EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — It’s the movie that Felipa has been waiting for all year. Our film critic has been hoping for a “Barbenheimer,” two block-buster films debuting back-to-back and this year we got “Glicked” – “Wicked” and “Gladiator II.”
Felipa is ready to start “round one” with “Wicked.”
Felipa’s Review of ‘Wicked‘
I don’t know what to say. I am finally happily speechless with a film in 2024. “Wicked,” is based on the novel written by Gregory Maguire, and based on the Broadway play which is all based on L. Frank Baum’s novel, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” The 1939 epic film starring Judy Garland, certainly changed the way we felt about “Green” people and flying Monkeys… or were we correct in our assumptions?
And here we are, in the ultimate prequel. It’s a story about a girl with green skin named Elphaba, portrayed to perfection by Cynthia Erivo, the Tony Award winning actress. There is also a back story, that for Wizard of Oz fans, who are not familiar with the Wicked saga, will help in understanding the storyline. She begins a profound friendship with Galinda, who we will ultimately refer to as Glinda, who comes to life thanks to the absolutely incredible Arianna Grande. They attend Shiz , the unbelievable Sorcery College and are assigned to a room together begrudgingly, thanks to the sleek and fabulous Dean of Sorcery, Michelle Yeoh.
So, without giving too much away, they manage to come into Oz where they meet the Wizard for the ultimate consultation. The Wizard is none other than Jeff Goldblum, who brings the character to a whole new dimension. He figures prominently in all of this… Who is really the Good Witch or the Bad Witch and why? There are issues of civil rights amongst animals and then there are those monkeys who still frighten me since the age of 5 when I saw the original film for the first time.
The story is overwhelming, the cinematography over the top and the music! Stephen Schwartz who masterminded the Broadway score is back and the songs featuring both Cynthia Erivo and Arianna Grande are incredible, like “No one Mourns the Wicked,” and “What is this Feeling?” which could be an Oscar for Best Song. This is all Oz before the arrival of Dorothy Gale and Toto, and the Yellow Brick Road has never looked the same. There are also some really great performances by Jonathan Bailey and Peter Dinklage. I do believe that the film belongs to the Wicked Witches of the East and West.
Here’s the interesting part… it’s not over yet! This is part one, just like the “Godfather,” and thank goodness because it leaves you wanting more and the movie is well over two and a half hours so we must wait until Thanksgiving 2025. The film production was interrupted by Covid and then the SAG/AFTRA Strike, so now we have more to look forward to during the next film year. Stay tuned is an understatement. This film is brilliant.
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