“Wicked” is defying the odds of big-screen adaptations, charming a wide swath of critics and audiences alike ahead of flying into theaters this Friday.
The first part of Jon M. Chu’s hotly anticipated take on the beloved Tony-winning musical tells the story of Oz, the supposed Wicked Witch of the West (better known in this story as Elphaba) and Glinda the Good Witch before Dorothy was brought in on a tornado.
Two-time Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande star as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, in the roles originated on stage in 2003 by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth.
Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh and Oscar nominee Jeff Goldblum also star, the former reuniting with her “Crazy Rich Asians” director.
At the time of publication, “Wicked” boasts a 92% “certified fresh” critical approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The audience approval rating currently sits at 99%.
“This isn’t high drama, but it is high entertainment,” said the Arizona Republic, praising in particular Grande’s “impressive” comic timing.
For those who might fear they’re wasting their time, as this nearly three-hour flick covers just the first half of the “Wizard of Oz” prequel, Entertainment Weekly assured readers it feels “like a complete story.”
While TheWrap said the movie “sometimes captures that rare cinematic feeling: enchantment,” Chicago Tribune argued that much of “the magic … remains stubbornly unmagical.”
BBC.com‘s 3/5 star review added that the film “doesn’t take flight,” lacking “the terrific jokes, the startling twists or the stunning dance routines” of its stage predecessor.
“It’s weighed down by under-developed subplots… as well as by its own sense of self-importance,” said the outlet.
The Boston Globe bemoaned the “visually unappealing” style, and the film’s inability to “handle the tonal shifts.
“Authoritarianism and broad comedy make strange and uneasy bedfellows,” said the paper.
That “extraordinary, almost overwhelming” visual aesthetic is just one element that makes the film sparkle though, says Empire Magazine. The outlet, which afforded “Wicked” a 4/5, said “the real magic” lies in Erivo and Grande’s chemistry.
Those takeaways were shared by Vanity Fair, which hailed the film’s “unreproducible, lightning in a bottle convergences — of director, stars, craftspeople, and high-status material.”