Wicked: A Grand Musical Epic That Hits All the Right Notes (Blu-ray)
The Film:
When the Broadway musical "Wicked" (based on the novel by Gregory Maguire) premiered in 2003, it immediately became a smash hit, breaking records and receiving a whopping ten Tony nominations (winning three, including Best Actress for Idina Menzel). Talk of a film adaptation began as early as 2004, with several big names in contention for the director's chair, but due to various problems here and there, it took all the way until 2021 to finally get some real traction, with Jon M. Chu taking the helm and stars Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande being cast in the main roles. Finally, in 2024, fans got to see the first part of the beloved musical come to life on the big screen after a wait of over 20 years. Could it possibly live up to expectations after being in development for so long?
As the film opens, Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande) is celebrating the death of the Wicked Witch of the West with the Munchkins of Munchkinland. We learn of the Wicked Witch's backstory, and that Glinda actually knew her when they went to school together at Shiz University. We flash back to when Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) escorts her sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), to the school. After an incident reveals Elphaba's powers, Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), the Dean of Sorcery, offers to tutor her privately, an offer she takes in the hope that it may allow her to meet the great Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum).
Arriving at the same time is Galinda Upland, someone who is used to getting her way and is expecting a private suite, except in this case, she ends up being forced to room with Elphaba. The two clash quite a bit at first, but eventually form a special bond. As the story proceeds, Elphaba discovers that the animals of Oz are losing their ability to speak and their basic rights, a problem that she hopes the Wizard will be able to fix. When she receives a surprise invitation from the man himself, she becomes determined to take the issue directly to him.
"Wicked" (aka "Wicked: Part One") is a grand musical epic that, to come straight to the point, was indeed worth the long wait of over 20 years to finally see in all of its spectacle-filled glory. This is a project in which the cast & crew clearly had a deep love & respect for the material, wanting to do it justice so they could deliver an adaptation that fans of the original Broadway show, as well as viewers who had never gotten the chance to see it, would thoroughly enjoy and be able to immerse themselves in over and over in place of seeing it on stage. Of course, to some, there will never be a replacement for seeing a live production, but as far as bringing the material to the screen, director Jon M. Chu and his dedicated team have done quite a phenomenal job.
Naturally, this required finding a pair of actresses to fill the shoes of the original Broadway performers (Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, who both played their parts brilliantly on the stage). After an exhaustive casting process, Erivo and Grande were chosen to take on the iconic roles, and they certainly don't disappoint. The former in particular nails the powerful numbers like "Defying Gravity" and "The Wizard and I," while the latter adds an amazing touch to songs like "Loathing" and "Popular." As mentioned, they clearly had a love for these characters & the music, and it shows in their performances & renditions of these beloved tunes. It's hardly a surprise that both received Oscar nominations for their efforts, on top of many other recognitions that include SAG, BAFTA, and Golden Globe nominations.
Of course, no discourse regarding the cast would be complete without mentioning the excellent supporting characters/actors, including Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh and the always-incredible Jeff Goldblum, as well as Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, a Prince who joins the school, and Ethan Slater as Boq, a Munchkin who falls in love with Galinda. They may not be in the film nearly as much as its two leads, but they certainly leave their impact, and when you combine all of the performances, it's certainly not hard to see why the film has become a major contender for SAG's top honor of Best Cast of a Motion Picture.
Add to that the exquisite work done by the teams of artists and designers to bring all of the costumes, production design, visual effects, and the rest of the incredible technical elements to life, and you get a musical adaptation that goes above and beyond to deliver a grand experience. If there were any concerns over those 20+ years that this might be too difficult for anyone to bring to the big screen, these remarkably talented filmmakers have completely squashed them, leaving everyone more than ready to see what greatness awaits in the eagerly-awaited conclusion.
Video/Audio:
"Wicked" comes to Blu-ray in a 2.39:1, 1080p High Definition transfer of outstanding quality. The image is perfectly sharp & clear throughout the film's 160-minute duration, highlighting its incredible Oscar-nominated production design, costumes, visual effects, and makeup & hair. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos DVS audio track is phenomenal, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and, of course, the songs/Oscar-nominated score in excellent quality. Overall, fans couldn't have wished for better treatment than the film has received for this physical release.
Special Features:
Feature Commentary with Director Jon M. Chu
Feature Commentary with Stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
Making Wicked (46 Minutes): An excellent featurette that delves behind the scenes of the making of the film, featuring in-depth interviews with the cast and crew.
Deleted and Extended Scenes (10 Sequences, 16 Minutes)
Conclusion:
Jon M. Chu's "Wicked" is a grand musical epic that is sure to delight fans of the original Broadway show and new viewers alike. Featuring a pair of outstanding, Oscar-nominated performances from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, a fantastic supporting cast, and a marvelous creative team, this is an adaptation that hits all the right notes, easily making it worth the 20-year wait it took to bring it to the screen.
Score: 4/5
Available on Blu-ray starting tomorrow
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