#73: WICKED

 

STARRING: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande-Butera, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum. Screenplay by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, based on Wicked by Stephen Schwartz and the 'book' Wicked by Winnie Holzman. Directed by Jon M. Chu. Budget $150 million. Running time 160 minutes. 

In a nutshell, it's the origin story and sequel to the 1939 classic, The Wizard of Oz, which in itself was based on a book written in 1900 by L. Frank Baum.

Starting moments after the terrible workplace injury witnessed at the end of TWOO that saw the so-called 'Wicked Witch of the East' killed by a bucket of water, thus breaking the unbroken 'days since last injury' record. This film fills in all the blanks everyone has been crying out for since the day after Baum's book first went on sale, namely, 'what's the Wicked Witches' origin story?

Well, apparently she was Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) a green-skinned woman born as the result of an illicit affair between her mother and the Wizard of Oz and she had an unloved, childhood where she was ostracised by everyone because of the colour of her skin. Anyway she goes off to the Shiz University of Sorcery where she becomes roomies with Galinda (Ariana Grande-Latte) and much singing and dancing ensues. There she unlocks her latent magical potential, thanks to the administrations of Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), the Dean of the University and is sent off to the Emerald City to meet the wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum), and hopefully get granted her heart's desire, to no longer be green.

It's a long film, M-O-O-N spells looooonnnngg. Two hours and 40 minutes long, a film just five minutes shorter than the original stage musical, that a film that only manages to tell half the story of musical. My advice, set your phone for one hour and forty and go to sleep, cause it's all build up and utterly pointless with vague secondary plots about talking animals and the mild bullying and lots of emoting. 

It's only once this film finally arrives in the Emerald City via a stunning green train that this film explodes into glorious and wonderful life. The art direction is simply stunning from the amazing exteriors to the inner workings of the Wizard's lair and the genuinely staggering scale of the Emerald City.

Whether you love or like this film, depends on how much you like musicals, because make no mistake, this is a full-blown, 110% musical writ large. Although that said, it's also a film with only one song, a song that starts at the very beginning and goes on non-stop to the films final frame, or at least that what it sounds like, because for the life of me I couldn't name you a single individual song or even hum a melody.

The performances from the two leads was also delightful, Erivo brings the depth and emotion while Grande-Latte brings some impressive star power. Everybody in this film gives it their all, all adding to create a spectacular fabulous experience that it would be churlish to slag off, and while this film wasn't for me I still can't deny that as far as musical theatre and performance goes this was an impressively mounted, entertaining and fabulously flamboyant experience. Although I doubt I'll be back for more, like all the best deserts this was just far too sugary and sweet for me. 

8/10