“Wicked” had too much space – The Daily Texan

“Wicked,” the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical and spinoff of “The Wizard of Oz,” captured the attention of theater kids around the world after its debut in 2003. After two decades as a modern Broadway classic with a cult-like fan base, part one of the film adaptation hit theaters on November 22nd – chronicling the origins of the infamous Wicked Witch of the West and her complicated relationship with Glinda, the Good Witch.

An unusually emotional press tour with Ariana Grande (Glinda) and Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) created the impression that “Wicked” would be the major work of the cinema musical. But just as Elphaba realizes that The Wizard of Oz is nothing more than an average man with a false sense of grandeur, the true essence of the Wicked film does not match the religious experience that Grande and Erivo seemed to have.

Still, “Wicked” has just as much value as the original Broadway musical, combining feel-good songs, comedic moments and heartfelt messages.

The joy people have from the film remains – “Wicked” offers many joys, from upbeat dance routines to moving vocal performances and vibrant world design. The casting of the main actors proved convincing, despite the occasionally uncomfortable contrast between Ariana Grande’s playful Glinda and Cynthia Erivo’s overly serious Elphaba. Grande reaches her acting peak as Glinda, with the film’s most charming, entertaining and undeniably talented moments, from her dramatic hair change, her impeccable comedic timing and the masterful domination of every camera frame.

However, elements of overproduction suppress any real attention to world-building, and the sheer amount of content results in an odd pacing and unnecessarily long running time. Director Jon M. Chu (“Crazy Rich Asians”) tried to avoid that tone by building real sets and recording live vocal performances rather than relying on CGI and autotune. Unfortunately, this attempt failed in the film and the subsequent tweaks damage the film by glossing over the authenticity of the set and costumes.

Whether “Wicked” required a nearly three-hour running time plus a second film remains questionable, as many plot points still await proof of their significance. The beginning of the film immediately grabs the audience, but as Elphaba and Glinda make their way through Oz, the story begins to drag.

The pressure to convey strong sympathy and emotional connection to the film also discouraged some viewers from enjoying it themselves. Many consider Wicked a sacred text, but a film should not require prior knowledge of another work or rely on nostalgia for audiences to appreciate it independently.

But as far as the all-too-common overproduced film adaptation goes, “Wicked” justifies the larger-than-life, grandiose approach more than previous works. The real success of the film adaptation lies in the hands of “Wicked: Part Two,” but for next year it will be enough to replay “Popular” and “Defying Gravity” on streaming services.

4 flying monkeys out of 5