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Nov. 30th, 2024 05:40 pmI saw Wicked! And I enjoyed it very much!
I already knew the soundtrack, but I had actually never seen a performance of the show, and I also refuse to read the Maguire books because I'm such an "original 14 books written by L. Frank Baum" purist. (Fun fact: I reread those books over and over as a kid. Over and over.) So I mostly knew what the story was, but there were lots of details that couldn't be gleaned just from the songs, so that was fun to explore.
I'll need to think about how the movie works as a story (and probably wait till Part II to really judge), but as far as a movie-going experience goes, it was wonderful. Definitely worth paying $10 to see on the big screen--this is a movie movie. Visually, it's the best-looking thing I've seen in a very long time. I was worried it would look too CGI-shiny, but it looks like they actually built a lot of the sets and then used CGI for things you actually have to use CGI for, like talking goats and flying monkeys and whatever. As someone who wants the feel of realness more than anything in a film, I was pretty happy with the choices they made.
The production designer deserves a thousand Oscars. The world they created is absolutely gorgeous, very Art Nouveau-inspired, which is obviously my jam, until they go to the Emerald City, which then becomes Art Nouveau-meets-Art-Deco, which is also my jam. The filmmakers took full advantage of the ability to create an entire world and I love them for that. Michelle Yeoh's costumes made me want to fall over dead, and I don't know why anyone would want to go to Hogwarts when you could go to Shiz, which is clearly superior in every way (and also its creator is dead, so you're not funding his bigotries by loving it). I just want to live in this world, it is so beautiful and bright. I don't think I've had a reaction like that to a film since watching Fellowship of the Ring in the theater for the first time back in 2001 and seeing the Shire and immediately just falling in love.
(Apparently, Danielle Steele says she believes in love at first sight, but only for houses, and I agree: love at first sight is real, but only for places.)
I always enjoy watching actors enjoy themselves, and this movie is full of them. Ariana Grande was having the time of her life, Jonathan Bailey was having a blast, Jeff Goldblum was relishing the whole thing. When Cynthia Erivo started singing, I wasn't sure her voice was up to it, but I turned out to be wrong. I still don't like her voice as much as Idina Menzel's, but she's up to the songs, and I thought her acting was so very good. I'm glad they cast her. Goldblum and Yeoh can't sing as well as I'd wish, but their singing parts are small enough that it really doesn't matter. And I don't even care that it was a bunch of 30-somethings pretending to be college students. It's Oz! Maybe everybody waits till their 30s to go to university! Why not?
The songs are still so fun and catchy and clever, and I still remember all the words lol.
In news that will shock no one at all, I did indeed walk out of the theater with an OT3. Bi4bi4bi we love to see it. There is zero reason these three people should not all be together. If I had to choose, I do think Galinda/Elphie is more compelling than the other two sides of the triangle, but I like Fiyero, and why shouldn't they have a pretty man to share? Perhaps I will have to seek out some fanfiction.
Most shocking of all: I didn't think it was really too long! It could have been trimmed down a bit here and there, but it never dragged, which is an incredible accomplishment for a film this long. I went in thinking, "Why didn't they just make one movie?" But now I'm like, "No, this is fine, I'm glad they're doing two." Waiting another year will be difficult!
One thing that didn't thrill me: the sound mixing seemed off? Like, the music and the singing voices didn't sound like they were coming from the same place, and I don't like that, though that's probably just a me thing.
A few spoilery things:
Any scene where a couple has a meet-cute that's a dude almost trampling a girl on a horse is SO Jane Eyre coded to me, it's possible that's why I immediately had a soft spot for Elphie/Fiyero.
I kept waiting for the cameos and they didn't happen, and then we got to the Emerald City, and they did! When I wasn't expecting them! I have been obsessed with Kristin Chenoweth since I was a child, and it was SUCH a joy to see her there.
Anyway, if you're on the fence about whether to see it in the theater, do it. You will not regret it.
I already knew the soundtrack, but I had actually never seen a performance of the show, and I also refuse to read the Maguire books because I'm such an "original 14 books written by L. Frank Baum" purist. (Fun fact: I reread those books over and over as a kid. Over and over.) So I mostly knew what the story was, but there were lots of details that couldn't be gleaned just from the songs, so that was fun to explore.
I'll need to think about how the movie works as a story (and probably wait till Part II to really judge), but as far as a movie-going experience goes, it was wonderful. Definitely worth paying $10 to see on the big screen--this is a movie movie. Visually, it's the best-looking thing I've seen in a very long time. I was worried it would look too CGI-shiny, but it looks like they actually built a lot of the sets and then used CGI for things you actually have to use CGI for, like talking goats and flying monkeys and whatever. As someone who wants the feel of realness more than anything in a film, I was pretty happy with the choices they made.
The production designer deserves a thousand Oscars. The world they created is absolutely gorgeous, very Art Nouveau-inspired, which is obviously my jam, until they go to the Emerald City, which then becomes Art Nouveau-meets-Art-Deco, which is also my jam. The filmmakers took full advantage of the ability to create an entire world and I love them for that. Michelle Yeoh's costumes made me want to fall over dead, and I don't know why anyone would want to go to Hogwarts when you could go to Shiz, which is clearly superior in every way (and also its creator is dead, so you're not funding his bigotries by loving it). I just want to live in this world, it is so beautiful and bright. I don't think I've had a reaction like that to a film since watching Fellowship of the Ring in the theater for the first time back in 2001 and seeing the Shire and immediately just falling in love.
(Apparently, Danielle Steele says she believes in love at first sight, but only for houses, and I agree: love at first sight is real, but only for places.)
I always enjoy watching actors enjoy themselves, and this movie is full of them. Ariana Grande was having the time of her life, Jonathan Bailey was having a blast, Jeff Goldblum was relishing the whole thing. When Cynthia Erivo started singing, I wasn't sure her voice was up to it, but I turned out to be wrong. I still don't like her voice as much as Idina Menzel's, but she's up to the songs, and I thought her acting was so very good. I'm glad they cast her. Goldblum and Yeoh can't sing as well as I'd wish, but their singing parts are small enough that it really doesn't matter. And I don't even care that it was a bunch of 30-somethings pretending to be college students. It's Oz! Maybe everybody waits till their 30s to go to university! Why not?
The songs are still so fun and catchy and clever, and I still remember all the words lol.
In news that will shock no one at all, I did indeed walk out of the theater with an OT3. Bi4bi4bi we love to see it. There is zero reason these three people should not all be together. If I had to choose, I do think Galinda/Elphie is more compelling than the other two sides of the triangle, but I like Fiyero, and why shouldn't they have a pretty man to share? Perhaps I will have to seek out some fanfiction.
Most shocking of all: I didn't think it was really too long! It could have been trimmed down a bit here and there, but it never dragged, which is an incredible accomplishment for a film this long. I went in thinking, "Why didn't they just make one movie?" But now I'm like, "No, this is fine, I'm glad they're doing two." Waiting another year will be difficult!
One thing that didn't thrill me: the sound mixing seemed off? Like, the music and the singing voices didn't sound like they were coming from the same place, and I don't like that, though that's probably just a me thing.
A few spoilery things:
Any scene where a couple has a meet-cute that's a dude almost trampling a girl on a horse is SO Jane Eyre coded to me, it's possible that's why I immediately had a soft spot for Elphie/Fiyero.
I kept waiting for the cameos and they didn't happen, and then we got to the Emerald City, and they did! When I wasn't expecting them! I have been obsessed with Kristin Chenoweth since I was a child, and it was SUCH a joy to see her there.
Anyway, if you're on the fence about whether to see it in the theater, do it. You will not regret it.
