As of November 22nd, 2024, the new Wicked movie has hit theaters! This is only the first half of the movie. With a total running time of two hours and forty minutes (the same time as the Broadway play), the movie has already caught the attention of Wicked lovers everywhere. This makes people wonder if the second half of the movie will have the same running time, or a longer one. The cast has many beloved singers and actors such as Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldbum, and many more. Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth (the original Elhpie and Glinda) even make a special appearance during the movie. This shocked many Wicked fans everywhere.
The movie had some mixed reviews before opening night. Some critics had their concerns about the cast, as they felt some people didn’t fit the roles well enough. After opening night, it is clear that everyone in the cast fits their roles perfectly. One in particular is Ariana Grande who started her career on Broadway. People thought Grande wasn’t going to portray Glinda well enough. After seeing the movie, it is clear that she fits the role of Glinda perfectly. She brings Glinda’s sassiness, ditsyness, and cheerfulness to a perfection.
The movie showcases the importance of friendship and kindness. Elphie and Glinda don’t start out as friends. The two hate each other to begin with. Glinda has a problem, as well as others, with Elphie, simply because she is green. After seeing how much Elphie is bullied, Glinda makes a change for the better, and starts to realize how much her words and actions affect others. Glinda is seen as “the popular girl” at Shiz. Because of this, everything she does, sticks. After she starts to become friends with Elphie, everyone else starts to realize she’s just the same as them, and they become nicer to her. Glinda decides she wants to make Elphie more popular, and she gives her advice. After this scene, Elphie tells Glinda why she’s green, and why people, like her father, have a problem with her. This touches Glinda’s heart, and she starts to feel even more sorrow for Elphie. The movie ends on Act I, the same way the play does. Elphie and Glinda take a trip to Oz to meet with the Wizard, where Elphie starts to learn the true intentions of the Wizard and Madame Morrible. After realizing these intentions are nothing she believes in, Elphie decides it’s time to show her true self, and she starts to “Defy Gravity”.
Senior Veronica Mulhern saw the Broadway version of Wicked before the movie. Mulhern loved the movie and even cried a little during it. Wicked has many lovable characters, but for Mulhern, one shines above the rest. “My favorite character in the Broadway production is Elphaba,” said Mulhern. She is smart, cunning, and cares about others and the animals. In the movie, I love Galinda. She is absolutely hilarious.”
Expectations for the film were high for many, as the movie had been talked about for years prior, while others didn’t feel like there should be such high expectations. Mulhern also felt that, “I had low expectations because I didn’t know how they were gonna stretch the movie to be 2 1/2 hours. It didn’t feel that long at all.” The movie was split into two different movies, because it was too long to make into one movie, with the running time of the first movie being the same as the Broadway version. “I’m indifferent on the matter.” Mulhern didn’t have too many concerns when it came to the movie. “I just didn’t think they were going to do it justice. Wicked means so much to me that I was just scared it wasn’t going to be all that good. it really blew me away.”
Senior Maddy Bernecker saw the movie but has not seen the Broadway version of Wicked. Bernecker just started to like Wicked last year. “I think the casting is fire,” states Bernecker. Since Bernecker just started to like the play, she didn’t know what to fully expect for the film. “I thought it would make more references to The Wizard of Oz and it didn’t.” Like all movies, the movie has its flaws. ”My main concern was the visuals of the film because the green looked kinda tacky on Cynthia,” Bernecker said. Similar to Mulhern, Bernecker has her favorite character: “Glinda because she’s relatable.”
If you want to experience an amazing story of friendship, take a trip to your local theater and see the new Wicked movie!
