By Kate Wiselogel, Contributor

[Universal; 2024] 

Rating: 7/10

Wicked is one of the most popular and beloved modern Broadway musicals. Premiering on Broadway 21 years ago, it has since become the fourth longest running show in Broadway history and has now been adapted into a feature film. The musical is an adaptation of the book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, which serves as a prequel to the story told in L. Frank Baum’s classic children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  Wicked tells the story of Elphaba (played by Cynthia Erivo in the movie adaptation), a young girl in the magical land of Oz who has green skin and is destined to become the infamous Wicked Witch of the West. The musical primarily focuses on Elphaba’s time at Shiz University, where she begins to study sorcery and rooms with the socially adept Galinda (played by Ariana Grande in the movie adaptation), who is destined to become Glinda the Good Witch.  

Unlike other recent Broadway film adaptations like Mean Girls (2024), Wicked (2024) seems to revel in the fact that it is a movie musical. It features massive sets and dance numbers as well as having marketed itself explicitly as a musical. This is a nice change of pace, as other Broadway adaptations in recent years have seemed to do everything in their power to avoid marketing themselves as musicals. Wicked doesn’t seem interested in an audience that doesn’t care for musicals. It’s clear in both the marketing and in the actual movie itself that this is by and for people who enjoy musical theatre. The film’s unabashedness makes for an incredibly fun time at the movies.  

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However, one thing that does weaken the overall joy of Wicked is the color grading and lighting used throughout. Part of what makes classic movie musicals such as Singin’ in the Rain (1952) or even the original Wizard of Oz (1939) feels so otherworldly and magical is their use of color. Watching Wicked, it was hard not to be disappointed by how muted many of the colors in the movie look. The use of natural lighting throughout the film also added to this disappointment. During numbers such as “Dancing Through Life,” the use of natural lighting through windows is often visually unflattering and makes it difficult to see the characters.  

Director Jon M. Chu addressed these criticisms in a recent interview, stating that these lighting and color grading choices were intended to make the land of Oz feel like “a real place.” This rationale is frustrating because so much of the form of a movie musical requires an inherent suspension of disbelief, so why not lean into that and make everything look as otherworldly as possible? The reliance on natural-looking lighting and color grading at best weakens the detail of the film’s costumes, sets and performances and at worst fully obscures them. This is especially disappointing because there are some great technical aspects of the film. The sets all feel incredibly expansive and the costumes have interesting designs and textures.  

Perhaps the best part of Wicked is its performances. Cynthia Erivo’s leading performance as Elphaba is nothing short of stellar. Her voice is chill inducing on several occasions throughout the movie, particularly during “The Wizard and I” and “Defying Gravity.” She plays Elphaba with a self-assurance that is never off-putting and instead makes the audience want to root for her. Ariana Grande is also perfectly loveable as Galinda and plays her with a comedic prowess that was surprising to see in this context. She somehow makes Galinda charming enough for the audience to empathize with her and not totally hate her in spite of the film beginning with her setting fire to a giant statue of her former best friend.  

While indeed flawed in some ways, Wicked is still a movie worth seeing. The amount of detail and care that went into the production is clear. All of the actors genuinely seem excited and passionate about being there, which makes it all the more fun to watch. It was so refreshing to watch a generally well-made blockbuster movie musical in 2024, even if it is two hours and 40 minutes long, and only encompasses the first act of the original stage show.