As a seasoned movie buff with over three decades of film-watching under my belt, I must say that Wicked has truly left me spellbound! Coming from someone who’s seen musical adaptations ranging from the sublime (Les Misérables) to the downright bizarre (Cats), I can confidently say that Wicked is a breath of fresh air.
This week, Wicked was unveiled with lofty anticipation, and remarkably, it’s exceeding all expectations following a jaw-dropping 96% Tomatometer rating from critics and near-perfect 99% approval from audiences. Typically, musical films, whether derived from stage productions or original creations, fail to impress movie critics. However, recent adaptations like the movie version of Cats have made many film studios and creators shy away from musicals entirely. Yet, Wicked is successfully redefining this trend.
Initially, many spectators held numerous doubts about the film, making it appear almost destined for failure within the musical-to-film genre. However, factors such as the extended length of this year’s first part compared to the entire Broadway show, Ariana Grande‘s casting, and Jon M. Chu’s previous box office flop with In the Heights were all cited by longtime fans of the Oz witches tale as reasons for Wicked being doomed to be a tear-jerking disaster. Yet, so far, all these predictions have been proven incorrect.
Since the ban on reviews has been lifted, there’s been an overwhelming wave of acclaim for the movie from all sides. The acting of Grande and her costar Cynthia Erivo has garnered some of the most glowing praise seen in a musical adaptation, and it’s widely believed that Wicked could potentially become the finest stage-to-screen adaptation ever made.
Wicked Reviews for Wicked
Wicked surpasses numerous contemporary musical films that have garnered Oscars and shattered box office records, including La La Land (91%) and The Greatest Showman (86%). It also outranks other successful adaptations like Les Misérables (70%), while it’s a completely different league from the poorly received Cats (19%).
Donald Clarke from the Irish Times started off his review by pointing out that initial concerns about the casting appear foolish when one realizes how perfectly they fit together. David Fear from Rolling Stone further emphasized this, stating that when Erivo delivers that pivotal moment and etches her name into Oz’s history books on a broomstick, for an instant, it feels as if there’s no place more captivating than being right beside her. Not even home comes close.
Yet, there’s a significant issue with the film, an aspect that Eddie Harrison from film-authority.com could elucidate.
Despite ending with a spectacular and unforgettable number titled ‘Defying Gravity’, it’s frustrating that the performance of Chu’s exceptional musical fantasy ‘Wicked’ comes to a halt, not just for an intermission, but for a full year.
Among the greatest accolades a movie can receive is leaving audiences yearning for the following year to see its conclusion, and Wicked is certainly one of those films that has achieved this effect. With everyone eagerly anticipating the continuation of the Oz story, it seems Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II might want to watch its back this weekend.
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2024-11-20 00:01