Wicked for Good
On re-reading our review of the first movie I was reminded that I liked it more than I expected since it’s based on a Broadway super musical and an improvement – a big one – over the terrible book that was based on a nearly hundred year old movie based on some hard core children’s books from the very early 1900s. Quite the pedigree and I sometimes wonder what Baum would think of it. I was also tempted to take a bit of a poll of the many children and even parents in the crowded Tuesday afternoon theater CFR and I saw it in. How many of them have ever seen the very old movie starring Dorothy instead of the witches?
This film begins (after a very nifty trailer for The Devil Wears Prada 2) around the end of the first movie. Elphaba has been scorched by the evil propaganda wizard Morrible, making all the gullible Oz inhabitants hate her. Galinda, said once by Morrible with wonderfully understated sarcasm, really wants her dearest friend back and tries to broker a deal to end hostilities. Events unfold in sort of the way they do in the original movie, only with much deeper dives into the histories and passions of characters who were peripheral back in the day. I very much enjoyed seeing how the power plays behind the technicolor 1930s film played out. Even better, the film isn’t too long. It moves along at a pretty good clip and I didn’t notice feeling like it lags at any point.
Still, there is a lot of time to show the emotional arcs of several characters, most especially Galinda, who is really torn between wishing for nirvana, loyalty to the Wizard and Oz, and her love for Elphaba, who I still see as a good friend with no sapphic overtones. I loved how everyone rolled their eyes at Dorothy, the rube, and how peripheral to the real story she is here. There is a ton of raw emotion displayed, and not a little violence. The original books were pretty rough in places, so the story has come full circle in a hundred and twenty-five years. One of the things I wanted to ask the girls in my exit poll was how much did they realize this movie is so much harsher than the first one?
CFR and I parted ways in a nearly heated discussion about whether or not the Wizard has a redemption arc in this film. I said yes, she said no. We hugged it out.* And we did agree that the origin stories of Dorothy’s companions are all much sadder than the original movie, and I know she was as teary eyed as me during the last song between Elphaba and Galinda. I was surprised by that, as I am historically unaffected by musical numbers. Their last song was the best one of the movie, I thought, and massively heartfelt. Kudos to the actresses for their musical artistry and acting. I did feel like it didn’t take as much for their last number to be the best, as overall the music isn’t as strong as the first film. The color is a shade more muted as well.
The biggest problem with the film, which we agreed on while leaving the theater, is that because of the plot, Elphaba and Galinda don’t spend enough time together. The filmmakers tried to make opportunities for them to be together but there just wasn’t enough of it. Like any kind of theatrical production the second half of the play, after the intermission, is almost always weaker than the first half. Their relationship is a big strength of the first movie, and even knowing they were separated, I was surprised how much it sapped power from the plot.
Overall, I’m happy to have seen both parts of the story in the theater, thanks CFR! The first film is stronger, more colorful, a lot of fun and only harsh at the very end. This time there are predictably weaker plot points, though the character arcs were super well done, the music was a tad weaker, the film isn’t as colorful, and there’s some heavy stuff that goes down that may be hard for more sensitive viewers to watch. I was unhappy with one part of the very end, and gleeful about another part. I hope you get to see it in the theater, as this is the kind of film that must be seen in that environment. I never saw the original film that way – I’m not THAT old! – but I hope to remedy that someday. I also wonder how seeing Wicked will affect my viewing of the original, should I ever encounter it again.
LINKS:
CFR: In Addition
Love, love, love this movie. Wow.
First I must echo that I am so glad I saw this with Cranky. It completed the circle for me as we saw the first one together. I really wanted to see this with her and yay I did!
I have a lot to say about this movie because I really enjoyed it. Glad and Cranky said so many of the points I thought! I’ll now give my two big thoughts.
First: Frozen Style Story. Ok, this is just my marker and now I will explain. A Frozen story happens when the heroine, or heroines, find themselves. The journey of the movie is not to get a man – it is to find themselves. I noticed this when I first saw Frozen. I am enjoying seeing this more often.
This story happens for both of our heroines. Elphaba and Glinda come home to themselves and it is good. I would say this is more true for Glinda. Well done, Ariana Grande for your posture and attitude change when Glinda FINALLY embraces being good. It was Glorious! Cynthia Erivo: Huzzah as well. I loved that , for me, Elphaba got to relax. She was done fighting – at least for this part of her life in this struggle.
You could also say that Fiyero Jonathan Bailey, found himself as well.
I liked it.
Second Most Erotic Cinema Moment in History: The duet between Elphaba and Fiyero, “As Long As You’re Mine.”: Oh. My. Wow. That was so hot.
Hawt.
Now granted Cynthia Erivo has CHARISMA and therefore can pull off anything required of her. Her subtle, hesitant passion and fear was wow. She was so vulnerable as Elphaba and it was beautiful.
Jonathan Bailey…. Well have you seen him in Bridgerton where his character, Anthony Bridgerton, desires Kathani “Kate” Sharma. His look at her is hot. That is all this man needs. Also Kate, played by Simone Ashley, is equally hot although restrained. So I think that one of Mr. Bailey’s acting gifts is portraying hot desire that comes off of the screen and well… I’ll just leave it at that.
One of the funniest things I have read is people complaining about that “love scene.” The characters never take off their clothes and show NO skin. Elphaba removes her coat and wraps herself in a shawl – still in her dress/skirt. Fiyero only takes off his jacket. If an audience member found this to be disturbing and inappropriate, I will say… Welcome to Hawtness.
*We always do. 🙂
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