"Wicked" is based on the 2003 stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, which deviated from the robust canon of books, television, and film properties based on the original book by L. Frank Baum and the legendary 1939 film, "The Wizard of Oz," which was a "family" film. Again, a "family" film. Please refresh you memory with the trailer below:
Conversely, within the first ten-(10) minutes of "Wicked," here's the character and scope of "family entertainment" revealed:
1. An obese Black woman, referred to as, "My dark-eyed beauty," is presented as the "adulteress mother" of the woman who eventually becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.
2. Consistent with the fact that 72% of Black babies in the United States are born to unmarried mothers, and at 77.3%, Black Americans have the highest rate of non-marital births, the birth of the "bastard child" is revealed to be a "nigger baby" with green skin; not a green-skinned alien or mutant human being, because all of the other characters in the film (the template) who appear with "Black facial and skin characteristics actually look like "Black" people. If the film didn't want the birth to reveal a "nigger baby," they could have easily:
a. applied prosthetics (Spock-like ears, augmented nose, three-(3) eyes or more, different skin color, etc.) to distort facial features;
b. delayed conversion to the green skin color as a plot device or "MacGuffin," until the child evolved to an envious "green" as she reached puberty;
c. had a witch or wizard to intentionally or by accident to cause the immediate or delayed metamorphosis of the skin color, gender (yes! if you're gonna re-write a classic, then re-write it), height, weight, species, etc., and
d. they could have cast Cynthia Erivo as "Glinda" the Good Witch, and cast Ariana Grande as the Wicked Witch of the West - because the director, Jon M. Chusaid so in the documentary "Making of Wicked," but they didn't do that. Instead, consistent with cultural mores and morals that are defined, established, and sustained by Anglo-Saxons throughout history, the well-established "contemporary" cultural standard remains: the color "white" represents purity and goodness, and the color "black" represents filth and evil.
The Story: Simply put, this is a prequel to events established in the original "Wizard of Oz." However, "Wicked," with its focus on adultry, racism, and beastiality is bereft of the character and scope of quality "family entertainment" presented in the 2013 prequel film, "Oz the Great and Powerful." In an extremely predictable fashion, "Wicked" takes two-(2) hours and twenty-(20) minutes to tell the origin of the Wicked Witch of the West . . . then, we have to wait until November 21, 2025 for the sequel to bring a close to this re-imagined piece of crap.
The overall tone of this film is dark, brooding, and just short of being creepy. A subplot involves the discrimination or elimination, if not genocide, of animals who appear as intelligent beings who speak the "King's English," and also held in high esteem as teachers and professors, but deemed unworthy by "some people" to peacefully co-exist with human folks. Conversely, "Wicked" has no problem with hypocrisy, because it's perfectly okay to use flying monkeys to terrorize and even kill the happy citizens of Oz.
What about the Munchkins? You know, the politically incorrect term also applied to little people or dwarfs or midgets, were they in "Wicked?" Nope. They were referenced, but the actual "physically correct" on-camera manifestation of Munchkins did not appear in Wicked. Should Little People of America, Inc. pursue class action litigation against Universal
Pictures
and Marc Platt
Production for their overt discrimination and intentional elimination of "key" characters in the original 1900 book and the iconic 1939 film! Conversely, such a blatant oversight was not made by "Oz the Great and Powerful."
"Wicked" greatly suffers from way, way, way too many Broadway-esque "speak-talk" songs that lack melody, lack a melodic hook, and are punctuated with overbearing vocal gymnastics from Cynthia Erivo (Wicked Witch) and Ariana Grande (Good Witch). Why are they shouting? Who cares? Nothing they sang actually moved the storyline. When it comes to remakes and sequels, there's a general unwritten rule: Never remake a film (or song) or produce a sequel unless it's as good as or better than the original. There's nothing "memorable" about the musical selections and soundtrack in "Wicked." Conversely . . .
"The Wizard of Oz" is famous for its musical selections and soundtrack.
Its songs were composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics by E. Y. "Yip" Harburg.
They won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Over the Rainbow."
The song ranks first in the AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs and the Recording Industry Association of America's "365 Songs of the Century." MGM composer Herbert Stothart, a well-known Hollywood composer and songwriter, won the Academy Award for Best Original Score.
As reported by Allmusic.com, well over 1,000 cover versions (and counting) of "Over the Rainbow" have been recorded. No songs from "Wicked" will ever achieve such artistic, commercial, or cultural success.
Notably, no overbearing vocal gymnastics, wonderful lyrics
that move the storyline, and passionate singing.
Plus, you'd easily find better choreography in classic Busby Berkeley musicials of the 1930s, such as "Lullaby of Broadway" from the 1935 film, "Gold Diggers of 1935." Let's not forget the wealth of great musicals of the 1940s and 1950s by Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Eleanor Powell, the Nicholas Brothers, etc., and even Michael Jackson's 1982 classic "Thriller." Only one song had any entertainment value, "Dancing Through Life," sung by actor Jonathan Bailey's character, "Fiyero."
Casted primarily as eye candy are accomplished actors Jeff Goldblum as "The Wizard," and Michelle Yeoh as "Madame Morrible," Again, their characterizations only perpetuated the overall tone of this film as dark, brooding, and just short of being creepy.
Frankly, "Wicked" attempted to present a skewed "woke agenda" as entertainment, but failed. Instead of perverting "The Wizard of Oz," producers should have re-imagined director John Waters' classic 1972 film, "Pink Flamingos," which starred Divine, described by People magazine as the "Drag Queen of the Century." Now, that truly would have been interesting casting someone as "The filthiest person alive!"
Recommendation: See "Oz the Great and Powerful," which is a family film, culturally diverse, exciting, and fun. Do NOT see "Wicked," because it's wickedly racist, dark, brooding, just short of being creepy . . . and ultimately a piece of crap.
WICKED 