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.

went to the stage show again recently as a last minute stand in to take one of my kids and god it’s just rubbish and nonsensical isn’t it? It’s a spectacle but it’s not a very good or well explained story and there is a LOT of shrieking. Having said that I am keen to see if the film improves on the stage retelling of the story!

That's weird. I took my then 7 y/o dd and it made perfect sense to us. Dd became quite obsessed with it. It was a long time ago though so I couldn't explain the story to you now...

I wasn’t firing on all cylinders to be fair after a Christmas spent with this horrible flu, but I just think the whole part with the animals is really poorly explained in the stage show. I know we’re probably meant to care about them to explain why Elphaba takes up their fight with the wizard but I don’t think they spend enough time building up that part of the story.

To be fair, the first time I saw the stage show we were walking out of the theatre after it had finished, there were a group of women walking behind us and one lady was explaining the plot to another lady who hadn't understood. So I guess for some it is difficult. She didn't understand the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion link. Maybe she'd had a few cocktails during the show? 😂

I do think the film is easier to follow than the stage show.

Saying that I still don’t think I’d have clicked who the tin man and scarecrow were in the film if someone hadn’t told me beforehand. so i obviously didn’t get it at all when I saw the musical years ago and no cocktails were consumed ! 😆

I agree that the film is easier to follow.

I was smiling to myself as I was listening to the women.

The one who was doing the explaining was asking "did you not enjoy it?" And her friend was like "yeah, it was good but it was complicated!"

I can understand how you can miss bits in a stage show. The second time I saw it we went to a version with subtitles (it was accidental but I am deaf so it was a welcome one) and they were a big help because you do miss bits of dialogue. Well I do anyway! DD1 (non deaf) said she found it useful having the subtitles because she didn't miss anything and she said that she might have if they hadn't been there.

@BusySittingDown I've seen it twice and the second one was the sing a long version. So not subtitles for the whole film but karaoke style words on the screen during the songs.
It does make a difference because with songs you don't always catch exactly what all the words are.

I only watched it for Jonathan Bailey (why does he have to be gay? Why?).

But loved Arianna Grande too. Does anyone know if her eyes were digitally enhanced as they looked enormous? And why did she sometimes move in that robotic manner?

Me and DH saw it yesterday and we both loved it. I didn't think it was meant to be a kids film (me and DH are 68 and 70)!. We didn't think it was too long at all.

We saw it at the theatre a few years ago and didn't enjoy it that much. I normally love musicals but struggled to understand what they were singing and, because of that, could not really follow the plot.

I don't like The Wizard of Oz film and, having had to read Les Miserables at school, I have never wanted to see the stage show or the film. I don't want to be that depressed!

I doubt her eyes were digitally enhanced. They planted millions of tulip bulbs and built a set they filmed the cast the singing live on. If you are going to that length why would you then digitally enhance someone’s eyes?

This whole thread just goes to show how uneducated so many people are

What?

Funniest comment on the whole thread.

Please can you elaborate?

You could say that of a great many mumsnet threads, but I don't think having or not-having any specific opinion about this specific musical theatre film adaption is particularly a signifier of education level.

I don't think you have to be particularly educated to know people in the world have different opinions & like/dislike different things.

Also <shocker> we are ALL dreadfully annoying to someone.