"Wicked" is a disappointment

[PJMcK]

Part One, which is basically Act I of the musical, is overly long and confused. There’s too much unnecessary baggage added to the piece. And the style is loopy not unlike something Tim Burton might do. The problem for me is that the story drags on very slowly. I found my mind wandering throughout.

The only good things I can say are that the cast is very talented, the sets and costumes are effective and the “ending” (close of Act I) is light years better than the stage musical.

It’s a miss to me and I don’t care to see Part Two. However, I’m certain it will be a huge hit.

[Demovictory9]

1. I loved it. Seen it twice already. Agree that the ending is stunning.

[PJMcK]

3. The Act I ending...

… in the stage musical is so lame. Elphaba is sitting on a giant erector set that lifts her into the air. That’s defying gravity?! The power and anger seen in Elphaba in the film catapult her to fly “to the western sky.” It’s very dramatic and climactic. If, in the play, she were to fly over the audience (on a zip line?) into the balcony, that would be an amazing Act I ending.

[Demovictory9]

6. The movie really brought that scene to life..the way Elphaba grasps the broom and mentally prepares to attempt flight

Wonderful.

And the vocals!!!

[UniqueUserName]

2. Thanks for the short review of "Wicked"

I was looking forward to seeing this having first read the book and having seen the stage production.

When I heard that they had split the musical into 2 movies (a move I'm sure is driven by capitalistic greed), I had decided that I would skip it, at least until part 2 comes out and it is available for home viewing.

Your review confirms what I expected of the movie. Thanks for confirming my suspicions.

[Demovictory9]

4. Read other reviews. Dont miss out in seeing it on the big screen

Audience score on rotten tomatoes is 97%

[UniqueUserName]

5. Yours is a good point.

I'll wait for more reviews ---especially from people I know who know my tastes.

---I really loved both the book and the Broadway production, even though those pieces are totally different beasts from each other. That is, the musical is only loosely based on the book.

[Marigold]

7. I really wanted to see it

But I keep reading there are people dressing up and singing through the whole thing. I know they love it and it is fun, but it kind of ruins it for others. Did you have that happen where you went?

[PJMcK]

8. The audience last night was well-behaved

The theater in our little town is quaint but they have modern equipment and a great sound system. Monday night is half-price so they get a good turn out. Best of all, they serve real fresh popcorn! I'd say the theater was about 3/4s full. It was a mixed audience, as usual for this location, with a wide age range and generous mix of generations.

No one was dressed up and no one sang, thankfully. But the score seems kind of chopped up. "Popular," "Defying Gravity" and "The Wizard And Me" were well done but the rest of the songs seemed truncated or cut up. It was kind of weird and because there's so much dialog, (the film has the same songs as Act I of the play but the film is an hour longer than Act I), it doesn't really feel like a musical. I think this was partly because major plot points are usually highlighted by songs in a musical but with so much dialog and exposition, many of the plot developments are spoken not sung. Like I wrote, weird.

Also, this is not the Oz you think you knew.

The film and its sequel/Part Two are obviously giant hits so my criticisms are just because I'm a curmudgeonly snob!

[Demovictory9]

9. I saw it twice..no one made a peep. Statement read by Jeff Goldblum says "dont sing"