The film, Wicked, was based on the 2003 Broadway musical of the same name, which continues to be performed today. The first part of this movie, which came out on Nov 22, 2024, is Act One from the musical. Part two is predicted to be released on Nov 21, 2025, which will be the musical’s second act. Wicked Act 1 takes place in Oz before Dorothy arrives, essentially making it the prequel to the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz.
Wicked is the story of Galina the Good and Elphaba, The Wicked Witch of The West, flashing back and revealing an entire parallel to the Oz universe. Elphaba was born with green skin, and her sister, Nessa, was born prematurely, causing her to be unable to walk and confining her to a wheelchair. When Nessa left to attend Shiz University, their father insisted Elphaba go with her to take care of her. Elphaba and Galinda meet and don’t take a liking to one another right away, but eventually, it becomes clear that the only thing Elphaba truly wants is to be good and not be seen as evil. The story follows the girls’ adventure to meet the Wizard of Oz and Elphaba’s fight for good.
While watching the movie in the theater, I was curious about how they made the sets look and feel so real. One scene that blew my mind was the cinematic shot of the tulip trail going to Oz. I figured it had to be good CGI considering the amount of space and flowers there were, only to find out later that the crew planted nine million tulips and hardly used any CGI for the sets while creating the movie! From building Munchkin Land, Shiz University, and The City of Oz from the ground up to use a real sixteen-ton train. Even finding a way to stay efficient by repurposing the tulips and using them to make the munchkin roofs. The production designer, Nathan Crowley, really went above and beyond to make the world of Oz come to life!
I thought the choreography throughout the movie was amazing. I especially enjoyed Dancing Through Life along with Popular, as I felt Christopher Scott, the choreographer, really encapsulated the feeling of each song within the dances. Though the choreography during What is This Feeling in the center of Shiz University has been stuck in my head since I’ve seen the movie. Every move was perfect, and I loved it.
A visual moment that stood out for me was the first scene of Glinda coming down to the munchkins in her bubble and popping it with her wand. I think it was the perfect introduction for her. Another Glinda moment I loved was the first flashback scene showing her riding into Shiz University on a large boat, sitting atop her luggage, singing Dear Old Shiz. I feel like it accurately represented the kind of person she was when she first arrived at Shiz.
A few visual moments of Elphaba were towards the end of the movie during Defying Gravity when she conjures her broomstick, as well as her shooting through the sky on her broom after jumping out the window. These moments captured the freedom and power Elphaba felt in these scenes.
One of my favorite scenes of Galinda and Elphaba together was during the Ozdust Ballroom Dance. Elphaba shows up to the ballroom and begins to dance, while her classmates laugh and make fun of her. Galinda joins her, and the two begin dancing together. It’s a beautiful scene where the audience sees Galinda do something good for the first time.
As much as I loved the choreography, set, and cinematography throughout the entire movie, my favorite part was the singing. Before seeing the movie, I had heard all of the songs were recorded live during the scenes but had no idea how good it would be. I’ve never put much thought into the fact that most of the songs sung in movies are recorded in a studio and just added into the movie later until I heard how much of a difference it makes to record the singing live. But aside from how well they sounded, I’m beyond impressed at the fact Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo actually could pull off singing everything live. When you put it into perspective, it’s incredible these women could still sound so beautiful while dancing, running, and even flying through the air.
You can feel how thought-out and carefully constructed Wicked was. It truly reflects the love each one of the cast and crew members carries for this movie. Every person was given a job, and it’s clear not only the director, but the screenwriters, cinematographer, actors, extras, production, set, and costume designers took such pride in their job. This movie was beautifully executed, and I can’t wait to see Wicked: Part Two. 5/5 stars.
