Wicked, the highly-anticipated film adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical, has finally hit theaters, bringing the enchanting world of Oz to life with stunning visuals and captivating vocals. Featuring a star-studded cast, the movie strives to embody the essence of Gregory Maguire’s reimagined story, but does it manage to convey the magic of the stage production? For fans of the original book, the musical, and those new to the story, this adaptation presents a blend of awe-inspiring moments and emotional kinship. However, it sometimes struggles to balance its grand ambitions.
I adored the set design in this movie. One of my favorite details throughout the film was the eye-catching scenery. I noticed that a good portion of the sets were mostly green with hints of pink throughout it. This level of attention to detail, in my opinion, adds so much to the movie. What makes it even better is the fact that they brought back the old styles of movies having actual real sets. It made it feel very authentic compared to the decisions of recent set production found in modern film. The crew put a lot of thought into this movie and it shows one hundred percent.
I’d discuss how the vocals for this film were amazing, but that’s basically a given within this casting. The first time I heard Cynthia Erivo’s vocals, I fell a little bit more in love with this movie. On the topic of Erivo, the hair team did a wonderful job. Although all of her styles were simple, they helped tell the story.
One of the only possible downfalls visually was the costumes. Personally, I loved them. They fit into the universe so well, but I could see why other people might not like them. The costumes added a sense of texture to the already visually appealing film, but there were points where they reminded me of Whoville. Again, I think visually interesting costumes are amazing when applied correctly, and let me tell you, these were done wonderfully.
The choreography is where I feel this film felt short the most, but even then, it was really good. I understand that not everyone is a dancer, but I feel like there could have been more to the movement aspect. Don’t get me wrong, the choreo was wonderful, and I’ll stand by that, but it was pretty basic. Oftentimes they repeated the same call-and-resonance sequence in the same number. With how long some of the songs are, I feel like there should be some difference in the movements.
Overall, I think this movie did not disappoint. It had its ups and downs, but they were so minor that it shouldn’t count. I know many people can not wait for part 2 to come out. I greatly recommend that you see this movie for yourself so you too can fall into the wonderful world of Oz.
