You may or may not have seen the Wicked craze that has taken over stores like Starbucks, Target, and Ulta. This craze has come from the new release of the Wicked movie and even started months before the movie was actually released. Was it worth all the hype? After seeing the movie for myself, I can confidently confirm that it is. The Wicked movie experience was unimaginable in the best way possible. Along with the mystical feel the movie brought to Wicked fans all over the world, it is also a wonderful adaptation of the original Wicked musical.
The movie Wicked was released to theaters on November 22nd, 2024, 21 years after the first performance of Wicked on Broadway. This explains why so many people have been eager to see this movie come to life due to the strong connections and emotions they feel for the characters in Wicked. The movie producers decided to release two separate movies for Wicked. Part one came out on November 22nd and part two is set to come out on November 21st, 2025.
Both of the movies were inspired by the original Broadway storyline and soundtrack which has brought the nostalgic magic to life for Wicked fans around the globe. Wicked takes place before the classic story of the Wizard of Oz and is the story about Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and her friendship with Glinda the Good Witch. The purpose of the story is to show how Elphaba became the Wicked Witch of the West as well as the events that led up to Dorothy’s journey in The Wizard of Oz. The two starring actresses include Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda who both have backgrounds in music and acting.
One important similarity between the musical and the movie Wicked is that the soundtracks are the same. No new songs were added to the movie’s soundtrack and no songs were taken out of it that were used in the musical. The songs overall contributed to the magic of the movie and helped the audience be encompassed in the characters’ emotions as well as the world of Oz. Fan favorite songs such as “Defying Gravity,” “Popular,” “Dancing Through Life,” and “Loathing” are all in the movie.
A review done by NBC Today stated, “The first ‘Wicked’ film is faithful to Act 1 of the musical all the way down to the soundtrack. No songs were cut, the tracks are true to the original Broadway cast recording.” By using all of the same songs as in the musical, the directors wanted to help fans feel the same excitement and love as they initially felt when the musical first came out. And it worked. Songs from the Wicked movie have been going viral on multiple social media platforms and audiences who have seen the movie in theaters have said it was an experience they will never forget, including me.
While the soundtrack in the movie is the same as the soundtrack in the musical, there are, however, some key differences between the storylines of the movie and the musical. Part One of the movie is about the same length as the entire Wicked musical, so there are bound to be some differences in events and details. Nonetheless, these key differences further enhanced character development and helped Wicked fans see more about Elphaba’s story. From flashbacks and glimpses into Elphaba’s childhood to an added moment shared between Elphaba and Fiyero, her love interest, the fans get a deeper look into the life of Elphaba and all that she has gone through while growing up with green skin. One Wicked fan (Olivia Stary) who has seen both the musical and the movie says, “The movie captured basically everything in the musical but still added their own little things to make it more appealing. The meet-cute with Fiyero was actually so cute and gave us a little sneak peek into some tension and maybe romance to be seen later on in the second film.” By relating to the characters emotionally and seeing their journey through life, the audience was able to share those moments of tears, laughter, and everything Wicked.
Some critics say that the length of the film itself is a problem. With the musical production being 2 hours and 45 minutes, and the Part One film being 2 hours and 40 minutes critics believe that the movie directors will have to stray from the storyline in order to compensate for the Part Two film being just as long as the first. Audiences believe that because the storyline of the movie stayed so true to the plot of the musical the second part will not be as aligned with the plot.
A review done by Deseret News states, “I just don’t think there will be much left for the second half, and audiences might be disappointed. There might be a revolt.” However, while some fans see the length of the movie as a negative, it actually allows for added scenes between characters, as we saw in Part One, to further develop the relationship between them. With the extra time, movie directors added those moments, such as Elphaba’s childhood in the first film, which really helped audiences understand her struggles and what life was like for her growing up. This ultimately added a layer of emotional depth to the film, causing fans to connect more deeply with this adaptation of Wicked. If film producers stuck with the 2-hour and 45-minute time limit such as the musical, then we wouldn’t get to see into the background aspects of the storyline. In the musical, audience members had to interpret what certain scenes or songs meant. Now we can witness them on screen instead of leaving it all up to the imagination.
Overall, the movie was an amazing adaptation of the original musical on Broadway, and I give it a 10 out of 10. The soundtrack really created an environment of energy and magic while the added scenes further developed the plot and appealed to the emotional side of fans. This movie made me laugh, cry, and want to sing my heart out. If you haven’t seen the Wicked movie already or if you’re just looking for a new movie favorite then go buy your tickets now to see Wicked in theaters before it’s gone.
