Wicked: Part 1 (2024, PG)

Buckle up, this one’s gonna get wordy!

Okay, so like many a weird theatre kid who was 16 in 2003, I went through a Wicked phase in high school. I remember being bowled over when I first heard the demo of Idina Menzel singing “The Wizard and I.” RENT and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown were two of the first musicals I ever really obsessed over, so the casting was tailor-made for me. There was a period when I wrote down lyrics from “Defying Gravity” on basically everything. But in that space between “The Wizard and I” and the show coming out, I read the book, and that actually became my primary Wicked focus at the time. I liked the cast recording, and I loved the cast and certain songs from it, but I thought the story felt watered-down compared to the book.

Fast-forward to the various announcements in the run-up to the movie. I loved Jon M. Chu’s work in Crazy Rich Asians and thought he directed the hell out of the musical numbers in In the Heights. The casting choices ranged from “I’m so here for this” to “ooh, interesting!” to “not sure, but I’m prepared to be convinced.” Hearing that the vocals were being recorded live gave me bad Les Misérables flashbacks, and when word came that it was being split into two movies, my prevailing thought was, “Why?”

But the movie’s here now, and I am so in this. I’m so in this! My excitement ramped up as the first critics’ comments and fan reactions were coming out, and (impatiently) waiting for a non-crowded showing I could attend just increased the anticipation. I’ve seen it twice now and might see it at least once more before it leaves the theaters, and I’ve been listening to the soundtrack on repeat. I’ve revisited, then surpassed my teenage appreciation for this musical. Wicked: Part 1 has seized my brain and won’t go.

All right now, backing up a bit:

What’s It About?

When Elphaba is born entirely green, her inexplicable color creates a wall between her and nearly everyone she encounters. At Shiz University, she clashes with perfect, particular Galinda, an eager would-be sorceress. Elphaba has grown up with the need to reject other people’s poor opinions of her, while Galinda cares about nothing more than what people think. But as Elphaba is thrust headlong into a confounding social setting, she’s also awakened to troubling goings-on with the Animal population in Oz, and she’s determined to help somehow.

Who’s in It?

As I said, Jon M. Chu is steering the ship as the director, and the cast is packed with talent. I still remember the first time I heard Cynthia Erivo sing “I’m Still Here” from The Color Purple, and she’s breathtaking as Elphaba: prickly, vulnerable, guardedly loving. Her “Defying Gravity” is every bit the phenomenon it should be. I should’ve never doubted Ariana Grande for a second. As Galinda, she matches Erivo pound for pound. She’s delightfully funny and knocks the singing out of the park, and her performance really captures the complexity behind Galinda’s need for popularity and being seen as a good person. The two of them together truly are “unlimited.” I’ve liked Jonathan Bailey since I saw him play a cool oneshot character on Twelve-era Doctor Who, and he’s incredible here. His performance makes me get the musical’s version of Fiyero in a way I never have before, and his “Dancing Through Life” instantly catapulted Bailey into platonic-crush territory for me.

So much to say here that I’m busting out a second paragraph! Michelle Yeoh is just such an interesting choice for Madame Morrible, and although she’s probably the weakest singer in the film, she gets through her brief bit of singing just fine and delivers some fantastic acting in a really unique take on the character. In her interactions with Galinda, her Madame Morrible brings some definite Eleanor Young energy, but in fabulous fantasy gowns and wigs! Jeff Goldblum does a nice job as the Wizard, nailing the flashy-showman aspect and drawing you in with his kookiness and warmth. Then we’ve got CGI Peter Dinklage as the literal Goat, Dr. Dillamond. He voices the character with such honesty, and I thought his singing sounded pretty darn good on “Something Bad.”  I’m not familiar with Ethan Slater or Marissa Bode, but they both do well with Boq and Nessarose.

What’s It Nominated For?

Wicked: Part 1 got ten nominations:

·        Best Picture

·        Best Leading Actress – Cynthia Erivo

·        Best Supporting Actress – Ariana Grande

·        Best Original Score

·        Best Editing

·        Best Production Design

·        Best Costume Design

·        Best Hair & Makeup

·        Best Sound

·        Best Visual Effects

What Do I Love About It?

Oh my god, all the things! I’ve already gushed about the singing, acting, and character work. I have so much more to say about this movie in future posts, so I won’t list a bunch of things now. I’ll just say this:

I would categorize this as a perfect movie, the same way I do School of Rock. Not to say that either is the greatest movie ever made, or that either is flawless, because that isn’t true. But both are perfect because they are exactly what they set out to be. Wicked: Part 1 is 100% itself and absolutely nails it. It’s magical and funny and heartbreaking. It has soaring vocals and fantastic choreography. The costumes, the sets, the orchestrations—it all works together so well to make Wicked: Part 1 what it is.

Warnings

Mild violence, scary scenes for kids, mild sensuality, drinking, and thematic elements.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014, PG-13)

 

While I don’t think Mockingjay needed to be split into two films, I’m pleased with the overall effect.  Unlike other Part 1 movies I could name, it feels like a complete film on its own, with no prevailing sense that it’s just set-up for next year’s main attraction.  It doesn’t drag, but moves along at a good pace while allowing a little extra time for color and character moments – though I think Catching Fire is excellent, plenty of good stuff from it feels rushed or short-changed.

 

It’s impossible to talk specifically about any Hunger Games installment without spoiling earlier twists, so my discussion of the general premise will spoil a few things that came before.  Consider yourself warned.  Mockingjay finds Katniss a wreck after the events of Catching Fire; her district is in smoldering ruins, Peeta is being held prisoner in the Capitol, and in her underground sanctuary with the rebels of District 13, she’s expected to step up and be the face of a revolution.  However, much like the Games relied so heavily on media and image, Katniss is called on to be more of an emblem than a leader.  It’s Katniss, so you know she’s not just going to sit back and do what she’s told, but the vision District 13 has is of a gorgeous freedom fighter giving stirring speeches and wielding prop weapons in front of a camera.

 

I’ve always liked this element of the series, the emphasis on the power of images, of media manipulation.  In the Games, Katniss was a pawn of the Capitol, and here, she’s asked to be a pawn for the other side.  It muddies the waters in a good way, because there’s subterfuge and propaganda no matter where she is, and her world doesn’t divide neatly between those wearing white and black hats.  I love her inner struggle between consenting to be the “mockingjay” and wanting to make a more tangible contribution to the war effort, whether it’s to get into the fray and fight or to help ease people’s suffering.  In a way, it’s a lot like Steve’s plot in Captain America, wherein the army tries to turn him into a symbol rather than let him be a soldier.

 

The film does a nice job following the book.  It hits the major beats well and leaves room for more of the “little” moments that didn’t get a lot of screentime in the first two films (not entirely, of course – in particular, Finnick seems to get the short straw much of the time.)  Additionally, it fleshes out some of the outside-world elements, which I love.  It’s really affecting to see slogans and themes from Katniss’s televised “propos” appropriated for scenes of the districts rebelling.  It ties her plot in better with the larger story of what’s going on in Panem.

 

Jennifer Lawrence is, predictably, wonderful.  While Katniss’s PTSD isn’t as prominent in the film as in the book, Lawrence beautifully captures her pain, desperation, and inner conflict.  As Peeta, Josh Hutcherson makes the most of his reduced role and makes me excited to see what he’s going to do with Peeta’s story in Part 2, and Sam Claflin’s performance as a more shell-shocked Finnick is a great contrast to his work in Catching Fire.  Among the adult cast, Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, Julianne Moore as President Coin, and Elizabeth Banks as Effie are especially great, and it’s cool to see Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell or Jamie Moriarty, depending on your fandom) as the subversive filmmaker Cressida.

 

Warnings

 

Violence (including implied torture,) some disturbing images, and thematic elements.