Let me start by saying that the hype is real, Wicked is one of the most amazing movies of the year. Taken from the stage and brought to the screen by John M Chu, Wicked is a very, very special movie. There are some movies that when you are watching them, you know that they are more than just a movie. I can see Wicked being classed as an all time classic, I would legit put it up there with the likes of Star Wars, Jurassic Park, and The Avengers when it comes to the impact this movie is going to have.
How to Download Wicked
Wicked was released on November 22, 2024. Two or three months from this date you can expect to be able to download or stream the film from Peacock.
The Movie Review
A Blind Viewing Experience
Now, full disclosure here, I have never seen the stage show, so I went into this completely blind, however, my wife who I watched this with had seen the stage show and she said that she liked the movie even more. I will admit that I had no idea that this was Wicked Part I, until I heard others talk about it online. I also heard before I saw the movie that it clocks in at over two and a half hours I did wonder if it would drag. Trust me when I tell you, this movie does not drag.
A Story That Flies By
As a matter of fact, it flew over and it left me desperate to see the second part which as I write this, does not have a release date. The movie takes place after the events of the original Wizard of Oz and also, many, many years before it. We get to hear the story of Galinda and Elphaba.
Elphaba is the person who would go on to become The Wicked Witch of the West and we get to see her as a child all the way up to her starting to become what she would be known for! Most of the movie takes place at Shiz University where Elphaba and Galinda are roomed together by accident, start off not liking each other, but eventually become the best of friends.
A Darker Take on Oz
At this university, Michelle Yeoh plays Madame Morrible who is the dean of sorcery and right from the start, she senses the magic in Elphaba and takes her under her wing. There is something strange happening in Oz, with the animals losing their power of speech and Elphaba wants to go and see The Wizard to find out what is happening, but as we know, The Wizard is not what he seems, actually, Wicked has one of the most brutal versions of The Wizard that I have ever seen.
I do not want to go into spoilers, but the pacing is fantastic, and even with the many different musical numbers, the story is very easy to follow. I loved both Galinda whose mean girl personality is hilarious and Elphaba who is impossible not just to love as she is so amazing and has such a raw deal in life, especially from her jerk father.
Stellar Performances and Stunning Visuals
Wicked is easily the best-looking movie that I have seen this year! The sets are amazing and there were many moments where I did not actually know what was in front of the camera and what was some kind of CGI trickery. So many big movies over the last couple of years especially have had some rather ugly and downright poor-looking CGI, but that is certainly not the case here.
Of course, the singing is truly outstanding and both Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are tremendous. These two ladies both deserve to be covered in awards come awards season. I had heard of the song Gravity and how it was such an amazing number, but that whole scene is truly one of the best scenes I have ever seen in a musical movie.
A New Favorite Musical
I would have to say that Wicked is my favorite Wizard of Oz movie. Before this, Return to Oz was my favorite, speaking of which, I loved the fact that Mombi was referenced. Wicked has replaced that as my favorite and I would go as far as to say that this is the best musical I have ever seen. I will 100 percent be going to see this again and it will also be a day one 4K purchase when it comes out too!
