Wicked: Part One (2024) - Film Review

I first discovered Wicked when I unintentionally picked up a copy of Gregory Maguire's book at the age of fifteen. The dark and bleak perspective on Oz was both striking and surprising, but it didn’t deter me from eagerly reading the rest of the *Wicked Years* saga to find out what happened next. A year later, I saw the stage show in London’s West End, featuring Nikki Davis-Jones as Elphaba, Louise Dearman as Glinda, and Busted’s Matt Willis as Fiyero. I was absolutely enthralled by the musical adaptation. While it was toned down compared to the book, it had a strong script and songs that remain iconic to this day.

For years, I had heard rumours of a film in development, but it wasn't until Jon M. Chu was signed on to direct that production finally moved forward. I recently had the opportunity to watch the first part of Wicked, and here’s my review of this long-awaited adaptation. Chu’s dedication to not only adapting the musical but also paying homage to the original 1939 Wizard of Oz movie shines through in every shot, set, and character moment. The attention to detail is truly impressive, although I did notice that the colour grading appeared somewhat washed out. This was particularly noticeable given the bold colours they were working with. Nevertheless, this production is genuinely beautiful and deserves all the hype for its costume design, set design, and cinematography.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande star as unlikely friends Elphaba, the misunderstood green-skinned girl, and Galinda, the popular aristocrat. The film focuses on their relationship in the first act of the musical, showcasing how their friendship is tested as they each begin to embrace their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West. Erivo’s musical background really shines through here and she brings a genuine vulnerability that’s revealed underneath her character’s initial sarcasm and defensiveness. Grande was so impressive, especially as I was initially sceptical of her casting. Here, Grande completely sheds her pop stardom away and does a stellar job at bringing Glinda to life and the work she put in – both as an actress and singer – is outstanding and never failed to find the perfect balance of comedic and dramatic timing for this character. Their chemistry is what made this film so good and they were perfectly cast for these roles.

The rest of the cast includes Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum. It was an impressive lineup, but one standout was definitely Michelle Yeoh. Her portrayal of Madame Morrible was more subtle than in the theatrical version, making her character's twist in the film's final act even more devastating and dark.

Bailey was perfectly charming as the love interest, successfully embracing his character's playboy facade and adding more depth to the role. Slater's interpretation of Boq was genuinely sweet, and he exhibited a strong stage presence. Goldblum's performance as the Wizard was fine, but it seemed like he was hitting the right character beats without offering a fresh take on the role. Dinklage, on the other hand, delivered a strong performance as Doctor Dilamond, and it was great to hear his voice bring such an important character to life. There are also cameos from the stage version that keen fans of the Broadway and West End version will very much appreciate.

Marissa Bode made history in the world of "Wicked" by being the first disabled actress to portray Nessarose. Having a wheelchair user in this role made certain scenes more relatable, as several aspects of the show were rewritten for accuracy. As a wheelchair user myself, I found that her scenes resonated with me more than the original stage version.

For instance, in the film, Nessarose is clearly uncomfortable and vocal about not wanting a stranger to push her wheelchair, while in the stage production, she accepts assistance from anyone nearby without hesitation. Bode was an excellent choice for the role, and her performance, along with the rewrites, offered a more nuanced and layered depiction of Nessarose. However, I would have appreciated a bit more foreshadowing of her character arc in Act Two. I am particularly interested to see how Nessarose transforms into the Wicked Witch of the East in the sequel and how this portrayal differs from that of the stage version.

Winnie Holzman (the original book writer for the stage show) and Dana Fox take full advantage of not having to condense the full musical into one screenplay. Not one of Stephen Schwartz’s songs is cut – a common consequence when previous musicals have been adapted into movies – and gives some great scenes that expand on a lot of the characters that we just don’t have time for in the theatre.

However, scenes that have been cut should have stayed in the film – particularly the scene after the song “I’m Not That Girl” where Glinda asks Elphaba about the lion cub and reveals she’s not upset by Fiyero being the one to help her, but more hurt that she didn’t think to ask her. With that scene ending with Elphaba’s promise to never leave her behind again and apologising, it’s a great foreshadowing of what’s to come and the moment that seals their bond – I’m sorry, but I completely disagree with Chu’s reasons for cutting that scene and now that I have seen the film in its entirety, I’m even more adamant he should have left it.

The second part, now renamed Wicked: For Good, is set to debut in cinemas in November 2025, and I’m very curious to see how Jon Chu’s vision of Oz will develop. Splitting the musical into two parts makes sense, given the significant time jump between Act One and Act Two. The characters are older, the story becomes much darker, and the stakes are considerably higher, which is what I’m most looking forward to after the initial setup provided by this film.

With Wicked generating buzz for both the BAFTAs (seven nominations) and the Oscars (ten nominations), I believe it truly deserves the praise it has received. As a fan of this story, I enjoyed the film, which is why I appreciated the attention to detail. However, I am really looking forward to the sequel later this year. Even so, as a fan, I feel that certain aspects could have been improved. Nonetheless, this film did a commendable job of staying faithful to its source material.

My rating for Wicked (2024) is ★★★★★.