Wicked Part 1 (Jon M Chu, 2024)

Icked

I suppose we should start with the positives: Jon M. Chu's Wicked, part 1 of his $150 million adaptation of Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman's Broadway hit adaptation of Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel of the same name, itself a prequel to L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the 1939 film adaptation of the same name-- pause for breath-- boasts of a pair of fine performances, Cynthia Erivo's sensitive interpretation of Elphaba Thropp, and Ariana Grande's deliciously wicked take on Galinda Upland.

Oz the Great and Powerful, Valhalla Rising, Volver, Story of GI Joe

By Popular Demand

Never had much use for boxoffice figures; never thought the approval of the moviegoing public was all that important, or an indicator of a film's quality, or relative lack of.

Once in a while, though I find myself in the embarrassing position of agreeing with everyone else. In which case I plead pure coincidence, and point to that old adage-- how does it go again? A stopped clock is right twice a day? 

Well, maybe not that one. But I do suspect that public opinion is smarter than the critical establishment is willing to admit. 

Case in point: Sam Raimi's Oz the Great and Powerful. Critics describe it as not "knowing its own mind," or "visually overcrammed, empty mega-spectacle"-- which is funny, because Raimi has never been known for sticking to one genre, even in his own movies, and was never a believer in visual restraint. The man likes over-the-top comic-book action, and unlike some filmmakers I can think of who can't even do that properly, he is superb at it.