So I've been to see WICKED and .... [Spoiler warning added by MNHQ]

[RobinEllacotStrike]

It's one of the worst films I've ever seen.

I've not seen the stage show.

All the characters are horrible & one dimensional. Even the green one - she's the most likeable & developed character & they still managed to make her flat & boring.

They threw all the CGI possible at it and it left me feeling very empty. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Glinda is awful. Absolutely awful but we are meant to like her cause of all the rich blond & pink. Dreadful.

The costumes were fabulous though gotta hand them that. Probably an Oscar for costumes.

I feel empty & sad after seeing that film.

My daughters loved it. They now think I'm the worst.

@Weemammy21 it is "Part 1" so of course it's only half 😁

The clue is in the title! 🤣🤣🤣

Did you like the tulip fields OP?

😀 Thanks for that @Needmorelego . What I meant was I would not have bothered going to see Wicked in the cinema if I knew beforehand it was only 1/2 of the musical.

saw it today and absolutely loved it! Didn’t know what it was about before hand and never seen Wizard of Oz! Absolutely amazing film!

I've been to the stage show. I go to the theatre a fair amount, both musicals and not, this was the only production I've ever seen where I walked away at the end not having understood the plot. And I've been to some weird theatre of the absurd stuff. I wondered whether I'd fallen asleep during a crucial explanatory song, or been distracted by the dc, or just not heard the lyrics properly. The music, staging, costumes etc. were all great, I just don't have a clue what was happening.

@Changehaircolour you've never seen The Wizard of Oz 😱
Isn't it on TV practically every Christmas?

Yes, but there's loads of stuff that's often on repeat that I've never seen more than a few minutes of (we tend to watch less tv at big holidays like Christmas because the house is packed with guests): Wizard of Oz, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones ...

I've just got back, and having not gone in with high hopes (I've never seen the stage show, didn't know the story or any of the songs and was absolutely knackered to boot) I thought it was terrific. I really, really enjoyed it 😊

And people clapped at the end, which as I posted upthread was the first regular, non-festival film screening I've seen that happen in since Barbie.

I'll preface that I've not seen the stage show and haven't watched wizard of Oz since I was 10. I wasn't expecting it to be great.
I thought it was brilliant. Ariana's voice! I had no idea she could actually sing properly. The themes were very well portrayed. So many depths to it and the acting was fantastic. I'd like to think it will win some prestigious awards. It really highlights just how prevalent and ingrained in society discrimination still is. How discrimination can be both overt and subconscious. How victims can internalise this discrimination. I also think that the story is very relevant in the sense that "great" and "powerful" leaders of society may not have the agenda they purport to have- such as supporting peace whilst supplying arms, and how dictators silence people who stand up to them.....
I've so many thoughts but I don't want to disect the entire movie

I was astonished to read here that the tulip fields were real and cost 9 million dollars. They looked very CGI to me. I didn't dislike them but I wasn't particularly wowed or impressed by them. They were very "candy cane" sweet - not really something that appeals to me.

I though the bedroom set was amazing, the library set was incredible and the dancing/choerography was fanstastic. And to the MN'er who's daughter is working on the sets - she did a marvellous job & you must be bursting with pride as I would be.

I guess what I didn't like was the script which I maintain is poor, lack of character development (explained in part by it only being half the story), I don't really like the songs though they were sung well enough. On reflection these are the same reasons I didn't like Les Mis - terrible script, ridiculous story, poorly told. The singing and costumes/set design couldn't save it for me. Once all the internal eye rolling over writing and characterisation kicks it its hard to recover from. As the film was so long I was deserate to enjoy it, but I've never been so relieved to see the credits roll.

Elfaba - I found her face to be a bit single note (always a scowl, and then eventually some smiles) , and I did wonder a few times if the green was difficult to act through - face expression wise I think some of the important face acting was masked by the green makeup.

Having all the actors in their 30's was ridiculous, but I guess if they wanted AG they had to get others the same age as her. I didn't recognise the guy from Bridgerton. He was no Flynn Rider.

I do like some musicals so I'm not a musical grinch. I've enjoyed:
Lion King
Moana
Frozen
Hamilton - my absolute fave & I can pretty much sing the whole thing (badly of course and usually on a long solo car journey I'll sing it all at least once)
Miss Siagon
Mamma Mia
Hello Dolly - I adore Hello Dolly & watch it every year
I'm sure others I can't think about now.

I've been tossing my hair daily so some of this film has stuck with me 👱🏼‍♀️

"The story is a multi-layered tale of prejudice, power, sacrifice and friendship."

While I get that long term fans who know the story well might have this take on it, these aspects were not at all reflected in the screenplay of the film I just watched as a newbie.

Yeah I suspect one of the things is that it is expected that the world of OZ is fairly well known, books, films, tv series and musicals that some pre knowledge is expected (certainly of Wizard of Oz) because it is actually a fairly large franchise

one which has always been quite dark!

I had the book series and was terrified by the Gnome King who turned people into ornaments for his palace.

I think the year between films is a tricky balance. Hype and money, yes, but if people didn't enjoy the first, after a year they probably won't be fussed going to the second.

And in a year it would be very easy to be spoiled for the second half which would be a shame. It isn't like a new film where nobody knows what's going to happen.

Edited to add: I wouldn't purposely spoil Wicked for anybody I knew hadn't seen it, but I think it's been out so long that people have tended to discuss it without being as careful.

@PolkadotsAndMoonbeams i assume it will follow the musical though in some ways I think it would be better to follow the book - the book ending to me ties in much better with the events that follow in the Wizard of Oz and the changes I think do lose something

after all the books (original Frank L Baum) did contain some ahead of their time themes with sex changes and women’s rights. Jack Pumpkinhead always scared me even though he was good!

I think that is the crux of the issue with the movie for me - I am ok with the changes for the stage musical the lightening of the tone and making it a romance make sense.

for the film I think it is changing something at the heart of both Wicked and Oz

I'm with you on this. Except I slept through as much as I could. Awful, mawkish tripe. Definitely won't be going to see Wicked, thanks for the warning.

was astonished to read here that the tulip fields were real and cost 9 million dollars. They looked very CGI to me. I didn't dislike them but I wasn't particularly wowed or impressed by them. They were very "candy cane" sweet - not really something that appeals to me.

The tulip fields from the film are close to me and they don’t look like that in real life. They’re just flat fields, not those rolling hills.

Anyway, I saw the film today and totally loved it. Great sets, great choreography, great costumes. think it will win some Oscars. I saw the stage show 20 years ago and thought the film was better. I liked the stage show too. Will definitely watch Part 2.

Dd and I went to see it last night. I adored it, the music, the sets, the dancing! Ariana and Cynthia were incredible.

I think Dd was a bit bemused. Dh would have hated it

I loved it! It's a capital E Entertainment.

I didn't see the stage version, I did watch The Wizard of Oz when I was a child but it did not make impression on me then.

I thought Ariana Grande was just spectacular. The way she danced in the corridor during 'Popular' was just so good. Cynthia in comparison was a bit one dimensional, I wonder if the heavy make up make her facial expressions a bit limited?

Not enough Jonathan Bailey!

I took DD and a friend (both 11) to see it last night and we all loved it. They had no idea it was related to the Wizard of Oz so were surprised to see the yellow brick road at the beginning 😂
I haven't seen the stage show and wasn't expecting to like it and was hoping for a sleep. But was engaged and loving it the whole time!

I really enjoyed it, and to me it didn't feel as long as it actually was, 2 hours 43 minutes!

Never really rated Ariana Grande but she is an exceptional singer and she's very funny. Cynthia was also amazing at having to sing and be suspended at the same time.

I haven't seen the stage version, but I am very much looking forward to part 2 and their farewell duet "For Good".

Have seen the stage show regionally twice and loved it, have just come back from the film and also loved it.

Looking at the promos you might just think it's a kids film about a green witch and a pink fairy and their adventures, but it's so much more than that.

I thought Glinda was well-played and AG did very well as portraying her as a shallow and manipulative but popular character.

The character of Elphaba is probably one of my favourite characters ever and it really came across in the film... She's different and clever and right... and misunderstood and disliked and even shunned for it.

How anyone could be bored with the stage show I don't know... the costumes and score are magnificent.

And the film just filled all of the little plot holes from the show and gave the audience a really good look at everything. Loved the rearranged score too.

Can't wait until the next one... and could have watched it straight away!!

I thought I might wander in this afternoon before I did the food shopping, but all screenings at my nearest Vue (Angel) were either sold out or only had the crap seats left, so I checked the BFI IMAX just out of curiosity and bar a handful of the eye bleeders right at the front and some up against the very edges, there were none left there either. Even the evening screenings were already pretty well populated as of first thing this morning.

So it's not just going strong into it's second week, it's doing fabulously well, and I'm glad to see it 😊

I loved it. Ariana Grande is not only a great singer but really flexed her comedy chops. All of the actors were fab. I am looking forward to part two!

I am so grateful for this post because I really didn't like it. I started off thinking I would enjoy it (never seen the stage version) but I ended up really hating it. I too loved the costumes and the design and hope they do get an Oscar for that, but the whole story left me absolutely cold.

I am in the doghouse because the people I went with adored it and I feel like Scrooge or something. They were going off on a Christmas jaunt today and have left me out. I feel genuinely bad and wish I had pretended to like it.