength, friendship, and why “everyone deserves a chance to fly.” On top of that, it’s also been brought to life with an immense amount of love and care that’s infectious.

Cynthia Erivo And Ariana Grande Balance Each Other With Pitch Perfect And Powerful Performances

In the lead-up to seeing Wicked, I heard Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo speak many times about how their voices worked so well together when they sang, and let me tell you: it’s heavenly when they collide. However, it’s not just their singing, it’s their acting abilities too. It feels like these two women were born to play Elphaba and Glinda together, and they balance and juxtapose each other wonderfully.

The moment I found out Ariana Grande was cast as Glinda, I knew we were in for something special. At her core, the pop star is a theater kid, and I already knew she was a Wicked superfan. All of that is on full display in this movie as she plays the good witch with great humor and heart.

The scene that comes to mind that demonstrates all this is the opening number, “No One Mourns The Wicked.” The scene where she’s speaking with the Munchkins is hilarious, but it’s quickly put into question as you see the nuanced emotions Glinda is trying to hide as she talks about Elphaba. Then, she sings, and hearing Grande hit those operatic notes is breathtaking. From there, she thrives as the pinkified lady, and that’s in part thanks to her fellow witch played by Cynthia Erivo.

Now, if you want to talk about a show-stopper, at the screening I attended, Cynthia Erivo’s performance caused two rounds of applause. When she opens her mouth to sing her first number, “The Wizard and I,” I got chills. Her vocal performance only gets more and more impressive as she expresses Elphaba’s greatest hopes and dreams. After that, we see her grow into her power, and by the end, when she sings “Defying Gravity,” she’s a changed and determined witch.

Erivo plays Elphaba with so much power, and she absolutely soars in this role.

So does Grande, which is why they’re a match made in heaven. These two have perfect comedic timing, their voices meld beautifully, and they work through the whole movie to build this sisterhood and make it something you care deeply about.

For Wicked to work, you need two actresses who can inhabit Elphaba and Glinda. More importantly, you need two women who balance each other out as these characters do, and that’s exactly what Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande deliver.

Jon M. Chu And Christopher Scott’s Musical Numbers Show The Power Of Great Choreography

Director Jon M. Chu and choreographer Christopher Scott are also a match made in heaven. The pair have been working together for a long time – the duo and Wicked's cinematographer Alice Brooks all worked on In The Heights, another great movie musical. So, between Scott’s choreography, Chu’s direction and Brooks’ cinematography, we get a movie full of perfectly filmed musical moments.

That’s something many if not most musical movies don’t do well, but when it’s done with intention and understanding, it’s magical, and it can make a film shine.

Wicked has multiple massive musical numbers. Take “Dancing Through Life” as an example: from Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero dancing with all the students in the library to the Ozdust Ballroom moment where Elphaba gets the spotlight, it’s full of big sweeping shots of the entire ensemble moving in sync.

Like the witches’ magic, seeing these massive numbers on the wickedly cool sets adds to the fantastical fun of this film, and it wouldn’t work without it.

In “Dancing Through Life,” getting the close-ups of Bailey showing off his charm gives us the intimate closeness you can’t get on stage. Meanwhile, when they zoom out and show the entire ensemble dancing and spinning around the library, you get to see the whole room swoon for Fiyero while feeling the power of a massive group dancing in unison that you experience when you see a show on stage. Overall, the choreography helps elevate the stories being told in Wicked, and when it’s mixed with thoughtful cinematography and direction what you get is magic.

Through massive numbers like “Dancing Through Life,” “What Is This Feeling” and “One Short Day,” Chu is able to set his scenes and give us an entertaining in into these characters’ mentalities all while showing off the power and beauty of great dancing.

Wicked Isn’t Just A Movie, It’s An Immersive Experience Thanks To Incredible Set Design And An Ensemble Cast Who Feels Like They Came Directly From Oz

Like the film The Wizard of Oz, Wicked transports you into this magical world via practical sets, and while you are there, you see a cast who look like they’ve always lived there. Overall, the sets – which are beautiful and real – gave these actors a playground to be their best selves and truly transform into the characters that inhabit this magical world.

From Jonathan Bailey waltzing around Shiz University like he’s actually a charming prince from Winkie Country to Michelle Yeoh commanding every room she’s in as Madame Morrible, the entire cast is effortless. Then, when you see them on these remarkable sets, they disappear as actors and truly transform into their characters.

This is especially true for Grande and Erivo. In the performance of “Popular," Glinda and Elphaba’s room is overwhelmingly pink, and Grande moves around it like she owns it. During this song, as she transforms Elphaba, she bounces through her belongings with ease, and comedically uses her props – like her wand to ask for a ballgown – masterfully. These sets are like a playground, and they allow this perfect cast to thrive and transform.

Overall, Wicked is a masterpiece. It builds on its source material and adds a sprinkle of movie magic to an already wonderful musical. In the immediate aftermath, I think it will go down as one of the greatest musicals of all time, and that’s all because of how much love, care and attention the cast and crew gave to this wonderful story.