Movie of the Week
Wicked: A tale of teen magic and cliché
The movie based on the musical based on the movie could have been any teen movie, writes ARTHUR GOLDSTUCK as it arrives in cinemas.
If the High School Musical and Harry Potter franchises decided to combine forces and throw in every cinematic trope known to the teen fantasy genre, the result would be Wicked. The movie based on the stage play is sometimes charming, often predictable, and occasionally too overstuffed for its own good.
Wicked is a monument to excess — both of movie tropes and the sheer volume of enchantments on display.
Set in the halls of Shiz University, a magical high school that’s somewhere between Hogwarts and an Instagram influencer’s dream, Wicked offers a tale of friendship, rivalry, and the trials of spellcasting teenagers. It is in effect a prequel to the original Wizard of Oz, and a reimagining of the backstory of the witches.
The stage play has been split in two for the movie, with a sequel due exactly a year from now.
The film starts strong, introducing us to the complex dynamic between Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande), the popular, perky cool girl whose magical abilities are more about style than substance. At first glance, these two seem like archetypes — and they are — but their relationship gives the movie some of its more heartfelt moments, as they navigate from enemies to frenemies and, eventually, allies.
The musical numbers are glittering, high-energy affairs, choreographed with all the precision and fervour of a High School Musical pep rally — which is probably the point. Director Jon M. Chu clearly knows his audience: teenagers who want to see other teenagers singing about their dreams, desires, and dilemmas.
Its self-aware humour – the standard approach to comedic content nowadays – elevates Wicked above the average teen flick. One could be charitable and say it proffers sly nods at the overabundance of movie tropes it employs. The film knows it’s living in a clichéd world, and it’s not afraid – occasionally – to poke fun at itself.
Ariana Grande’s signing talents seem underplayed in service to songs not created specifically for her. These range from heartfelt ballads to upbeat pop anthems, complete with all the dramatic hand gestures and slow-motion spins a teen audience could want. Much like the movie itself, the soundtrack knows what it’s doing.
Wicked does struggle in its pacing. There’s a sense that it wants to be everything at once: a musical, a fantasy, a high school drama, and a comedy. And while it often succeeds in juggling these genres, there are moments when the story loses focus as it tries to give characters their moment in the spotlight.
Despite this, Wicked delivers what it promises: a magical romp through teenage melodrama, with enough sparkle to keep its target audience entertained. The appeal lies in the comforting predictability of a high school story where the misfits find their place, and everyone learns a valuable lesson about friendship and acceptance.
Wicked may not reinvent the wand, but it waves it with enthusiasm.
* Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx and editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Bluesky on @art2gee.bsky.social.
