Wicked is the Prequal to the 1939 The Wizard of Oz. Wicked stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. Just like The Wizard of Oz, Wicked is a musical. You should know that this movie is Part 1 and as of right now, Wicked: Part 2 is expected to come out November 21, 2025.
It’s often the occasion that film studios plan to put a sequel out a year after the first movie and it doesn’t happen. So, don’t be surprised if they have to push Wicked: Part 2 back to 2026 or later. It takes a ton of work to get even one movie ready and out to the world. To get two movies out to the world in back-to-back years is nearly impossible. But we’ll see.
Wicked: Part 1 had a Production Budget of between $145-$150 million and an estimated Advertising Budget of $150 million. As of this writing, Wicked: Part 1 has an International Box Office Gross of $709,657,255 which means it’s doing very well.
The advertising done for Wicked: Part 1 is very different than any marketing effort I’ve ever seen.
From Starbucks drinks (Elphaba cold brew, topped with green matcha foam, anyone?) to Emerald City Lego sets, Shiz University sweaters at Target and OPI’s Fiyero’s My Mani nail polish (it’s a shade of cobalt blue), Universal has partnered with more than 400 corporate brands to create scores of products and tie-ins to launch the big-screen musical extravaganza. And the studio didn’t stop with themed coffee beverages and winter wear. Manhattan’s Empire State Building was illuminated in pink and green, the signature colors of the film’s witchy protagonists, while in 2024, stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande stopped by the Summer Olympic games in Paris in Elphaba and Glinda cosplay.
This publicity storm wasn’t just a runaway tornado. It’s all been meticulously designed by Universal chief marketing officer Michael Moses, who told movie theater owners that his mission with “Wicked” was being “just short of obnoxious.”
“We live in an environment where monoculture doesn’t happen in the way it used to,” he told Variety. “So, you have to be everywhere.”
That’s a guy who knows how to market a product.
Before we get to the review, there are some fun questions I’d like to answer.
Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West, had a miserable time during production. Her hat, dress, and broom caught on fire while filming the scene of her exiting Munchkinland. She was also severely burned on her face and hand, which caused her to take medical leave for six weeks.
Oh, but it gets worse. Not only did the green face paint get stuck on her face for weeks after filming, but the chemicals were so toxic that she was unable to eat whole foods and was forced to go on a liquid diet.
In the book, the Wicked Witch of the West is actually a minor character who appears near the end of the story. In the film, she’s the main villain.
And just Margaret Hamilton’s luck, most of her scenes were cut from the film after the production company deemed them too scary for children.
Margaret’s dressing room was a canvas tent, which she described as “simply awful.” Billie’s dressing room, on the other hand, was a beautiful blue and pink room on the MGM lot. So, whenever Billie wasn’t on set, Margaret would sneak in there and eat her lunch.
Actor Frank Morgan played five different characters in the movie: the Wizard, Professor Marvel, the chauffeur with the Horse of a Different Color, the Wizard’s guard, and the charismatic Emerald City doorman.
Frank Morgan bought a tethered coat from a thrift store that just happened to belong to L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. His name was inscribed in the jacket.
The Cowardly Lion’s costume was made of real lion pelts (skin and fur). With the costume weighing about 90 pounds and the 100-degree temperature on set, Bert Lahr was pretty uncomfortable playing the role of the Cowardly Lion. His facial makeup was like a papier-mâché masterpiece, made up of brown paper bags. Bert had to remove his costume completely between takes.
Ray Bolger, who played the Scarecrow, wore face prosthetics that ended up leaving marks on his face for more than a year.
Christian “Buddy” Ebsen, best known for playing Jed on The Beverly Hillbillies, was cast as the original Tin Man. Well, actually, he was originally cast as the Scarecrow until Ray Bolger showed interest in the role…and they swapped.
When Buddy was in the role, aluminum dust was used as the initial costume. He had a terrible reaction to it, which led to his lungs collapsing, and him being hospitalized for weeks.
Buddy was eventually replaced by Jack Haley and the makeup was replaced with a safer aluminum paste. Still, Jack eventually caught a severe eye infection due to the makeup.
As mentioned previously, Jack Haley played the new and improved Tin Man. In order to give off the appearance that he was crying oil, the studio used chocolate syrup, because it photographed better.
Judy Garland was 17 when she was cast to play Dorothy. To make her appear younger, Judy was forced to lose 12 pounds for the role. To achieve this look, Judy also wore a corset to appear more childlike.
3,210 costumes were made for the film. And what a job they did!
When Bert Lahr made his entrance as the Cowardly Lion, Judy Garland could not stop laughing. Victor pulled Judy aside, slapped her on the face, and told her, “Go in there and work.”
In earlier versions of The Wizard of Oz scripts, Dorothy and Scarecrow form a love connection. Obviously, the film went in another direction. Maybe that’s why Dorothy said she’ll miss him most…or maybe it’s because he was her first friend in her Emerald City journey. I guess we’ll never know.
The film cost $2.8 million to make and only raked in $3 million during its initial release. It went on to win two Oscars (nominated for six), for Best Original Score and Best Song. Popularity for the film wasn’t reached until it aired on TV in 1956.
The snow seen in the poppy field scene was made of 100% industrial-grade asbestos.
“Over the Rainbow” was almost cut because studio head, Louis B. Mayer, thought the song was too sad. Producer, Mervyn LeRoy, threatened to quit the film if the song wasn’t included. Well, we know who won that fight.
A lot of people found love. Judy Garland’s daughter, Liza Minnelli, was married to Jack Haley’s son, Jack Haley Jr. from 1974-1979. 124 little people were employed to work in Munchkinland. Some formed lasting friendships, while others met their spouses while filming.
The Wizard of Oz used technicolor to create a fantasy world. The Technicolor process was complicated and expensive, but ingenious. As light entered the camera, it first passed through a prism which split it into three distinct light beams. Each beam favored a particular part of the light spectrum: red, green, or blue. Each beam was then captured on its own band of film. During processing, filmmakers passed each film band through the appropriately colored dye. When all three bands were stacked, the hues came together to create a convincing approximation of true color.
“We had enormous banks of lights overhead. We borrowed every unused arc light in Hollywood. It was brutally hot. People were always fainting and being carried off set,” said cinematographer Harold Rosson in the book The Making of the Wizard of Oz.
The upshot was that the film could create iconic imagery like the Yellow Brick Road, the ruby red slippers, and the green Emerald City. That wouldn’t have been possible, or at least wouldn’t have been as effective, without the benefit of Technicolor.
It was a gamble that didn’t immediately pay off. On release, The Wizard of Oz earned about $3 million at the box office. After accounting for production, marketing, and distribution, the studio lost more than a million dollars, despite almost universal acclaim. It didn’t break even until its re-release a decade later in 1949, but the long arc of history would be good to The Wizard of Oz. It’s the most watched movie of all time, according to the Library of Congress.
There seem to be a lot of articles online that purport that witches are real and many women profess to be real witches.
There is a very interesting story from the Bible in 1 Samuel 28 that tells of a time when King Saul’s enemies were coming up against him. King Saul wanted to know what to do so he prayed to God, but “the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets” because he had committed much evil and would not repent of his sins.
So, instead Saul had his servants take him to a woman who was “The Witch of Endor.” The Witch summoned Samuel even though he was dead. However she did it, it clearly was not of God. Then Saul asked Samuel what he should do. Here is Samuel’s reply:
15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.
16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?
17 And the Lord hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:
18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord . . . therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day.
19 Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.
This passage makes it clear that it is possible to access “magical” powers by some way that is not of God. If people are accessing powers that are not of God, of what power are they? There is only one other option. These people are messing around with powers they should not be touching.
The Salem Witch Trials occurred just as Europe’s “witchcraft craze’’ from the 14th to 17th centuries was winding down, where an estimated tens of thousands of European witches, mostly women, were executed.
The chilling mayhem unfolded during the winter of 1692 in Salem Village, now the town of Danvers, Massachusetts, when three girls allegedly having strange visions and fits were “diagnosed” with bewitchment by a doctor.
“Many modern theories suggest the girls were suffering from epilepsy, boredom, child abuse, mental illness, or even a disease brought on by eating rye infected with fungus,” according to The History of Massachusetts blog. Sheer vindictiveness is now considered a plausible explanation as well.
The girls blamed their odd behavior on three women considered social outcasts, including Tituba, a slave, whose confession may have been coerced. Soon a wave of witchcraft allegations throughout the year swept up more than 200 accused witches, including at least one child.
Local magistrates questioned the accused and determined whether any charges were to be brought against them. As paranoia spread, residents of Salem soon found themselves facing accusations from friends, neighbors, and families.
“Bearing false witness and committing perjury were considered felonies in Salem; under normal conditions, those convicted of such charges were prosecuted in public forums. During the witch trials, however, individuals convicted of perjury could save themselves from public humiliation by accusing their neighbors,” according to the First Amendment Encyclopedia.
During the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, more than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft. Twenty of those people were executed, most by hanging. One man was pressed to death under heavy stones, the only such state-sanctioned execution of its kind. Dozens suffered under inhumane conditions as they waited in jail for months without trials; many of the imprisoned were also tortured, and at least one died in jail before the hysteria abated in 1693.
So much of the tragedy of the Salem Witch Trials comes down to the failure of the court and the laws during that time: Laws that made such things as visions, dreams, and even the testimony of spirits permissible evidence. And a court that accepted accusations so flimsy they would seem laughable today if they weren’t so horrifyingly unjust . . .
Evidence points to several factors that may have contributed to the mass hysteria: “An influx of refugees from King William’s War with French colonists, a recent smallpox epidemic, the threat of attack from Native Americans, a growing rivalry with the neighboring seaport of Salem Town, and the simmering tensions between leading families in the community created the perfect storm of suspicion and resentment.” Many historians believe the “witches” were also victims of scapegoating, personal vendettas, and social mores against outspoken, strong women.
Of course, underpinning it all was the Puritans’ deeply held and extraordinarily influential religious beliefs—which were also central to their legal system.
In 1957, Massachusetts formally apologized for the events of 1692: “The General Court of Massachusetts declares its belief that such proceedings, even if lawful under the Province Charter and the law of Massachusetts as it then was, were and are shocking, and the result of a wave of popular hysterical fear of the Devil in the community . . .” The Massachusetts state legislature was still exonerating accused witches as recently as the early 2000s.
Today, the Salem Witch Trials continue to capture popular imagination. Less than 20 miles from Boston, Salem has turned its dark history into a thriving tourism industry, with witchcraft-themed shops, eateries, tours, and several museums.
The town commemorates the tragedy of that era with the Salem Witch Trial Memorial and has preserved many buildings and other historic sites associated with the trials, so future generations—and jurists—can learn how mass hysteria can lead to mass injustice.
Clearly, the concept of witches and magic are a fervent topic. Hopefully, we’ve learned real tragedies ensue when there’s mass hysteria.
Now it’s time for the review.
Playing the role of Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, Ariana Grande put on an unbelievable performance. We all know she can sing, but what I was stunned to watch is that she is an incredible actress. For me, the highlight of her acting was during the “Popular” sequence. She is absolutely hilarious. Every second she was on screen, she was clearly in character.
As for her singing, it was incredible, as we all expected. But there were a few times where I felt they had her singing a little too high. Don’t get me wrong, she hit the notes, but there comes a point where singing ultra ultra-high doesn’t sound so good. There is singing in the stratosphere, then singing beyond the stratosphere, and that’s where Ariana was. I thought it would’ve been better if they had dropped her highest notes by a third or a fifth. It only happens a couple times, so it’s really not that big of a deal.
Ariana was a ball of energy. She was constantly running (in high heels no less, which takes a ton of skill), singing, dancing, moving. She was all over the place. She must have been exhausted every night after filming. If not, I have to get on her diet.
Interesting Note:
“Popular” was the very first song they filmed when production began on Wicked over two years ago. And “Popular” is the song Ariana Grande sang during the audition process for the film, too.
In Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked, Ariana explained that when she heard that Wicked auditions were going to be happening, she attended voice and acting lessons to prepare.
“It’s so different, vocally, from what I usually sing,” she added.
Speaking about Ariana’s audition, director Jon M. Chu told the New York Times, “I was worried about the big façade of Ariana Grande, the performer. But when she came in with no makeup, all of that disappeared. She came in against big, big actors, and she was the most interesting person in the room.”
Since Glinda and Elphaba’s suite during the “Popular” scene was so small, director Jon M. Chu was actually hiding under Glinda’s bed, watching a monitor while Ariana performed certain moments of the iconic musical number.
In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Jon recalled a moment during one take when Ariana said, “We can see you, Jon,” because he wasn’t hidden well enough.
Ariana added in the same interview, “Jon [was] giggling under the bed.”
The only time Ariana had to be harnessed on wires for a stunt was when Glinda jumps on the banister of the suite’s balcony during “Popular.” Ariana fell off the banister once during a rehearsal, and she landed on a crash pad the stunt team had set up.
The moment in the middle of the musical number where Glinda tries to use her wand to change Elphaba’s outfit was shot over the course of five hours because Ariana kept improvising and making the moment “funnier and funnier.”
I loved watching Ariana Grande act and of course she is an incredibly talented singer. Ariana Grande deserves to win an Oscar for her performance in this movie. Without question, no actor or actress has put on a better performance this year than her. If she doesn’t win an Oscar, it’s an absolute tragedy. I can’t wait to watch her again in Wicked Part 2.
Ariana Grande Acting Performance:
9.9 A+ World-Class
Ariana Grande Singing Performance
9.5 A Excellent
Cynthia Erivo played Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. In fact, the name of the movie, Wicked, is named for Elphaba. So, Cynthia Erivo played the lead.
If you’re like me, you’re wondering, who is Cynthia Erivo?
Here’s her bio according to IMDB:
Cynthia Erivo is an English actress, singer, and songwriter. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Daytime Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, and a Tony Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Erivo began acting in a 2011 stage production of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. She gained recognition for starring in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple from 2015 to 2017, for which she won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. Erivo ventured into films in 2018, playing roles in the heist film Widows and the thriller Bad Times at the El Royale. For her portrayal of American abolitionist Harriet Tubman in the biopic Harriet (2019), Erivo received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress; she also wrote and performed the song “Stand Up” on its soundtrack, which garnered her a nomination in the Best Original Song category.
So, she’s been acting in movies and on Broadway, and she’s been singing herself to success.
She was very deserving of the role of Elphaba. Her acting is pretty good. Most of the time she is spot on throughout the movie. I thought she did a great job at the end of the movie. She was intense and purposeful, just like you would expect her character to be.
However, there were one or two big misses. There’s a point in the movie where she’s telling the story of why her sister’s legs don’t work, and she becomes matter-of-fact at the end. There is no emotion there whatsoever. She should’ve had the emotion but tried to hide it. That’s the acting gold and she really missed that.
There were some small things which primarily had to do with waiting on her screen partner to say their line instead of staying in character. Most people probably never recognized that, so it’s not too big of a deal.
But now I absolutely have to talk about her singing. When she starts singing her first song, “The Wizard and I” she takes the movie to another level. Her singing is really phenomenal. Seriously, the first time I watched the movie and heard her sing her first song, I was like, “Whoa! This is absolutely incredible.” She has several great songs throughout the movie. I absolutely love the way she sings, “I’m Not That Girl.” And of course, the last song in the movie, “Defying Gravity,” is incredibly powerful and Cynthia Erivo knocks it out of the park.
Cynthia Erivo has a few things to shore up in her acting, but I wouldn’t change a thing about her singing. Overall, Cynthia Erivo put on an unforgettable performance.
Cynthia Erivo Acting Performance:
8.0 B+ Very Good
Cynthia Erivo Singing Performance
9.9 A+ World-Class
Jeff Goldblum played the role of the Wizard of Oz. I thought he did a good job of being mysterious and bringing something different to the role than any other actor could. He really wasn’t in the movie much, but I felt he did a good job of playing his role.
Interesting Note:
Growing up in Pittsburgh—his father was a doctor, his mother a radio broadcaster—Jeff Goldblum kept his desire to be an actor hidden from others, believing he’d be ridiculed for it. To maintain his motivations, he would write affirmations on his glass shower door. “I’d write every morning, because I hadn’t told anyone, even my parents or friends, that I wanted to act, it was embarrassing or something, and I knew it was too important to me to have it be anything but a secret,” Goldblum told The Guardian in 2010. “But the door would steam up, I didn’t dare keep a diary or anything, and I’d write ‘Please God, let me be an actor,’ and then, before I left the shower, I would wipe it off.” After studying acting as a teen during the summer at Carnegie Mellon University, Goldblum moved to New York and got his big-screen break playing “freak number one” in 1974’s Death Wish.
Virile even before he achieved fame, Goldblum told UK television host Graham Norton that he once tried to procure the company of a prostitute at the age of 13. In order to afford the appointment, he stole five dollars from his father’s wallet. “I’d heard about the red-light district so I took five dollars from my dad’s wallet and went there,” he said. “I walked back and forth for a while and finally went in and picked a girl. On the way to the bedroom I said, ‘What time is it?’ I looked at my watch and said, ‘I’ve got to go but I will come back.’” He did not return.
Released in 1986, The Fly stands as one of the most viscerally-grueling experiences in the horror genre. As scientist Seth Brundle, whose DNA is intermingled with that of an insect, Goldblum articulates a horrifying transformation. Off-camera, he was having problems of his own. His then-girlfriend, Geena Davis, had been cast as Brundle’s love interest and Goldblum had real issues watching her perform in intimate scenes with actor John Getz. At one point, Goldblum was told to leave the set to deal with his reaction privately.
Jeff Goldblum is a very different kind of actor. He brings a completely different personality to the role that would not be there without him. Hopefully, he’ll be in the next one more and we’ll see what he brings to it.
Jeff Goldblum Performance Grade:
8.2 B+ Very Good
Michelle Yeoh played the Sorceress Madame Morrible who is Elphaba’s teacher. Michelle did a terrific job. She was always in character and helped to make the story feel real. There was nothing major she missed, but there were some minor things she could’ve done a bit better.
Michelle Yeoh Performance Grade:
8.8 A- Very Good
Jonathan Bailey played the role of Prince Fiyero. He brings a lot of energy and fun to the screen. His first (and only) song is very entertaining. The set they built for the library must have taken forever to make. It is very detailed and is an excellent space. Then they made great use of that space by all the singing and dancing. That scene is one of the highlights of the film (although there are many).
There other interesting thing about Prince Fiyero is his character introduces a love triangle between him, Glinda and Elphaba. Hopefully, we’ll get to find out what happens between them in the second movie.
Jonathan Bailey is a very good dancer, singer, and actor. He was definitely the right choice for the part.
Jonathan Bailey Acting Grade:
9.2 A Excellent
Jonathan Bailey Singing Grade:
9.5 A Excellent
There was a lot of terrific acting in this movie, led by Ariana Grande’s World-Class Performance. In particular, Glinda’s two best friends at the beginning of the movie both do a terrific job of acting and add a lot to the movie overall. Boq adds important meaning to the storyline. Plus, Peter Dinklage does a great job at playing Doctor Dillamond. I think everyone did a great job.
Overall Acting Grade:
9.2 A Excellent
With the star Ariana Grande and powerhouses Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey, the singing in this movie is excellent. There are quite a few others who sing short solo pieces throughout the movie and some of them are pretty good while others are not quite as good.
But overall, the singing in this movie is a dream.
Singing Overall
9.1 A Excellent
The plot was a lot of fun. There are several twists and turns. And there is an interesting relationship arc between Elphaba and Glinda. At no time does it ever feel like the movie is moving slow. It moves at a very good pace and keeps your interest all throughout.
Plot Grade:
7.5 B Good
The dialogue is another area where this movie shines. There’s a ton of fun dialogue—comedy and witty banter, as well as some meaningful dialogue. It would be a difficult task to write dialogue that is much better than what you’ll find in Wicked.
Dialogue Grade:
8.7 A- Very Good
When you have a good plot and very good dialogue plus an interesting relationship arc, it makes for a great story. There’s no wonder Wicked was such a hit on Broadway for many years. It is a full interesting and entertaining story from beginning to end.
Writing Overall:
8.2 B+ Very Good
I can’t say enough about the music. The songs in this movie have been hits for years. In fact, I read some movie theaters had to tell people to stop singing the songs haha. Then you back that up with World-Class singers like Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. This movie is an audiophile’s delight. Great music, great singing. A pure joy from beginning to end.
Music Grade:
9.4 A Excellent
The Cinematography in this movie was absolutely incredible. It was the best Cinematography I’ve ever seen. Most Directors of Photography are male, but Alice Brooks breaks the mold by being an incredible female Director of Photography. Together with the Director, Jon M. Chu, their vision and execution of the cinematography for this movie is second to none. I love how they constantly introduce motion and creativity into their shots. The camera is often moving, then settling in just perfect. The way they shot this movie is exactly how I would want to shoot my movies (when I get to make them!).
There are a lot of shots I love, but my favorite shots are actually at the beginning of the movie.
At one point, they light on fire a super tall wooden version of the Wicked Witch. While the wooden version of the Wicked Witch is on fire, there are two shots from maybe 150 feet (45 meters) in the air looking straight down as the female dancers are spinning in perfect unison around it with their dresses spinning outward. They are just incredible shots.
Another shot I loved is while the wooden Wicked Witch is on fire, Ariana Grande is singing super high at the end of the song and the shot moves from left to right on a crane while being focused on Ariana and moving in an arc around the fire and pulling up and out all while keeping Ariana Grande in focus. That is the greatest shot of the movie. It’s absolutely spectacular.
All-in-all, Alice Brooks and Jon M. Chu did an amazing job with the cinematography. There is no doubt in my mind, Alice Brooks deserves an Oscar for Best Cinematography after seeing her work on this movie. She is now at the very top of my list once I start making movies and am looking to hire a Director of Photography. You will probably never see me give out this high of a grade for Cinematography in the future.
Cinematography Grade:
10.0 A+ World-Class
The directing on this movie is top-notch. There can be no doubt that Jon M. Chu is a musical film genius. I have a ton to talk about what he and his team did.
First, we have to talk about The Sets. There are 4-6 multi-million dollar sets in this movie. For instance, take the library during Prince Fiyero’s song. They had to build that entire set. From the chess pieces in the walls, to the intricate painting, to the rotating levers the actors were jumping on and off. It was an unbelievable set.
But there were others. The town in Munchinkland, Shiz University, The Emerald City, and of course the Wizard’s palace (including the Wizard’s huge moving face). It had to take a ton of man hours to make each set. Now I know Jon M. Chu didn’t make any of those sets personally, but he had to give the Production Designer the vision. His Production Designer, Nathan Crowley, did an unbelievable job. The level of difficulty and the level of detail of the sets was the very first thing I noticed when watching the movie the first time. Good luck seeing another movie that has that many interesting, different, and detailed sets. Jon M. Chu, the Production Designer, and the Construction Crew really brought us to Oz by all of the incredible sets.
If Nathan Crowley doesn’t win the Oscar for Best Production Design, it’ll be an absolute shame. I can’t think of any movie that has ever come close to this movie in terms of Set Design.
This is what a musical should be. There were many scenes that had 50-100 dancers. To have to choreograph all that and then choreograph the camera movement along with it takes a ton of work and time. Then, with the scene at the Emerald City you have what felt like roughly 200 dancers. It was all just incredible. Wicked was a show. It was an absolute show.
To go along with the dancers were all the costumes. In several of the dance scenes, there were 50-100 dancers each with a different costume. My favorite was the Emerald City dance scene. There were probably 200 or more dancers, each with a different green costume. You can’t just get all those costumes at some store. Those costumes have to be handmade and customized to every single person. I realize Jon M. Chu didn’t do that himself, but he gave the vision to his Costume Designer, Paul Tazewell, who delivered in an unbelievable way. The level of detail and variety in the costumes was incredible. Once again, all I can say is Wicked was a show.
If Paul Tazewell doesn’t win the Oscar for Best Costume Design, it’ll be a shame.
You can see how much care and attention a Film Director gives a movie by the transitions from one scene to another. There were some interesting transitions in this movie. For instance, in the beginning, there was a camera shot that moved past Glinda, to the yellow brick road and flowers, then gradually began to blend to a shot underwater that comes up out of the water and shows Glinda (when she’s younger) then the pathway to Shiz University. It’s a heck of a transition and shows that Jon M. Chu knew exactly what he wanted and did a great job of switching from one scene to another.
There are several other interesting transitions that I honestly learned from and that I’ll be applying once I get to make my movies.
Jon M. Chu had an incredible vision for what he wanted to accomplish. Over and over again, the level of detail in every aspect of the movie is off the charts. Wicked is an absolute treat. Jon M. Chu got an incredibly talented cast and crew to surround him and bring his vision to life. If Jon M. Chu doesn’t win the Oscar for Best Director, it’ll be a tragedy.
Directing Overall:
10.0 A+ World-Class
As a PG movie, Wicked is very family-friendly. There are no cuss words or sex scenes. But it does briefly show a woman cheating on her husband.
Overall, Wicked is the best movie of 2024 and it’s not even close. Furthermore, in my opinion, Wicked is the best musical of all time (although to be fair I’ve never seen La La Land) and it is easily in the top 20 movies of all time. For me, Wicked is a shoe-in to win the Oscar for Best Movie of the year.
Wicked Overall:
9.1 A Excellent
Obviously, if you don’t like musicals, Wicked isn’t for you.
But for everyone else:
Adrian Harris is a writer, author, and business owner. He hopes to soon open his own movie studio and become a movie producer, director, and actor. Read Adrian’s Bio.
Adrian Harris is a writer, author, and business owner. He hopes to soon open his own movie studio and become a movie producer, director, and actor. Read Adrian’s Bio.
*Comedy Short Story
Adrian parked the car in the driveway as he and his beautiful wife, Hannah, arrived at home. As they got out of the car, Hannah looked at the blooming flowers in their garden then at their two-story house, “It’s good to be home.”
Starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Chris Evans, Red One is a story about a kidnapped Santa Claus and the journey to rescue him. Essentially, it’s an action Christmas movie.
Feminism today says it’s all about empowering women. But is that really the case? In this article I’ll take a close look at the ideologies, goals, and positions of Feminism today and assess their impact and consequences on women and their children, as well as men.
