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.

Ok my post has gone.
Sorry again @RobinEllacotStrike .
💚🩷💚🩷💚🩷💚🩷

No worries 💜💜

No reporting from me!

It was a show I had been wanting to see for years, but never got round to it. Then tickets came on sale for the Wicked tour so about 6 weeks ago I saw the stage show. I must admit I was a bit underwhelmed and so then I was also a bit unsure about the film. I think the disappointment in the stage show was more because in my own head I had it hyped to be the best thing ever. Whereas, when my daughter insisted we watched Heathers I was a bit unsure, but have now seen it twice as I enjoyed it that much.

Went last night and absolutely loved it. It was everything I expected and more. Looking forward to part two. Hoping the cinema does a double bill or at least shows part one again close to part two coming out.

In regards to Les Mis, I've only seen the film and was disappointed, but I've been assured IRL by people who know musicals more than I do (am-dram folk etc) who have told me the the film didn't live up to the live show. So now happy to give that another chance and see it live. The same with Phantom.

"I'm concerned it shows Ariana Grande, who is a mature 31 year old woman, as a tiny child-like doll figure. "

Another funny thing about the film. All the teens were played by people who look to be in their 30's 😂

I would have been very willing to watch it as I thought the stage musical was pretty good (not properly good like Les Mis!) but I refuse to see half a film. They should have been less greedy and made a full story rather than 2 halves, the stage musical is only 2.5 hours excluding interval so they must have padded it out

And yes, Les mis on stage is far better than the film.

@RobinEllacotStrike I reported myself 😂
I think the film needed more Fiyero (aka him from Bridgerton) 😍

No offence, but aren't you a little old for Wicked? I thought it was a kids film.

You probably saw it as one dimensional and boring because you aren't the target audience. It's a fantasy film.

@MidnightMeltdown it's not a "kids film".

My biggest issue is the half a film thing. So many things get resolved in the second half of the musical that it seems fairly idiotic to do this to an audience (make them wait a year for the full story). I’m sure this comes down to Hollywood greed, but I also don’t get it as it’s hardly going to have a small production budget.

I liked the stage show - it’s an interesting premise, turning the idea that G(a)linda is good and the WWotW is bad. Wicked shows us that life is rarely that simple. Elphaba is a great character, and Defying Gravity is a fantastic F-You song (I often listen to it at tough career points). The other songs are more ‘sugary bop-alongs’ in my view. For me Wicked has always been about the set and the costumes.

I don’t think I’ll see it in the cinema though, I’ve not really loved Cynthia Eviro’s persona in all the PR shenanigans and I think both actresses look unwell.

I do agree with you, she perhaps didn’t irritate me as much as she did you but I feel she was miscast. I was never blown away by her voice and you really should be. I’ve seen several actresses play Elphaba and you either have it or you don’t. I saw Idina Menzel - she had it, powerful but dangerous voice that is truly exciting, you never know where she is going to go and that makes fabulous theatre. It doesn’t always come across on the videos of her but I’ve honestly never heard a voice as great as hers on stage, it’s like she has a third lung. I saw Kerry Ellis, fabulous voice, but like Cythia Erivo, not that exiting and dangerous, left me feeling a bit cold and disappointed. Almost too effortless! Seen quite a few since on both sides of the pond and some have it, some don’t. The Elphaba performance can really change the impact of the whole thing. I thought Defying Gravity was pretty good but I was left underwhelmed by The Wizard and I, which, when done by the right person, is an amazing song!

any excuse to post Kevin at his Kevin-est

I have seen all the Tesco clothing and assumed there'd be a pink/green cosplaying audience marketing ploy.
I've also finally realised that the term flying monkeys comes from Oz.
The only film I've seen where the whole cinema exploded into spontaneous applause was High School Musical 3
I'd taken my little girl - she's 22 now, how fast did that go? - and the sheer joy of the whole auditorium made my heart burst.

@RobinEllacotStrike My daughter was a prop maker on this film. I can assure you that there is very little CGI. She showed me photos from behind the scenes and the sets were amazing!
The rainbow fields were created by planting 9 million tulips.
The forest was created in a large lot, my daughter had to deliver some plants to the middle of the forest. She got lost on her way out.
We're going to see it tomorrow and I can't wait.

@PuddleglumtheMarshWiggle was the train real do you know?
I'd love to see that do a tour of various railway lines.

@MidnightMeltdown the book is very much not a kids book - some of the stuff in the book is graphic and the club bestiality scenes have never left me

the problem I think is that the musicial Disneyfied the book the themes in the book were powerful and the musical definitely toned down Elphaba and changed the ending (spoiler the book doesnt end the same way)

I think the main issue with the film is that is covers the musical which is watered down version of the book then tries to fill in gaps without going as dark as the books (the talking animals is a huge part of the book) and made it two movies and still tries to have a happy ending which isn’t the point of the book - take Elphaba parents the musical definitely glosses over that

DD told me that the train was in Paris during the Olympics. Not sure if it is true but if so, how amazing would it be if you could go on a train ride on it!?

definitely go to see it n stage both of them nothing like the films

I thought the film was good, if a bit long - could have been trimmed by a good 20/30 minutes.

i loved it! Our cinema clapped too last night! I read the book years ago and liked it, although was underwhelmed by the stage show about ten years ago, but thought the film was fantastic! You arent supposed to like glinda, that’s the point, that it’s not as simple that glinda is good and the wwowtw is bad!

Did anyone think that the sound was a bit off (especially at the start of the film in Munchkinland)? Maybe it was a cinema issue rather than a film issue, but some of the lyrics and dialogue were really hard to make out.

Les Mis a whole load of grief “…well the clue is in the title

Les Miserables is the best musical ever

(But I'm talking about the theatre. I was bored by the film)

I agree @purpleme12 I was just amused by the OPs comment!