REVIEW: Wicked (2024)
Review By Liam Herschall — NewsTime News
There is no denying the sheer ambition of Wicked (2024), Jon M. Chu’s cinematic adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical. From Cynthia Erivo’s commanding performance as Elphaba to the kaleidoscopic brilliance of the Emerald City, the film is a triumph of production design and heartfelt storytelling. Ariana Grande’s Glinda strikes just the right balance of charm and vanity, while the film’s themes of prejudice, power, and friendship feel as timely as ever.
But I must ask—what happened to all the stupidity? The bumbling, oblivious, hopelessly gullible citizens of Oz? I mean, that’s the whole deal with Oz. In The Wizard of Oz, we’re introduced to a land where people believe a con man with a hot air balloon is a god. They can’t figure out basic directions without breaking into a song about it. Where was that Oz in this film?
Visually, the movie captures Oz in stunning detail, with lush greens, gleaming golds, and whimsical architecture that would make any Munchkin proud. The sweeping musical numbers, especially Defying Gravity, are jaw-dropping feats of spectacle and sound. And yet, throughout this glittering masterpiece, I kept waiting for someone—anyone—to display even a glimmer of the dimwitted innocence that defines the people of Oz. Instead, they were… competent? Thoughtful? Emotionally aware? What is this place? It’s like doing Middle Earth with just humans.
Take the citizens of the Emerald City. In the original Wizard of Oz, these are people who built their entire lives around the words of a floating green head without once questioning where the voice was coming from. Yet here, we’re presented with a city full of sharp-eyed individuals and nuanced political intrigue. In one scene, a group of Ozites debates animal rights with genuine rhetorical skill. I’m sorry, what? These are people who, in the original story, had a panic attack over a lion walking down the street. Now they’re organizing committees? Where’s the joyful simplicity that makes Oz Oz?
Even the musical numbers betray this revisionist take. Songs like “ What Is This Feeling?” and “ No One Mourns the Wicked” are gorgeously performed, but the lyrics are almost… too clever. Too self-aware. I wanted rhyming nonsense. I wanted a chorus of people confidently stating provably false information as if it were gospel. Instead, the film gives us characters with actual depth and relatable motivations. It was disorienting and frankly, a little elitist.
The performances are undeniably stellar. Erivo brings a grounded vulnerability to Elphaba, and Grande’s comedic timing as Glinda is impeccable. Their chemistry is magnetic. And yet, I couldn’t fully enjoy their journey because every time they interacted with another character, that character displayed… logic. Empathy. A basic understanding of context clues. By the time the mob formed at the climax, it wasn’t a crowd of irrational sheep but a group of people whose fear of Elphaba felt uncomfortably justified. That’s not Oz! Oz is supposed to be a land where you could convince everyone the sun is green if you said it with enough confidence.
Ultimately, Wicked (2024) is a beautiful film that hits all the right emotional notes but tragically misses the point of its setting. Oz isn’t supposed to be a land of complex moral questions and layered character arcs. It’s supposed to be a place where nobody has a single critical thought in their head. As I left the theater, I couldn’t help but wonder what happened to the land I once loved, a place where scarecrows without brains and men made of tin fit right in. Instead, we’ve been given a smarter, sharper Oz. And frankly, I like the first one that made me feel superior to all the citizens of an entire land way better.
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