Monday Movie Mania (A Day Late) - Wicked Part 1

Like I said on Friday, last week was pretty tough for various reasons. It culminated with finding out about  the death of the husband of one of my readers on Sunday. The afterglow from Wicked Part 1 got me through the rest of the weekend, and I did get a lot more words done on my holiday story.

As for Wicked itself, well, I managed not to belt out the lyrics in the middle of the very crowded local theater. Our cineplex has been nearly empty since it reopened after the pandemic lock-down orders were lifted. This was the  biggest crowd in a movie I attended since Avengers: Endgame was released five years ago.

I'm not going to give my usual SPOILERS warning since the novel was released 29 years ago and the musical debuted 21 years ago. If you don't know the story by now, well, that's on you.

I don't have one CON for this film. Not one. And my PROS have more to do with individual actors and crew.

1) Jon M. Chu made up for the shitstorm of JEM (2015). (Good Goddess, has it been nine years already?) He and the screenplay writers stuck to the original Broadway book. Trust me, there would have been a riot if they hadn't. Any changes to the original script were to expand on certain scenes or to fill in certain insinuations from the original musical.

2) Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera. Those two could out-sing angels.

3) Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth's cameos during "One Short Day" are absolutely hysterical as they play singers in a diva feud. Plus, you can tell they were having a blast with their roles!

4) Michelle Yeoh did a perfect job as Mrs. Morrible. That's not to discount Carol Kane's efforts the first time I saw the musical. The difference is Michelle did a much more subtle job, so when the twist comes, the movie audience who hadn't seem the musical were appropriately shocked.

5) Jeff Goldblum has the chops to be totally evil and still sympathetic. He doesn't get enough credit for his singing.

6) The movie ends with the showstopper "Defying Gravity" (my personal favorite), which also concludes the first act of the musical. Wicked 2 will be the second act.

 

Overall, Wicked Part 1 is the perfect vehicle for the whole famiIy to see over the holidays. Just be prepared for the kids to be singing in the backseat on the way home and demanding the soundtrack for their holiday present.

I give Wicked Part 1 100 out of 10 stars!