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.

And that's all the nice I can come up with on this bloated two hour and forty minute musical superproduction. The lyrics (by Stephen Schwartz*) don't have the dark edge of that other Stephen ("Careful the things you say, children will listen; careful the things you do, children will see. And learn..."), don't even have the verbal ingenuity of Harold Arden ("Your Majesty if you were king you wouldn't be afraid of anything?" "Not nobody not nohow!" "Not even a rhinocerous?" "Imposserous!" "How about a hippopotamus?" "Why I'd trash him from top to bottomus!"). 

* (To be fair Schwartz did write the lyrics to the songs in Pippin-- but the best bits there I'd call Rated R, or at least PG-13; this movie-- unlike, or so I hear, Maguire's source novel-- is determinedly PG, strictly for families and kids)

The sets, particularly those in the city of Oz itself, are minutely detailed and digitally enhanced-- the best money can buy-- and one must remember that Mr. Chu also directed that other big boxoffice hit Crazy Rich Asians, and both movies seem to exemplify his visual style: Very Expensive Hollywood. You can tell a lot of money was spent, almost all of it on display up there on the big screen. 

The musical sequences are elaborately done; the library number with its rolling ladders looks like a real bitch to shoot, but for all the ingenuity of the sets and choreography it would help if Chu actually cut or sustain the shots in a way that the choreography stays clear in the head. Otherwise he cuts to the standard-issue beat and inserts a rising crane shot at the end of almost every stanza (man loves his cranes), guaranteeing a quick sugar high instead of the kind of gradual emotional build and visual storytelling a good song-and-dance can give you (See O I don't know, "Follow the Yellow Brick Road," or "If I Only Had a Brain," or even "Over the Rainbow," arguably the greatest and simplest and most quietly intensely felt musical performance ever in the history of cinema). 

I'm not even sure why we have this movie in the first place: '39 Oz had a perfectly good sequel-- Walter Murch's 1985 Return to Oz with its fabulous character and set designs, its largely analog (and still effective) special effects, its unforgettable horror-film vibes (folks remember The Wheelers and Princess Mombi giving them nightmares when they were young, and I'm of the opinion that kids should be allowed to enjoy a few nightmares). It even had a perfectly good prequel in Oz The Great and Powerful, which yes had huge overproduced sets and yes a lot of digital effects but 1) whizzed by too quickly for its cheesy production design and digital effects to drag anything down, and 2) had a real filmmaker at the helm.  

Wicked does deal with questions of authenticity and systemic racism and social acceptance-- important issues for sure but any of the three aforementioned films tackle these, are I submit more relevant today than most folks give them credit for-- in the 39 Oz (skip the rest of this paragraph if you haven't seen the films!) the Wizard is revealed to be a charlatan and the Wicked Witch of the West's castle guards turn out to be decent folk; in Return Dorothy befriends chickens and moose heads and even artificial intelligences (no sign of a Wizard, tho there is a sinister psychiatrist/Gnome King); in Oz The Great and Powerful the Wicked Witch is yes misunderstood and this time played by a Ukrainian Jew) and yes the Wizard actually starts out as a rascal and proceeds from there-- no last-minute plot reveals necessary. Actually, if from book to '39 film to '85 sequel to 2013 prequel back to musical and movie adaptation we have learned again and again that the Wizard is Not Who He Seems and We Mustn't Judge a Book by its Cover, then Jeff Goldblum's late reveal here (love the guy but he can not sing a note) is the biggest nonevent of the year. 

So in my opinion is this movie, only a boxoffice of $350 million opening weekend (making its production and marketing costs back in three days) and an estimated profit of $50 million says I'm wrong, and maybe I am. Or maybe banal flavorless pre-chewed, predigested pap is easier to sell than anything god forbid a real artist with real talent might create. Wouldn't know, I just work here. 

12.2.24