What could be described as the biggest cinematic event of the year, and maybe even the biggest cinematic musical of the decade, has finally arrived on the big screen. Sending theatre kids everywhere into an unsustainable state of excitement that they could live off for. a lifetime (or at least until part two releases).
In 2003, the world was introduced to the first on-stage adaptation of Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel, 'Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West'. But seeing as though this title seemed way too long to squeeze onto the front page of any newspaper, the birth of 'Wicked' took place.
Just a mere 21 years later and fans are treated to the first on-screen adaptation of the multi-award winning musical that has taken the theatre world by storm following it's original Broadway debut.
This time around, original cast members Kristen Chenoweth and Idina Menzel have been swapped out for the talented duo of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. And rightly so.
The two actresses deliver a pair of brilliant performances as the forever iconic Glinda and Elphaba - putting down a strong statement for being considered amongst some of the best on-screen musical performances of recent years.
Grande is perfect in what seems to be her dream role of Glinda, showing to her few doubters that she is more than capable of showing off her clear acting abilities, as well as her successful music career. Whereas Erivo delivers an exceptional and heartfelt performance as Elphaba, one that will emotionally stay with some audience members for a very long time.
And whilst our two lead actresses steal the show and refuse to give it back with their two portrayals of the iconic duo, Jonathan Bailey is nothing short of delightful and entertaining to watch throughout his limited amount of screen time. Every time Fiyero was on screen, audience members couldn't help but want the scene to never end. It will be exciting to see what Bailey can do with an extended involvement when part two comes around in 2025.
The production design team that were handed the near-impossible task of physically bringing the land of Oz to life certainly rise above every standard that was expected of them. From the colourful fields of flowers to the dazzling Emerald City, the production design on this film deserves every accolade it may or may not receive and is a true testament to Jon M. Chu's vision for this film.
One area in which the decisive minds behind this film succeeded is within their reluctancy to even attempt to alter any aspect of the musical when transferring it to screen. To make changes to any aspect of the story, whether it be musical numbers, plot points, character traits etc. would have been a big mistake.
This film is an on-screen remake of the broadway musical, not an adaptation, and nor should it be. The blatant attempt at trying to make the two pieces of art as similar as possible deserves to be applauded.
Although the idea behind splitting the origin story of the Wicked Witch of the West into two parts is nothing short of bold, it will certainly pay off in the long run. The fact that this film possesses a run time of over 160 minutes alone, just shows that fitting the story into one feature would have been near impossible.
The two-part factor also allows 'Wicked' to be shown not only as a singular feature, but a year-long cinematic event that will leave audience members of the first in eager anticipation to see the story finished. But unfortunately we will have to wait 12 months to witness that.
Ultimately, 'Wicked: Part One' is a cinematic masterpiece and certainly pays true homage to the Broadway musical that has been gracing the stage for over two decades. It's only real flaw materialises through it's 2 hours and 40 minute run time, but other than that, this film is a cinematic event that can't go missed.
PrimeTime Films Score: B+
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