Popular? Wicked's gonna be pop-u-lar!

The Wizard of Oz is a timeless classic so beloved by many, that to this day, there has been no high-budget remake, remaster or whatever other word Hollywood wants to use when they recycle existing IP.

So, the question remains, how do you squeeze money from one of the most recognisable films of all time, without actually altering its story or ruining its legacy?

Why, you make an incredible musical-based prequel set on a smash Broadway hit that recontextualises its central villain of course!

For the two people reading this who have never heard, seen or been subject to a rant by someone who loves the Broadway musical, Wicked follows the two witches from the original Wizard of Oz, Elphaba (soon to be The Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda (The Good Witch of the South) as they attend Shiz University to become witches.

Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo, is seen as an outcast due to her being born with green skin, but she possesses power and magical abilities unlike anyone else in Oz. Meanwhile, the popular Glinda (Ariana Grande) is beloved by anybody and everybody, yet is jealous of the former’s abilities.

The two become roommates and what begins as a hesitant co-existence turns into a blossoming friendship that as a viewer, is impossible to look away from.

Now that I’ve set the scene … this film is freaking fantastic!

The acting, the characters, the music, the sets, the casting and the overall experience of revisiting Oz were just so much fun!

Don’t get this twisted, I am by no means a musical kid. I love La La Land and I can tolerate Grease, but I am no connoisseur when it comes to sitting in a cinema and being drowned out by 100 or so people singing songs that I’ve only ever heard by accidentally scrolling past an Instagram reel related to the show Glee.

So I mean it when I say this movie is in my top three films of the year.

The biggest reason behind this is the film’s two leads. Cynthia Erivo, despite her best efforts to make people dislike her before the movie came out, is incredible. She can sing and act to such an elite level that it gives the source material the respect it deserves while also not being a cheap imitation of Idina Menzel (Elphaba on Broadway) or Margaret Hamilton (the original Wicked Witch).

While Cynthia is incredible, it’s Ariane Grande who steals the show for me. She was perfect! She rides the line between being so self-centered yet lovably caring that you can’t help but love to hate her and hate to love her.

I had only ever seen her acting chops on the Nickelodeon show Victorious over 10 years ago, but she has not skipped a beat in her time off-screen.

Add an incredible soundtrack that moves the plot forward, while also providing earworms that are still stuck in my head almost a week after seeing it, and you’ve got two of the best performances of the year.

Honestly, I believe both women should get an Oscar nom. Maybe not win, but definitely a nomination. They aren’t the most dramatic or heartfelt performances of the year, but they capture the feeling and the mood of the film as well as an actor could hope for and it elevates the entire production. This is something I think the Academy misses the mark on – not every performance needs to be someone screaming and crying.

The sets were also a nice change from the Hollywood norm. I’m so sick of the Disneyfication that a lot of films follow suit on. If you’re doing a live-action adaptation, why is everything a green screen? That defeats the entire purpose of being live action!

While there are definitely elements of CGI and green screen here, they’re there as enhancements, not defaults and it makes the world feel so much more tangible.

One thing people interested in the film need to know before going in is this, this film is a part one. I know, booooo! Get your pitchforks and torches. However, to be fair to this film it defies the status quo of two-part films and provides a pretty solid dropping-off point. Personally, once this film ends you could start the original Wizard of Oz and enjoy it as a double feature.

Wicked is fantastic, there’s no two ways about it. Take a couple of friends, sing along to some of the hits and enjoy a massive bucket of popcorn, because this movie is going to be a billion-dollar hit and it deserves every cent.

Wicked is playing in cinemas across the country.

Original Article published by Jarryd Rowley on Riotact.