As someone who hasn’t seen or heard the original Broadway production, Wicked wowed me in the best ways possible. Taking place in the world of The Wizard of Oz, the story serves as an origin of sorts for two of Oz’s witches, chronicling their friendship before they became rivals. Of course, the songs throughout the movie were filled to the brim with the clever lyricism, intricate choreography, and narrative motifs synonymous with the best musicals, but the elements of this film that really stood out to me were the production design, the visuals, and the performances themselves. Although the film ends on a jarring cliffhanger and has much longer runtime than I anticipated, I felt fully transported into the world of Oz with special effects and performances from the entire cast that effortlessly matched the film’s intended visual spectacle. I can’t imagine how mind blown fans of the original production must’ve been watching this. Even those going into this completely fresh will find a lot to enjoy. Score: 8/10
