Wicked finally hit theaters, with fans describing the long-awaited first installment as “amazing” and calling for Oscar nominations for stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
The film is an adaptation of the hit musical and a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, telling the untold story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the Good Witch of the South.
One emotional scene in particular has had a huge impact on audiences, leaving them “sobbing” and “devastated”.
As Elphaba (Cynthia) collapses in the Ozdust Ballroom after being isolated due to her green skin and tears stream down her cheeks, former enemy Glinda (Ariana) takes her head in her hands in what is the beginning of their firm friendship.
Excited fans said: ‘This scene made me cry’: ‘I was sobbing’: ‘This scene is so sad’: ‘This broke me’: ‘I’ll never be the same’: ‘Ugh, they made me cry They ate this so bad I want the second part NOW.’
Wicked has finally hit theaters, with fans describing the adaptation of the hit musical as “amazing” and calling for Oscar nominations for stars Ariana Grande (right) and Cynthia Erivo (left).
One emotional scene in particular (pictured) has had a huge impact on audiences, leaving them “sobbing” and “devastated”.
While others wrote about the film: ‘Wicked is an incredible adaptation from stage to film. Ariana, Cynthia Jeff (Goldblum), Michelle (Yeoh) and everyone else were absolutely incredible. I’ll watch it again and probably cry again. Simply a beautiful film.’
‘Ariana was absolutely incredible in Wicked and as a long-time fan, I couldn’t be prouder of her’: ‘Defying Gravity in Wicked left me speechless. Cynthia was absolutely amazing’: ‘Everyone, I’m still so shocked as… Cynthia, Ariana and Jonathan (Bailey) are so amazing I can’t wait for Wicked part 2.’
‘Perverse reaction: Like Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins, Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl or Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls: Ariana proves that trained singers can improve an acting role. His comic timing made my theater fall off its chairs. “That Oscar HAS to be his.”
‘I’d like to say that Ariana got her Oscar nomination with No One Mourns the Wicked and then got her win in the Ozdust Ballroom scene’: ‘I hope Cynthia gets an Oscar for Wicked. EGOT is coming.’
‘I just finished watching Wicked… oh Ariana Grande, that Oscar is yours… Cynthia Erivo, that Oscar is yours… Jon Chu, you are a BRILLIANT man. my heart is so complete.’
Meanwhile, critics, for the most part, praise the performances of the lead stars, although some reviews have called the film a “fabulous spectacle”, others have declared: “it doesn’t come close to defying gravity.”
The GuardianPeter Bradshaw described it as a ‘sugar rush fantasy with the overwhelming star presence of Cynthia Erivo; It basically immerses you face down in a hyper-realistic ball pit filled with M&Ms for two and three-quarter hours.’
Praising Cynthia’s performance, he added: “Erivo’s charismatic Elphaba exerts a planetary pull on a star-studded cast.”
As Elphaba (Cynthia) collapses in the Ozdust Ballroom after being isolated due to her green skin and tears stream down her cheeks, former enemy Glinda (Ariana) takes her head in her hands.
Excited fans gushed: ‘This scene made me cry’: ‘I was sobbing’: ‘This scene is so sad’: ‘This broke me’: ‘I’ll never be the same’
The Daily Mail’s Brian Viner writes: “It’s a fabulous show that demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible.”
A big fan of the casting, he added: “Erivo and Grande are both perfect and absolutely sensational.
“I confess I find Wicked’s songs a little repetitive, but it’s hard to imagine anyone performing them better than those two, while Grande has adequate comedic talent, which she uses every time Glinda shakes her lush locks.
“Yes, Bailey and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard offer splendid support.”
Peter Debrugè Variety praised: ‘Unlike several recent tuners, which attempted to hide their musical dimension from the public, Wicked embraces their identity the same way Elphaba does her emerald skin.
“It turns out that trust makes a difference in how they are perceived.”
Dave Fear of rolling stone wrote: ‘When Erivo achieves that moment and enters the history books of Oz on a broomstick, for a split second you feel like there’s no place you’d rather be than traveling alongside her. Not even at home. and added: “Erivo is the one who really defies gravity”
Meanwhile the independent he praised Ariana and Cynthia’s acting, but felt that the film’s actual cinematography let them down.
The film is an adaptation of the hit musical and a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, telling the untold story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the Good Witch.
While others wrote about the film: ‘Wicked is an incredible adaptation from stage to film. Ariana, Cynthia Jeff (Goldblum), Michelle (Yeoh) and everyone else was absolutely amazing.
‘He played some songs for us and we sang together for the first time. It worked. It was one of the most rewarding things to know that there was someone so open and available, because she was, and that meant I could be too.
“We also had a beautiful relationship off screen.”
Comparing the way it was filmed to a television advert, Clarisse Loughrey wrote: “Wicked is filmed and lit as if we were being sold an Airbnb in Mykonos.”
Admitting that Cynthia ‘nails those notorious high notes in Defying Gravity,’ Clarisse also wrote that despite its length and being only the first part of the story, the film doesn’t feel dragged.
However, he concludes: “Wicked will have to dream bigger and brighter, otherwise it may fade completely under the spell of a classic.”
The telegraph gave the film a scathing review, stating that the film’s lead actresses “are nowhere near defying gravity in this bloated, beige screen adaptation of the Wizard of Oz prequel.”
Robbie Collin writes that “the casting doesn’t seem good” and describes Cynthia playing the role with a “wet-eyed severity that lends a somber medicinal quality to the film’s most emotional passages.”
Wicked is now in theaters.