Universal Pictures’ ambitious “Wicked” adaptation lands somewhere between defying gravity and falling flat. The first installment of this two-part spectacle — hitting theaters just as Broadway continues its post-pandemic renaissance — proves that even the most beloved musicals can stumble in their journey from stage to screen.
Let’s address the elephant (or perhaps the flying monkey) in the room: splitting the story into two features. Director Jon M. Chu claims it’s about preserving the narrative, but there’s something oddly unsatisfying about waiting until November 2025 for the conclusion. Remember how Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit” trilogy felt stretched thinner than butter over too much bread? Yeah, it’s giving those vibes.
The production values, though? Absolutely spectacular. Paul Tazewell’s costume design deserves every bit of buzz it’s generating. His work transforms Elphaba and Glinda’s wardrobes into visual storytelling masterpieces — we’re talking next-level artistry that’ll have cosplayers scratching their heads for years to come.
But here’s where things get complicated. The film seems caught between two worlds (much like its emerald-skinned protagonist). While Cynthia Erivo delivers a powerhouse performance as Elphaba, something gets lost in the translation from stage to screen. Maybe it’s the absence of that electric live-theater energy, or perhaps it’s the CGI-heavy approach to the animal characters that feels… well, a bit too sanitized.
Speaking of unnecessary additions — what’s with that Dorothy cameo? The movie opens with a glimpse of our ruby-slippered friend skipping down the Yellow Brick Road, a choice that feels about as organic as a plastic Christmas tree. The stage version never needed this kind of narrative hand-holding, and neither does the film.
Then there’s the departure from Gregory Maguire’s darker source material. Sure, the musical already took liberties with the book’s ending, but the film seems determined to sand down any remaining rough edges. Gone is the novel’s stark finality, replaced with something more palatable for mainstream audiences — though whether that’s a creative choice or a studio mandate remains anybody’s guess.
The wait for “Wicked: For Good” (seriously, who approved that subtitle?) stretches ahead like the Yellow Brick Road itself. With streaming services churning out content faster than Glinda can say “popular,” it’s bold of Universal to expect audiences to maintain enthusiasm through a year-long intermission. Then again, “Avatar” fans waited over a decade, so maybe patience isn’t completely dead in Hollywood.
What emerges is neither triumph nor disaster but something far more interesting — a glossy, occasionally brilliant, sometimes frustrating reminder that adaptation is an art form all its own. Whether this first installment justifies the two-part approach remains to be seen. For now, it’s a reminder that even the most carefully crafted magic can’t always capture the spontaneous enchantment of live theater.
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