'Wicked' Review

Wicked has been making arounds and creating waves worldwide! The hit-musical, movie adaptation has certainly opened eyes to what theatre fans have been worshipping for nearly two decades. How did the film shape up to the stage? Let's take a look:

Plot 8/10
Acting 8/10
Directing 4/10
Writing 9/10
Cinematography 4/10
Soundtrack 10/10
Effects 9/10
Lighting 1/10
Color 3/10
Emotional Impact 9/10

Overall: 65/100

It's safe to say that the film wasn't really my favorite thing. In full honesty, I did really enjoy my time watching the film and it didn't feel nearly as long as it's listed run-time; however, the press tour and the buzz around it has somewhat soured my outlook on the finished product. Those things didn't impact the lower score, though. There are certain things that I had a hard time looking past when it came to the technical sides of this film. Jon M. Chu is a really, REALLY unfortunate director. I think as a producer and marketer, he's stellar. But what he does behind the camera should put him into director jail for eternity. From the lighting, coloring, and cutting up 'Defying Gravity' into multiple segments, he really failed this story where other directors could've made it a true Best Picture contender. Ariana Grande is good as Glinda, but it's safe to say she's being severely overhyped. With that I'll say that Cynthia Erivo is being severely under hyped for her performance. In my opinion, she should be the one getting most of the praise for this film. The supporting cast is good, not incredible, but not bad. Obviously the plot, soundtrack, and writing come mostly from Stephen Schwartz's genius which holds up in the movie just as it did on stage. The practical pieces are beautiful, if only they had any semblance of color and not dingbat lighting ideas (the lighting is THAT bad). But in the end, it's a beautiful story with a great message and a KILLER soundtrack. Lot's of nominations for this on the way, maybe a couple technical wins but I don't think they'll make the push for any of the acting, directing, or picture wins.

Thanks for Sitting on the Sidelines!

Zeke H. Bennett