Wicked On The Big Screen

Some stories don’t just survive the jump from stage to screen; they thrive. Our latest review dives into Wicked with fresh eyes and full hearts, exploring how this long-awaited adaptation turns iconic stage moments into textured cinematic beats without losing the soul that made fans fall in love. We walk through the core arc at Shiz, the fault lines in Oz’s myths, and the performances that elevate the material beyond spectacle and into character.

We talk about why the camera helps rather than hurts: intimate close-ups that let Glinda’s bravado crack, Elphaba’s conviction sharpen, and the Wizard’s charm curdle around the edges. The songs aren’t just set pieces; they’re story engines, staged to serve character instead of chasing empty grandeur. The decision to stop at the Act One break isn’t a gimmick—it's a structural bet that pays off by preserving one of musical theater’s best turns and giving room for Act Two’s emotional math to add up. Fans worried about a pared-down second half should take heart: there’s political fallout to chart, relationships to reckon with, and connective tissue to the classic Oz saga to build with intention.

We also address the noise around “faithfulness” and agendas. Wicked has always been about power, perception, and who gets to write history; the film honors those themes without soapboxing, sticking close to the musical while using cinematic tools to deepen motivation and consequence. And yes, we wade into the sing-along debate with a simple guideline: let official sing-along screenings be loud and joyful, and let standard showings be spaces for newcomers to discover the story without surprise choirs in Row G.

If you care about musicals, adaptations, or just great performances, this one’s worth your ticket. Hit play for our full breakdown, then tell us what you think about the Part One choice and your personal rule for movie-musical etiquette. Subscribe, share with a fellow Oz fan, and leave a review to help more listeners find the show.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Theme Song And Kickoff
• 1:40 Wicked Overview And Cast
• 2:30 Theater Roots And Expectations
• 3:05 First Impressions And Performances
• 3:35 Faithfulness To The Musical
• 4:05 Part One Structure And Act Break
• 4:45 Looking Ahead To Act Two
• 5:10 Sing-Alongs And Theater Etiquette
• 5:40 Recommendation And Final Rating
• 6:05 Closing Tag And Outro

Transcript

SPEAKER_02: 0:08

Get back, press play, it's a brand new day. We're diving deep in the film star away. From classics to the ones you miss. Grab your stacks, you get the gist. It's cinema sunday on the couch, critics show. We have the story shine and the opinions flow. Pop coins are the taste of fold. We laugh, we cry, we break the mold. It's cinema sundae, let the credits work And I need to wiz up.

SPEAKER_00: 1:40

This is the film adaptation to the Broadway musical hit Wicked. Before I give my likes and dislikes about Wicked, I have to go over the synipsis. Elphaba, a misunderstood young woman because of her green skin, and Glinda, a popular girl, become friends at Shiz University in the Land of Oz. After an encounter with the wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads. Wicked stars Cynthia Arrivo, Ariana Grande, Jeff Goldblum, and Michelle Yao. So I have seen this musical on stage two times when I lived in Florida. This is one of those shows that I watched, and as I was sitting in the audience, I was like, man, I wish I could just go off and do theater for the rest of my life. Because I think I think it's a fantastic show. I think it's it's just the epitome of theater. The things that go on, the things that happen on stage, the technical side of it, the special effect side of it that can be done on stage is just fantastical. You know? Forget the story, forget everything else. Just the fact that these things can happen on stage is just magical to me. So I'll admit, I was excited about seeing this movie. I went to a late showing of it, which I thought at first was gonna be a bad thing. I thought I was gonna fall asleep. This movie kept my attention the entire time. I thought the performances were great. To me, it didn't have any check the box moments. I know there are people who have watched this movie and are complaining about like a woke agenda and all this stuff. I didn't see anything like that. I think it stuck to the story of the musical. I don't think it veered away from it as much. I did hear that it kind of fleshed it out more to give more, give more character development to Glinda and Alphaba and things like that, and The Wizard and and just everyone else in the film. I thought it was very well done. I thought it was a great adaptation to the film. It is a part one. I wasn't sure because they weren't really advertising it like that. I know when it was first announced, it's they said that it was going to be a two-parter, but then as it got closer to the film releasing, I didn't see it being advertised like that, so I wasn't sure. But it is a part one, and it stops exactly where act one stops. So I know a lot of people are wondering how they are going to do act two because act two is a lot shorter than act one, but there is still a lot of story to tell going based off the musical and the fact that they're diving into the original Wizard of Oz story as well. So I'm very interested to see what they do with it. There wasn't really much I didn't like about this movie, like at all. I thought it again, I thought it was a very well-done adaptation of the musical. If you're a musical person, it is just right up your alley. It's a fun time. They are releasing sing-along versions of this movie around Christmas time. There's been a big thing about people not singing along with the movie while they go to see it in theaters because theater etiquette, you know? Especially if people who are going to just go see it, they don't really know anything about it. Like Katie has said to me, she doesn't know the story of Wicked, she doesn't know anything about it except that it's connected to the Wizard of Oz. So if you're going to a movie theater, just know that there may be people who are like that who just want to go watch it and just enjoy it. Let them enjoy it. It is a very well-done adaptation. The performances were great, the singing was great, it was just a fun time in the theater. I would highly recommend it. Again, I know there's a lot of controversy around it and the subject matter and everything else. I get it, I understand it. I'm not telling that those people that they are wrong, but as a theater person who appreciates musical theater, I highly, highly enjoyed it. So I'm gonna give Wicked a six out of six. I thought it was a perfect adaptation of the musical. I thought, again, the performances, singing, dancing, everything was just a fun time in the theater. Go see it if you can. And again, if you don't feel comfortable seeing it, don't go see it. There's movies I don't feel comfortable seeing, and I don't go see them. So to each their own, whatever convicts you, convicts you. Whatever doesn't convict you, doesn't convict you. That's my stance. That's where I'm gonna end with. The Couch Critics podcast, where every movie gets its close-up.

SPEAKER_02: 6:27

It's Cinema Sunday with the good stuff begins. Old school, school, awesome wins. Stay awful, such that die. The couch critic who's got that style. Cinema Sunday that's we wine and smile.