Based on the popular Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz and the classic story of “The Wizard of Oz,” the newest musical adaptation by director John M. Chu is a fantastic adaptation of the beloved musical. It should be worth mentioning that this is part 1 of a two-part musical, which is interesting because sometimes, when people say they will do that, it is mainly for the money instead of the storyteller. Still, in this case, after watching this movie, it made so much sense to break it up into two films. “Wicked” has so much material that John M. Chu did an excellent job of balancing everything to tell a fantastic story while also satisfying longtime fans of the original musical. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande deliver great performances, such as Elphaba the Wicked Witch and Galinda the Good Witch. Erivo and Grande disappear into their roles thanks to the memorable musical numbers, the emotional depth they bring to their characters, and fantastic chemistry on par with Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel’s chemistry displayed in the original Broadway run back in 2003. The film has an excellent supporting cast, including Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum. Thanks to John M. Chu’s incredible direction, fantastic costumes and visuals, and excellent performances by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, “Wicked” is a tremendous musical that must be seen on the big screen and will have you excited for the second half, which is set to be released one year from now. If Part 2 manages to be as good as the first film, then “Wicked” could become one of the most significant musical adaptions ever made and a filmmaking technique that could be a complete success.
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