I think a lot of it comes down to craft- if a movie engages you with its story, you’re likely gonna be more forgiving of flaws you’d point out in other movies. OE sounds like he just wasn’t engaged with the story. And that’s fine, Wicked’s story is like its least valuable asset (so splitting it in two probably doesn’t help. Haha).
@@gennaroneefjes6248Congratulations sir! Instead of trying to make a legitimate argument in favor of your POV, you instead just threw some buzzword at the problem. Film discourse is truly in a great place.
I hate that criticism. Not all movies need to have subtle themes. This movie is an in your face loud and proud musical it's going to have bold obvious themes and that's ok.
I also super disagree about nothing interesting happening after Popular and/or the train. To me, Glinda’s arc takes the most unexpected turns after these points. Ariana really sold me on Glinda’s beginning to see Elphaba’s perspective, and wrestling with actually evolving into a better and more selfless person or holding onto the last vestiges of her former self’s dreams. “I hope you’re happy” was such a more complex swirl of spite and sorrow and love and support than I expected from these characters, at this point in the climax, had me in tears.
The thing is what I think people forget though is there is a massive difference with the two movies being that this one is a much darker and adult story. If you just look at the comparisons staging wise between the Wizard of Oz and Wicked, Wicked has more of a mechanical feeling on stage and a feeling where everything feels more realistic rather than with the Wizard of Oz where its meant to feel so dreamlike that you can't imagine an idea of a Yellow Brick Road or Emerald City. And therefore I'm not surprised that the colour grading is a bit more subdued as the whole point of the film is its 'lifting the curtain' in a way and questioning if everything you knew about this story was the actual truth or whether there were things that weren't what they seem to be.
I almost feel Oz's vibrancy in the other movie almost represent how Oz looks for Dorothy. For her it feel like this amazing and colorful place. While for characters that live in Oz it wouldn't be this vibrant location. The one location that had that kind of color was the Emerald City, which was constructed by the Wizard, who is from Earth. Then he creates the road adding more vibrancy to Oz.
@@danjon8799 I could appreciate them taking a darker approach with this movie if that's what we got, but it's really not. Instead, it was the worst of both worlds. It's not colorful enough for what people expect from Oz AND it's completely washed out. I would've loved a more contrast-y look or that classic technicolor look over what we got. It's not *horrible* per se, but there was room for improvement.
The problem's not the colour it's the lighting. The film is completely washed out and overexposed in all the day shots, and everything is backlit without motivation. It just seems like pure incompetence and lack of care. I enjoyed the film but it is uuuggly.
Historically, musicals have done well at the Oscar’s. I’m not sure why Oscar Expert is fighting against the concept of Wicked doing well so much. But for reference, Les Miserables was a terrible experience to sit through, the color grading was even worse in that movie, and the singing was terrible, and that movie got 8 nominations, won 3 (including makeup and hair. 😂). The thing with Wicked is that Wicked is a world wide popular thing. Wicked isn’t just popular in America and Europe. This is a musical that’s popular everywhere, and I don’t think that Oscar Expert knows that or is taking that into account into his predictions. There’s been early screenings in the Philippines, Korea, Australia, etc. and they all love the movie. To have a musical movie that is just as possible among Asian countries as American audiences never happens.
@@Sharpe1502Musicals do well with nominations, but the last time a musical won Best Picture was over twenty years ago now, with an even longer gap between it and the one before. That’s not to say a musical CAN’T win Best Picture but the stats are not in its favor
It makes sense to be two parts. Its cleaner. Part 1 is a prequel to the Wizard of Oz, and part 2. Happens adjacent to the Wizard of Oz. If they didn't put "part 1" in the credits, and you never saw the stage show, you would have no idea there even WAS (or needed to be) a part 2.
LITERALLY no one was mad when Dune was cut into two parts. And the thing is, Dune part 1 feels so incomplete to me (obviously because it's a part 1) what I mean is, I finished Dune Part 1 knowing that there's gonna be a part 2 coming. Unlike Wicked where Part 1 feels complete and has its own arc.
@@emanuellancecruz3028it’s just strange to insist “Wicked has to be two movies to tell the full story” when the stage musical does it in less than 3 hours. Dune on the other hand worked terribly as a single movie (David Lynch’s version) and thus everyone was happy to see it split into two.
@@MadMaxFuryRose uhmmm, if you have seen Wicked on Broadway, you would know that there are some parts that are really rushed, and i'm just glad that Wicked movie expanded and add more to the story.
@@MadMaxFuryRose the entirety of act 2, as its presented on stage, would be TERRIBLE as a direct translation on screen. Its pacing is ridiculously condensed and rushed. Literally the scene where Fiyero leaves Glinda, has the affair with Elphaba, Dorothy's house falls in, Glinda does her yellowbrick road schtick with Dorothy, fights with Elphaba, and Fiyero gets captured by the Oz guards all happens within 10 minutes. Including a song. That would play SO badly and rushed in a film format. People who are complaining about the two-movie split, really just don't understand the structure of the stage show, or the narrative and pacing compromises that had to be made to fit this whole show under the 3 hour mark.
Cynthia erivo made a wonderful career decision She was supposed to be in the colour purple remake (she won the tony for playing celie) but she choose wicked instead. The colour purple remake was a BOMB.
I saw Cynthia on Bdway in Colour Purple as she was amazing. Based on her wicked performance, she would have killed as Celie on screen. I did like Fantasia but Cynthia would have been better.
Consider this…Madame Morrible controls the weather, is single-handedly responsible for the drought. And we’re surprised that there’s so much sun lighting in this movie? Also, the shots you showed as the “potential” lighting quality had Cynthia looking ungodly green. I’m sure a LOT of thought behind the lighting was driven by making sure she looked as natural as possible despite having green skin. I think too that the lighting consistency throughout the film helped the revealing of the emerald city really pop with its green and gold. That moment would’ve been less exciting had the whole movie had the same contrasted color quality
Also, feel like in a world where Everything, Everywhere All at Once is a Best Picture winner we shouldn’t be so sure about what isn’t and is a Best Picture. Not saying this will win or be in the top 3 but the snobbery isn’t becoming.
I agree with the brother on the right. My take from the very first trailer was that they were going for a more naturalistic approach to the lighting and color grading to ground us in "reality" (as weird as that sounds when talking about Oz.). The production and costume designs are so fantastical, the more subdued lighting and color grading keep it from looking too cartoonish and allows us to plausibly accept this world as "real." That's how I view it, anyway.
Exactly!!! Everybody wants color until you get it and realize it looks like a damn cartoon and becomes so unserious that you can’t take the grounded moments with any form of gravitas.
90% RT Score critics score, 99% Audience score. Tracking to open at $160 million domestically, $220+ million internationally. This is a big Oscar player.
And this is so much better than Chicago. Hope it wins BP, and I've never even seen the original musical, nor am I a Grande stan. Having seen most Oscar candidates, this film was by far the standout.
@@blackforest825It can eek out a win BECAUSE there is no front-runner this year. I just think Anora is not that much of a front-runner to win outright.
@@scorpioninpink I heard great things about Anora, and I love Sean Baker. But, at the end of the day, it is a a small indie film. Wicked will have the box office numbers, the craft, the Broadway hype, and will win plenty of other Oscars (supporting actress, costume, etc.) Not since Chicago has a musical won either. And it will appeal greatly to the older members of the Academy. My bet is on that, or The Brutalist, which, in particular, seems like classic Oscar bait next level.
@@blackforest825I feel Anora should win script, director, and best actress but if best actress went to Cynthia I would love that. Wicked needs to nominate John, hoping it wins best picture, supporting actress, costume, sound, set design, and I would hope hair & makeup but the substance should get something so either or for that.
I agree with Cole that the it needed more color while also agreeing with Justin that the sets and costumes do so much of the work it was hard to be truly distracted.
This is honestly one of the most justified examples of needing two parts I’ve seen. I was against it initially. But now I see how the film would have been so rushed. There is so much added in that couldn’t be adequately depicted on stage. The film leverages its medium to elevate the IP.
How i perceived it. In Wicked, the song “One Short Day” marks a pivotal moment for Elphaba. As she and Glinda arrive in the Emerald City, Elphaba’s awe reflects her last glimmer of hope and belief in the Wizard’s benevolence. However, she soon discovers that the city’s splendor is merely a facade, concealing the Wizard’s oppressive control, especially over the Animals. This realization is crucial, as it propels the narrative into a darker, more complex exploration of power and morality. The decision to split the film adaptation into two parts allows for a more comprehensive exploration of the story, blending elements from both the musical and Gregory Maguire’s novel. This approach ensures that the depth and nuance of the original material are preserved, providing audiences with a richer understanding of the characters and themes. Condensing the narrative into a single film might have necessitated the omission of significant plot points, thereby diminishing the story’s impact. Therefore, dividing the film into two parts is a thoughtful choice to honor the source material’s complexity and provide a more immersive experience.
gotta side with Brother Bro here. In general, I just feel like going into a movie with certain technical expectations then being mad they aren't what you wanted is a bit of a bad journalistic practice.
Since people seem to consider Wicked similar in buzz to Barbie, let's go there. Both Wicked and Barbie had a production budget of $145 million. Now ask yourself, "Is there a distinct difference in quality of image?" And if your answer isn't "Yes" then you're blind. The images Gerwig and Prieto were able to capture are infinitely more compelling than the washed out garbage Chu and Brooks gave us.
What was everyone watching? A scene or two where the colour wasn’t as vibrant and suddenly the entire movie needed more colour 😂😂😂😂 you absolutely needed 2 parts to this movie too
Guy on the left just seems you wanted a different story than what the Wicked story is lol. You think all these things are simple and obvious etc.. that IS the Wicked story. Did you want them to change the story? Some of the critiques just seem to not make sense.
They subtracted color. I'm a photographer with a calibrated screen. They definitely messed up. That's from the screenshots you provided. Also backlit washout light was a bad choice. Edit: Definitely not a light balance issue. Neutral white balance is ok. But it is actively desaturated. Weird...
Mildest of part 2 discussion “spoilers” below in terms of vaguely talking about the tone: Controversial take….but the musical literally can’t stand on its own in a single movie (and I really enjoy Wicked). It’s very entertaining, the world loves it and that’s what counts but there’s a reason why it was not a critical darling when it first came out. The book scenes of the musical…are not strong enough ESPECIALLY act 2. Things move soooo quick and it forces you to really suspend your disbelief on how much things take a turn really fast and then wrap up with a nice lil bow even faster, as musicals tend to do, but it’s weak even in that category. I don’t think that suspension of disbelief would hold up in a movie especially if the story was further truncated. I agree that watching part 1 you may feel like they could cut some of the exposition down but I think the split was to bolster Act 2.
I agree with Justin re the color grading. Every surface in the film is such a bold color, over-saturation would’ve been far too much to look at for close to 3 hours.
I absolutely LOVED the aesthetics in this film. The color palette and unique costumes would’ve made ROY G BIV proud. Also the miniature Oz universe the wizard walks through later in the film is so well done. I am stunned to hear that there are complaints about the aesthetics. I also liked the tracking shots in the cinematography
The entire film lacked any type of vibrance in color aside from the Popular musical sequence. It's no excuse to have the 1939 Wizard Of Oz look a million times better than this.
I respectfully disagree. The color choices in this adaptation align well with the themes, especially for those familiar with the stage show and the book. The musical offers a different perspective, while the book delves into darker, more intense themes, reminiscent of World War II and the Holocaust, particularly in how Animals are segregated mutilated and the political undertones. In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy’s transition from a black-and-white Kansas to the vibrant Oz highlights the world’s magic. In Wicked, however, Oz is already established, and magic is an everyday occurrence. The underlying tension suggests that the world shouldn’t feel overtly magical; instead, magic is a routine part of life, much like the omnipresence of war. This narrative parallels The Hunger Games to me. with the Emerald City as District One, Elphaba as Katniss Everdeen, Fiyero as Peeta, and Glinda as Effie. And Madame and the wizard sharing the role of President Snow The subdued color palette reflects the story’s complexities and the characters’ struggles within a society where magic is commonplace yet fraught with underlying conflicts.
As a NYer who loves Wicked. Cole is right. The weaknesses of the musical are overwhelmingly highlighted because it's half a story. What's worse is that Act 1, is notorious for having all the best and the fun songs. So now you set up pt 2 to instantly fail. If Speilberg could retell West Sode Story in under 3 hours, than Wicked did not have to be 6 hours. There's so much added to the runtime but nothing new or fleshed out from Act 1 in the musical. Also Defying Gravity dragggggggggssss. She hits the last note and the movie is still going. As someone who loves Wicked, Cole is right. Its just that fans want this to be good so they're forgiving all the major flaws.
Yep exactly. Wicked has always had flaws and it feels like this movie chose to highlight them and leave the wonderful, magical elements of the musical underdeveloped
Well if you actually love wicked then you'd know how part two of the Broadway show is notorious for feeling quite rushed. That's one of the reasons why it's in two parts. If not you'd be complaining about the movie being rushed had it been one whole movie.
@Rozziefeatherschneider Film is a medium. If you need 6 hours to tell a story, make a limited series, not a movie. It's really not a hard concept to understand. Film is 1.5-3 hours with a beginning, middle, and end. Television is a beautiful thing. Utilize it properly, but Film is its own medium that should be respected. Otherwise, make something else or find someone capable of doing the job. No musical has ever been 2 parts, and Wicked of all musicals doesn't warrant it either.
@@SoulKnightKing This movie still did a pretty great job of having 3 acts. I felt satisfied by the end. If your entire logic is large stories should not be put in film format, I guess we should say goodbye to lord of the rings and tonnes of other great stories. I don't agree at all with your logic.
So I also saw an advance showing of this two weeks ago and took my nieces. First of all it's a cinematic masterpiece. Secondly, even though the film is great and this has no effect on its greatness was the advance showing to me also did look "dull" as described but I saw it twice today Friday on Dolby and iMax at AMC and it was a much different visual and sound experience. I'm not sure if they reformated it for the official release but the colors where much more vibrant and not as "Dull" as they were in my advance screening and I noticed this more in the iMax screen than I did in the Dolby Vision which usually I would prefer Dolby. I'm not sure which format you both saw it in but I would suggest a 2nd viewing in iMax or Dolby.
from Stephen Schwartz, and i agree: We found it very difficult to get past 'Defying Gravity' without a break ... That song is written specifically to bring a curtain down, and whatever scene to follow it without a break just seemed hugely anti-climactic ... Even as a very long single movie, it required us cutting or omitting things that we wanted to include and that we think fans of the show and the story will appreciate. What we have discussed is that changes need to be 'additive', to use (producer) Marc Platt's term. They need to add something to the story or the characters. They can't just be changes to do something different. I feel confident that by the time the movie is made, if we all continue to have the same degree of input, I could have a conversation with anyone who has a question about any of the changes made from the stage show and justify why I think it's better for the movie.
It's not about the set being colorful, it's about knowing how to work with all these colors. Glinda, so striking in her use of pink, appears to wear a grayish pink for most of the film. It's ugly, it doesn't explore the beautiful scenarios created
? it is a pastel pink and for the majority of the shiz scenes she stands out extremely well as the rest of the students wear blue uniforms. she does not blend in at all.
People are allowed to like and dislike whatever the hell they want. It’s their opinion. See it yourself and make up your own mind. People who get so mad and defensive over someone else’s opinion on a damn movie.
I honestly don't get the comments re: colour grading / cinematography. I saw it on a basic standard admission screen, and it is a very bright, colourful movie. The evening scenes are visible and no one is badly lit.
I don't understand the hype towards this movie, people were saying it was a masterpiece,the way people threw the word masterpiece is really something else
Hairstyling is part of Makeup as well! It’s not just prosthetics. Poor Things was more about hairstyling than makeup arguably…yes Willem Dafoe’s makeup as well but Emma Stone’s hairstyling might have been the more impressive task
“Look at the wizard of Oz movie from 1939 versus this movie”, what a generic comment to make. The wizard of oz was made in technicolor, which has its own distinct visual, over saturated style. Looking at that movie now, it just enhances the plasticity of the sets and highlights the ‘set-like’ quality of the movie which, on the one hand, has its own aestethic, but on the other hand, feels like we are moving from one stage set to another, creating a facade for a world. Here, in wicked (catering for audiences in 2024, not 1939), the color is not over saturated but rather used in a manner to immerse you in the world that is colourful- hyper-realistic colours and over-blown saturation would detract from that tangible quality. But there is a lot of great use of colour in this film. Even in the darker scenes, like in the club, there is a sort of rainbow iridescence to it. Another point to consider is that, in the wizard of oz, the point of view is from Dorothy, a character who is a stranger in this world and experiencing it for the first time- so a heightened sense of realism works well to allow us to see it through her eyes. In wicked, the perspective is from characters from that world, so it make sense that, while still wonderous, it doesn’t need to over-emphasize the colour tones in an exaggerated way as we are seeing it from the point of view from its inhabitants.
I really want to know more from people that have no history with the musical prior to the movie. I think this movie is the most effective for musical theater lovers.
Loved the movie even more than when I saw the musical (didn’t see the original cast). The two lead actresses in this version deserve Oscar nominations as well as the director and technical and craft awards. So far I’ve seen it in IMAX and Dolby Cinema and the Dolby Cinema was better because the colors were more vivid due to the Dolby Vision. More theater chains need Dolby Cinema or some other equivalent. The only scene that needed better lighting was the end of the song Popular when Glinda is dancing in the pink hallway in a pink dress. She blends too much into the background. The end of the song looks great though in Dolby Vision when she is standing in front of the window with the light coming through. Also, the second half of the movie where Glinda and Elphaba board the train and go to the Emerald City is a fitting transition towards the end of the movie in my opinion. It’s the last trip, the last bit of fun the characters have together and they don’t know it. At the end of the town song with the original musical cast leads and fireworks, the entrance doors close behind the girls and the story takes its darkest turn and the characters won’t ever be the same. That’s a great ending to part 1. Looking forward to seeing part 2 in a year.
I’m noticing that most of the negative reviews that I’m seeing are focussed on issues with the visual. I’ll admit I’m not the biggest fan of John Chu as a Director, but I can’t deny that the film is so full of heart and brilliant characterization by its actors. The story is way more than just about discrimination. It’s about friendship and not at a surface level. At the same time it also speaks to a piece of IP. That is almost 100 years old in a way that makes it truly relevant again. Wicked as IP is absolutely fascinating. I don’t like how the negative reviews are simply focussed on visual and not even tapping into the depth of the story. I understand that if you’re not familiar with the wicked IP, you’re only getting half of the story but there’s so much more to talk about here than issues with the visuals which in my opinion aren’t even close to being egregious. It’s just about your personal taste. I would’ve loved a more stylized tour to take this over. But maybe then the heart of the film would’ve been sacrificed. All in all I was nervous about what we were going to get and ultimately, I deeply satisfied and can’t wait to see how part two pans out.
My god, thank you all for giving me some hope with this review. I’m simply astounded to see so many reviews that refuse to criticize this film at all, and also give complete credit to Jon Chu. Critics are beginning to become less reliable to actually critique art suddenly in music and now film? It’s concerning, so I appreciate you guys actually having cons along with your pros as any film should have, even if it’s your favorite movie ever.
@@nms7872 Both movies that have won the last two years have been popular movies that have made people have an emotional reaction or have somehow gut punched the audience. Oppenheimer’s ending made you go, “Oof,” and was aw inspiring. Everything Everywhere All At Once had everyone in my theater in tears. Wicked had the same reaction in my theater both times I went. I really hate to be the bearer of bad news but… I’d put this movie near the top of my predictions if I were you.
It was fantastic!! So smart, and overflowing with respect for the source material. So many complex layers to Gregory Maguire's book and they did a great job of capturing his cleverness. I think the two part structure is essential to the film's success. I'm shocked that it delivered the goods for me because I was very skeptical going in. Impressive!! I'm also shocked that you didn't like it. I feel like you are not giving it enough credit!
green shirt is just being a contrarian and i don’t think his review is made in good faith. if you go in with all these preconceived opinions that you got from stan twitter of course you’re going to be inclined to dislike it. i think 5/10 is very funny. camp.
It does feel like he is being like this because he already has a bias when it comes to the Oscar races but I am so glad his brother serves as a counter balance.
I rarely get a chance to directly compare the IMAX experience to a regular film, and I have to say the color grading wasn't an issue for me at all in the former compared to the latter. On top of the obvious improvement in sound quality for the music, I would highly recommend the IMAX experience at large.
I watched it on the opening night. It has its moments, good production design and costume design - but I find pacing and tonal shift between songs are not done well and very distracting. I do think the movie is abit too long for what it is, and is quite similar to stage play (ie not that much additional materials being added).
Someone is grumpy and lacking empathy. Yes lighting could be better and visual effects could be better..but this is a tremendous achievement. Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and Jon M. Chu all deserve oscar nominations. Set design, costumes and hair makeup are all superb. Makes you cry, smile, laugh.😊
I'm on team Cole. I don't accept fans excusing the fact that this film could have looked less murky and desaturated, and it was jarring for a massive musical set in the world of the Wizard of Oz to look like that for quite a few scenes. Not every film has to be a technicolor dreamland, but this one did. Would you have excused Barbie if it was atrociously white balanced and desaturated? It hurts the film significantly that it goes for hack "realism" rather than daring to dream a whole dream in it's visuals.
I actually felt the splitting is worse in Dune Part 1 than Wicked. Still loved it and rated it high, but watching it again as a stand alone the ending is incredibly anticlimactic. Just a setup for the Part 2 which wasn’t even filmed yet.
yeah... guy on the left seems like he just wanted to dislike it, comes across EXTREMELY nitpicky and complaining about things that are so silly. First off, the story is a very strong message and discrimination, etc. is very serious issues that is still very relevant today especially right now in today's political climate, but if you go into any film just looking at it as if it's a message you're suppose to be seeing... of course ur not gonna be invested in it. It's really about seeing the characters and story unfold and becoming emotionally invested in the characters. Even if you don't relate to them, it's something called empathy and compassion. Also really over complaining about stories being cut into 2 parts... when it's done, it's most likely cuz it's needed and the people who worked on this film and created it are huge fans, I think they understand it more. Wicked fans know how rushed the 2nd act is on the stage. Dune was just cut into 2 parts cause everyone knows how difficult that story is to bring to life and how detailed the books are.
It’s not just an obvious story lol. Yeah there is some Obvious element because it’s been out for over 20 years lol. How complex do you need the story to be? How is this obvious and simple but you gave Barbie such a high rating? That’s a bit disconnected for me but everyone is allowed to have an opinion, regardless of how much it’s not consistent lol.
After popular nothing interesting happens between the two characters!? The final song defines what their relationship is moving forward into part two…the Oscar expert is trying too hard to be one of the cool film bros on letterboxd…opinions can be wrong and they are here.
I really think hype ruins our expectations. It’s so hard to ignore these days because everyone’s opinion is everywhere within minutes of seeing a movie. I truly believe he would have enjoyed it more if he went in completely blind. I miss the days when our opinion on a film was only word of mouth.
I do not agree with the visual criticisms. I think the cinematography, color grading and direction was magical and the look of the film and lighting really worked for me. Also the film wouldn't have worked as a 1 part story. For those who haven't seen or aren't familiar with the second act of Wicked, you'll understand why these two films needed to be two parts
I’m with Oscar Expert on this one. I thought Wicked was quite flat, washed out and too long for what it really delivers. I did not care that much about the characters and I think the Part 1 factor really affected the plot. (I have never seen the broadway show and didn’t know anything about the story prior to watching the film)
I think it’s worth noting that the stage show has some major flaws. One of which being the severely underdeveloped characters. While I don’t think this needed to be two films, this did need to be at least 3.5-4 hours. The film developed the characters MUCH better than the stage does because they had more time to. Remember the stage show is based on a novel (a dark novel at that) and a TON was left out to make the 2.5 hour cut.
You guys should watch the musical to see how this part of the story works so much better with half the runtime... this film literally has every single line and song from the first act of the musical, so you can watch and see how it doesn't feel rushed in its stage format, and how the movie feels incredibly bloated... honestly, if the lines and scenes they added felt in any way inspired or necessary, I wouldn't mind the runtime, but I spent the whole film noticing how inferior all the new material was...
I actually think it has a shot in Adapted Screenplay. Kinda a tall order for them to honor and draw from the broadway show, the novel, The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz, etc. I thought they did a great job paying homage to it all, while still being its own thing. Honestly there are so many ways this could’ve/shouldve flopped like Cats, but they pulled it off. I think the academy will be impressed by that.
I haven't even seen this movie yet, but based on the shots they're showing in this video, I feel like my stance on the color/cinematography might be that there's probably enough color saturation, but there might be too much fade/not enough saturated black. It seems like the colors pop, but the darker tones and blacks are washed out. I guess we'll see how it looks once I actually see it in a theater.
Just going to say; it's a movie worth watching, but fine if it didn't sit with you; it's not awful, but not for everyone. We mexicans (not all but a good bunch) aren't stomaching Emilia Pérez quite well, but that is way more cultural... All is subjectivity...
Y'all should watch the broadway musical and see that it's has more dull colors than the film, I wouldn't compare this to the OG wizard of oz because that is meant to be colorful af because of the technicolor and it's a children's movie watching it feels like a dream and not real. With this movie you feel like Oz is real and it is not washed out it's very vibrant when i watched it in the cinemas lol have we been watching the same movie?
Dune 2 is probably going to have the most nominations overall. The only movie I see that could tie or surpass it would be The Brutalist. Should be about 10 nominations for Dune 2 if Denis gets nominated, perhaps 11 if it qualifies for Best Score.
Yeah makes me feel crazy that dune is not running away with this thing. Why??? I hope when it gets screened again closer to Oscars that it picks up steam again.
@@DaveNetWorld I can see that it will get technical categories, but omg Javier should be considered for supporting. Heck even Austin. Timothee gave an amazing speech. Maybe he might get it for the Bob Dylan film.
@@DaveNetWorld The way people have decided this before even seeing the movie is cringe. And it proves that movie studios control everything and absolutely no-one has an independent opinion.
Ok. So first of all. The cinematography and unsaturated hues and white light are exactly what allows the film to escape from the Disney-esque/Oz The Great and Powerful CGI super expected random aesthetic we were all scared of from the trailers. Totally deliberate. These choices are why the film looks real and classic rather than popping out in saturation and cheap like all those forgettable Disney live action movies. Second of all, the animal theme is in the musical and it’s great. Finally Jeff Goldblum is amazing in this. Refreshing review but in all cases this film will become a classic and Wicked fans will cheer for a very very long time.
I must say all love to cole but i'm completely agree with justin her. great movie and I agree so much with how the complaints abt the cinematography are overblown twitter nonsense. i guess I wouldn't mind a tiny bit more of saturation but I enjoyed the visuals overall and the ones on the 3rd act in particular are pretty great, loved everything abt the emerald city. and this was actually one of the few rare cases of a "part 1" where I felt like I left the theater satisfied with the movie as a one-piece. the ending with elphaba and glinda having to decide if they are gonna take a stand together or go separate ways was a great way to finish this first movie bc it fulfilled the narrative beats that the movie explored through their two main characters during its duration. i didn't mind the loose ends abt their relationships with fiyero or what's gonna happen with elphaba's sister because clearly those are supposed to be cliffhanger elements that will get explored in the 2nd movie. they did connect the main themes of this first part during that finale and that's why it works so well IMO.
i agree with what brother bro is saying about the characters and such, but i also agree with cole, and i think coles points bring down the film quite a bit
That’s not what they’re saying at all. They’re just saying that it’s very surface level, which it is. It’s meant to be surface level because this is one of the most popular Broadway musicals ever, and it’s meant to be palatable to general audiences. They’re not complaining about the theme, they’re just pointing out that it’s quite simple
@@toxic1strike167right. I used to listen to the soundtrack growing up, and knew the general plot, but have never seen the play. and I was pretty underwhelmed with how uninteresting and simple a lot of the story was
I’m not an expert on cinema and lighting but I don’t think we could be comparing Wicked’s colour to a 85 year old movie that was big during its time. Wicked doesn’t have to be big and colourful like the Wizard of Oz. Yes Wicked is set in the same world as the Wizard of Oz but this movie is adapted from a Boardway show that was adapted off a book. Wicked could have two parts because it would be weird to have something immediately following Defying Gravity which is act 1’s closure. Both of you make fair points but consider other facts and decisions that might have been made in making this movie (and by extension part 2)
omg they disagreed, it's the end of the world....
Dad and uncle are fighting 😭
Criticizing Wicked because the messaging was too obvious but then giving Barbie 5 stars is interesting to me.
I think a lot of it comes down to craft- if a movie engages you with its story, you’re likely gonna be more forgiving of flaws you’d point out in other movies. OE sounds like he just wasn’t engaged with the story. And that’s fine, Wicked’s story is like its least valuable asset (so splitting it in two probably doesn’t help. Haha).
They're so woke it ruins their judgement
@@gennaroneefjes6248Congratulations sir! Instead of trying to make a legitimate argument in favor of your POV, you instead just threw some buzzword at the problem. Film discourse is truly in a great place.
@@guysimchony309why do you sound sarcastic? are you sarcastic? i think you’re being sarcastic. now go to jail 👮♂️👮♂️
I hate that criticism. Not all movies need to have subtle themes. This movie is an in your face loud and proud musical it's going to have bold obvious themes and that's ok.
This movie would NOT have worked in one part! Like at all! Don’t know what the hell Cole is talking about
he provided reasons you didn’t.
He's 100% right
It’s almost as if big budget Hollywood movies are allergic to shadows for some reason.
I also super disagree about nothing interesting happening after Popular and/or the train. To me, Glinda’s arc takes the most unexpected turns after these points. Ariana really sold me on Glinda’s beginning to see Elphaba’s perspective, and wrestling with actually evolving into a better and more selfless person or holding onto the last vestiges of her former self’s dreams. “I hope you’re happy” was such a more complex swirl of spite and sorrow and love and support than I expected from these characters, at this point in the climax, had me in tears.
Why didn’t we hear this “Why is there a part 2” complaint when Dune came out?
Parents are fighting! Go in the other room!
I think the color grading criticism comes exactly from those wizard of oz comparisons. People expect Oz to be bursting with colors and vibrancy.
The thing is what I think people forget though is there is a massive difference with the two movies being that this one is a much darker and adult story. If you just look at the comparisons staging wise between the Wizard of Oz and Wicked, Wicked has more of a mechanical feeling on stage and a feeling where everything feels more realistic rather than with the Wizard of Oz where its meant to feel so dreamlike that you can't imagine an idea of a Yellow Brick Road or Emerald City. And therefore I'm not surprised that the colour grading is a bit more subdued as the whole point of the film is its 'lifting the curtain' in a way and questioning if everything you knew about this story was the actual truth or whether there were things that weren't what they seem to be.
I almost feel Oz's vibrancy in the other movie almost represent how Oz looks for Dorothy. For her it feel like this amazing and colorful place. While for characters that live in Oz it wouldn't be this vibrant location. The one location that had that kind of color was the Emerald City, which was constructed by the Wizard, who is from Earth. Then he creates the road adding more vibrancy to Oz.
@@danjon8799 I could appreciate them taking a darker approach with this movie if that's what we got, but it's really not. Instead, it was the worst of both worlds. It's not colorful enough for what people expect from Oz AND it's completely washed out. I would've loved a more contrast-y look or that classic technicolor look over what we got. It's not *horrible* per se, but there was room for improvement.
The problem's not the colour it's the lighting. The film is completely washed out and overexposed in all the day shots, and everything is backlit without motivation. It just seems like pure incompetence and lack of care. I enjoyed the film but it is uuuggly.
Bros, Chicago was a Broadway adaptation and it was nominated and won
Historically, musicals have done well at the Oscar’s. I’m not sure why Oscar Expert is fighting against the concept of Wicked doing well so much. But for reference, Les Miserables was a terrible experience to sit through, the color grading was even worse in that movie, and the singing was terrible, and that movie got 8 nominations, won 3 (including makeup and hair. 😂).
The thing with Wicked is that Wicked is a world wide popular thing. Wicked isn’t just popular in America and Europe. This is a musical that’s popular everywhere, and I don’t think that Oscar Expert knows that or is taking that into account into his predictions. There’s been early screenings in the Philippines, Korea, Australia, etc. and they all love the movie. To have a musical movie that is just as possible among Asian countries as American audiences never happens.
@@Sharpe1502Musicals do well with nominations, but the last time a musical won Best Picture was over twenty years ago now, with an even longer gap between it and the one before. That’s not to say a musical CAN’T win Best Picture but the stats are not in its favor
It makes sense to be two parts. Its cleaner. Part 1 is a prequel to the Wizard of Oz, and part 2. Happens adjacent to the Wizard of Oz.
If they didn't put "part 1" in the credits, and you never saw the stage show, you would have no idea there even WAS (or needed to be) a part 2.
LITERALLY no one was mad when Dune was cut into two parts. And the thing is, Dune part 1 feels so incomplete to me (obviously because it's a part 1) what I mean is, I finished Dune Part 1 knowing that there's gonna be a part 2 coming. Unlike Wicked where Part 1 feels complete and has its own arc.
@@emanuellancecruz3028wild take. every dune criticism is that is was split into two. even oscar experts said that.
@@emanuellancecruz3028it’s just strange to insist “Wicked has to be two movies to tell the full story” when the stage musical does it in less than 3 hours. Dune on the other hand worked terribly as a single movie (David Lynch’s version) and thus everyone was happy to see it split into two.
@@MadMaxFuryRose uhmmm, if you have seen Wicked on Broadway, you would know that there are some parts that are really rushed, and i'm just glad that Wicked movie expanded and add more to the story.
@@MadMaxFuryRose the entirety of act 2, as its presented on stage, would be TERRIBLE as a direct translation on screen. Its pacing is ridiculously condensed and rushed. Literally the scene where Fiyero leaves Glinda, has the affair with Elphaba, Dorothy's house falls in, Glinda does her yellowbrick road schtick with Dorothy, fights with Elphaba, and Fiyero gets captured by the Oz guards all happens within 10 minutes. Including a song. That would play SO badly and rushed in a film format.
People who are complaining about the two-movie split, really just don't understand the structure of the stage show, or the narrative and pacing compromises that had to be made to fit this whole show under the 3 hour mark.
Wow cant believe Cole didn't like it smh thats crazy right guys
The division is real, fam
You calling it a MCU musical is still worse
@@GareBare90 What division? It's got 91% on Rt and 99% audience score.
@joser1853 the division between the twins, not the movie...
Lmao, trying to pass the buck I see?
Cynthia erivo made a wonderful career decision
She was supposed to be in the colour purple remake (she won the tony for playing celie) but she choose wicked instead.
The colour purple remake was a BOMB.
Actually a lot of people didn't want her to play Celie in the movie version because she's British and not American.
I saw Cynthia on Bdway in Colour Purple as she was amazing. Based on her wicked performance, she would have killed as Celie on screen. I did like Fantasia but Cynthia would have been better.
I didn’t even know it was out 💀💀💀
Consider this…Madame Morrible controls the weather, is single-handedly responsible for the drought. And we’re surprised that there’s so much sun lighting in this movie?
Also, the shots you showed as the “potential” lighting quality had Cynthia looking ungodly green. I’m sure a LOT of thought behind the lighting was driven by making sure she looked as natural as possible despite having green skin.
I think too that the lighting consistency throughout the film helped the revealing of the emerald city really pop with its green and gold. That moment would’ve been less exciting had the whole movie had the same contrasted color quality
Not a lot of dazzle in the movie..not vibrant.. WHAT?!?! Dude were you asleep?? That’s the wildest thing I’ve heard about this film.
Right??? I’m convinced I watched separate movie from what the guy on the left watched
@ Right!
oh Brother Bro don't eat him up like that!
😭😭😭
The Oscar expert ate
Also, feel like in a world where Everything, Everywhere All at Once is a Best Picture winner we shouldn’t be so sure about what isn’t and is a Best Picture. Not saying this will win or be in the top 3 but the snobbery isn’t becoming.
I think it will at least win Golden Globes for Comedy or Musical.
@@scorpioninpink which should be ANORA, but WE know the foreign Press and their Love for musical
I agree with the brother on the right. My take from the very first trailer was that they were going for a more naturalistic approach to the lighting and color grading to ground us in "reality" (as weird as that sounds when talking about Oz.). The production and costume designs are so fantastical, the more subdued lighting and color grading keep it from looking too cartoonish and allows us to plausibly accept this world as "real." That's how I view it, anyway.
Exactly!!! Everybody wants color until you get it and realize it looks like a damn cartoon and becomes so unserious that you can’t take the grounded moments with any form of gravitas.
90% RT Score critics score, 99% Audience score. Tracking to open at $160 million domestically, $220+ million internationally. This is a big Oscar player.
Welcome back, Siskel & Ebert.
ahahahahahahaa
THIS!
It's been awhile, but the adaptation of Chicago the musical won Best Picture in 2003.
And this is so much better than Chicago. Hope it wins BP, and I've never even seen the original musical, nor am I a Grande stan. Having seen most Oscar candidates, this film was by far the standout.
@@blackforest825LOL!
@@blackforest825It can eek out a win BECAUSE there is no front-runner this year. I just think Anora is not that much of a front-runner to win outright.
@@scorpioninpink I heard great things about Anora, and I love Sean Baker. But, at the end of the day, it is a a small indie film. Wicked will have the box office numbers, the craft, the Broadway hype, and will win plenty of other Oscars (supporting actress, costume, etc.) Not since Chicago has a musical won either. And it will appeal greatly to the older members of the Academy. My bet is on that, or The Brutalist, which, in particular, seems like classic Oscar bait next level.
@@blackforest825I feel Anora should win script, director, and best actress but if best actress went to Cynthia I would love that. Wicked needs to nominate John, hoping it wins best picture, supporting actress, costume, sound, set design, and I would hope hair & makeup but the substance should get something so either or for that.
I agree with Cole that the it needed more color while also agreeing with Justin that the sets and costumes do so much of the work it was hard to be truly distracted.
who tf is Justin? His first name is Brother.
Are they twins?
This is honestly one of the most justified examples of needing two parts I’ve seen. I was against it initially. But now I see how the film would have been so rushed. There is so much added in that couldn’t be adequately depicted on stage. The film leverages its medium to elevate the IP.
How i perceived it. In Wicked, the song “One Short Day” marks a pivotal moment for Elphaba. As she and Glinda arrive in the Emerald City, Elphaba’s awe reflects her last glimmer of hope and belief in the Wizard’s benevolence. However, she soon discovers that the city’s splendor is merely a facade, concealing the Wizard’s oppressive control, especially over the Animals. This realization is crucial, as it propels the narrative into a darker, more complex exploration of power and morality.
The decision to split the film adaptation into two parts allows for a more comprehensive exploration of the story, blending elements from both the musical and Gregory Maguire’s novel. This approach ensures that the depth and nuance of the original material are preserved, providing audiences with a richer understanding of the characters and themes. Condensing the narrative into a single film might have necessitated the omission of significant plot points, thereby diminishing the story’s impact. Therefore, dividing the film into two parts is a thoughtful choice to honor the source material’s complexity and provide a more immersive experience.
This comment ❤
EXACTLYYYY
gotta side with Brother Bro here. In general, I just feel like going into a movie with certain technical expectations then being mad they aren't what you wanted is a bit of a bad journalistic practice.
I liked the film a lot but I also agree with both of your arguments lol. This was a Siskel/Ebert level disagreement.
Since people seem to consider Wicked similar in buzz to Barbie, let's go there.
Both Wicked and Barbie had a production budget of $145 million.
Now ask yourself, "Is there a distinct difference in quality of image?" And if your answer isn't "Yes" then you're blind. The images Gerwig and Prieto were able to capture are infinitely more compelling than the washed out garbage Chu and Brooks gave us.
Brother Bro spilled like he actually ate that
What was everyone watching? A scene or two where the colour wasn’t as vibrant and suddenly the entire movie needed more colour 😂😂😂😂 you absolutely needed 2 parts to this movie too
Guy on the left just seems you wanted a different story than what the Wicked story is lol. You think all these things are simple and obvious etc.. that IS the Wicked story. Did you want them to change the story? Some of the critiques just seem to not make sense.
Oscar experts: why human animals are not welcome?
People who saw Cats movie: please don’t say that again.
They subtracted color. I'm a photographer with a calibrated screen. They definitely messed up. That's from the screenshots you provided. Also backlit washout light was a bad choice.
Edit: Definitely not a light balance issue. Neutral white balance is ok. But it is actively desaturated. Weird...
I had no problem with the color. Didn't realise people were complaining about it until I saw Twitter.
Mildest of part 2 discussion “spoilers” below in terms of vaguely talking about the tone:
Controversial take….but the musical literally can’t stand on its own in a single movie (and I really enjoy Wicked). It’s very entertaining, the world loves it and that’s what counts but there’s a reason why it was not a critical darling when it first came out. The book scenes of the musical…are not strong enough ESPECIALLY act 2. Things move soooo quick and it forces you to really suspend your disbelief on how much things take a turn really fast and then wrap up with a nice lil bow even faster, as musicals tend to do, but it’s weak even in that category. I don’t think that suspension of disbelief would hold up in a movie especially if the story was further truncated. I agree that watching part 1 you may feel like they could cut some of the exposition down but I think the split was to bolster Act 2.
I love when you guys are catty towards each other
I agree with Justin re the color grading. Every surface in the film is such a bold color, over-saturation would’ve been far too much to look at for close to 3 hours.
I absolutely LOVED the aesthetics in this film. The color palette and unique costumes would’ve made ROY G BIV proud. Also the miniature Oz universe the wizard walks through later in the film is so well done. I am stunned to hear that there are complaints about the aesthetics. I also liked the tracking shots in the cinematography
You saw it in a bad cinema because where I went it was SO colourful and not remotely washed out
But your screenshots do look weirdly pale
The media narrative is not going to be fun if Cynthia Erivo misses out on a best actress nomination
this video is proof that you guys have the best channel on yt
Can’t believe my parents are fighting. But i agree with both of you in many ways!
It's so fun when they actually disagree! ;DD
The entire film lacked any type of vibrance in color aside from the Popular musical sequence. It's no excuse to have the 1939 Wizard Of Oz look a million times better than this.
I respectfully disagree. The color choices in this adaptation align well with the themes, especially for those familiar with the stage show and the book. The musical offers a different perspective, while the book delves into darker, more intense themes, reminiscent of World War II and the Holocaust, particularly in how Animals are segregated mutilated and the political undertones.
In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy’s transition from a black-and-white Kansas to the vibrant Oz highlights the world’s magic. In Wicked, however, Oz is already established, and magic is an everyday occurrence. The underlying tension suggests that the world shouldn’t feel overtly magical; instead, magic is a routine part of life, much like the omnipresence of war.
This narrative parallels The Hunger Games to me. with the Emerald City as District One, Elphaba as Katniss Everdeen, Fiyero as Peeta, and Glinda as Effie. And Madame and the wizard sharing the role of President Snow The subdued color palette reflects the story’s complexities and the characters’ struggles within a society where magic is commonplace yet fraught with underlying conflicts.
are you sure you saw the same movie?
@jlmeloveu Yes
There is an excuse. The Wizard of Oz used Technicolor. From what I understand it cannot be done anymore.
As a NYer who loves Wicked. Cole is right. The weaknesses of the musical are overwhelmingly highlighted because it's half a story. What's worse is that Act 1, is notorious for having all the best and the fun songs. So now you set up pt 2 to instantly fail. If Speilberg could retell West Sode Story in under 3 hours, than Wicked did not have to be 6 hours. There's so much added to the runtime but nothing new or fleshed out from Act 1 in the musical. Also Defying Gravity dragggggggggssss. She hits the last note and the movie is still going.
As someone who loves Wicked, Cole is right. Its just that fans want this to be good so they're forgiving all the major flaws.
Yep exactly. Wicked has always had flaws and it feels like this movie chose to highlight them and leave the wonderful, magical elements of the musical underdeveloped
They're writing new songs for act two by the same writer who wrote the musical. I also have faith it will be handled well.
Well if you actually love wicked then you'd know how part two of the Broadway show is notorious for feeling quite rushed. That's one of the reasons why it's in two parts. If not you'd be complaining about the movie being rushed had it been one whole movie.
@Rozziefeatherschneider Film is a medium. If you need 6 hours to tell a story, make a limited series, not a movie. It's really not a hard concept to understand. Film is 1.5-3 hours with a beginning, middle, and end.
Television is a beautiful thing. Utilize it properly, but Film is its own medium that should be respected. Otherwise, make something else or find someone capable of doing the job. No musical has ever been 2 parts, and Wicked of all musicals doesn't warrant it either.
@@SoulKnightKing This movie still did a pretty great job of having 3 acts. I felt satisfied by the end. If your entire logic is large stories should not be put in film format, I guess we should say goodbye to lord of the rings and tonnes of other great stories. I don't agree at all with your logic.
So I also saw an advance showing of this two weeks ago and took my nieces. First of all it's a cinematic masterpiece. Secondly, even though the film is great and this has no effect on its greatness was the advance showing to me also did look "dull" as described but I saw it twice today Friday on Dolby and iMax at AMC and it was a much different visual and sound experience. I'm not sure if they reformated it for the official release but the colors where much more vibrant and not as "Dull" as they were in my advance screening and I noticed this more in the iMax screen than I did in the Dolby Vision which usually I would prefer Dolby. I'm not sure which format you both saw it in but I would suggest a 2nd viewing in iMax or Dolby.
from Stephen Schwartz, and i agree: We found it very difficult to get past 'Defying Gravity' without a break ... That song is written specifically to bring a curtain down, and whatever scene to follow it without a break just seemed hugely anti-climactic ... Even as a very long single movie, it required us cutting or omitting things that we wanted to include and that we think fans of the show and the story will appreciate. What we have discussed is that changes need to be 'additive', to use (producer) Marc Platt's term. They need to add something to the story or the characters. They can't just be changes to do something different. I feel confident that by the time the movie is made, if we all continue to have the same degree of input, I could have a conversation with anyone who has a question about any of the changes made from the stage show and justify why I think it's better for the movie.
It's not about the set being colorful, it's about knowing how to work with all these colors. Glinda, so striking in her use of pink, appears to wear a grayish pink for most of the film. It's ugly, it doesn't explore the beautiful scenarios created
Right. Glinda's outfits don't stand out in a crowd. Certain colors should be popping more
? it is a pastel pink and for the majority of the shiz scenes she stands out extremely well as the rest of the students wear blue uniforms. she does not blend in at all.
Factually incorrect. She's pink af
People are allowed to like and dislike whatever the hell they want. It’s their opinion. See it yourself and make up your own mind. People who get so mad and defensive over someone else’s opinion on a damn movie.
Lol angry?
I honestly don't get the comments re: colour grading / cinematography. I saw it on a basic standard admission screen, and it is a very bright, colourful movie. The evening scenes are visible and no one is badly lit.
Love this review having 2 different POVs.
Not y’all going at it 😂
I don't understand the hype towards this movie, people were saying it was a masterpiece,the way people threw the word masterpiece is really something else
Hairstyling is part of Makeup as well! It’s not just prosthetics. Poor Things was more about hairstyling than makeup arguably…yes Willem Dafoe’s makeup as well but Emma Stone’s hairstyling might have been the more impressive task
Just saw Wicked today and it was fantastic.
Ariana is definitely winning an Oscar award next year.
“Look at the wizard of Oz movie from 1939 versus this movie”, what a generic comment to make. The wizard of oz was made in technicolor, which has its own distinct visual, over saturated style. Looking at that movie now, it just enhances the plasticity of the sets and highlights the ‘set-like’ quality of the movie which, on the one hand, has its own aestethic, but on the other hand, feels like we are moving from one stage set to another, creating a facade for a world. Here, in wicked (catering for audiences in 2024, not 1939), the color is not over saturated but rather used in a manner to immerse you in the world that is colourful- hyper-realistic colours and over-blown saturation would detract from that tangible quality. But there is a lot of great use of colour in this film. Even in the darker scenes, like in the club, there is a sort of rainbow iridescence to it. Another point to consider is that, in the wizard of oz, the point of view is from Dorothy, a character who is a stranger in this world and experiencing it for the first time- so a heightened sense of realism works well to allow us to see it through her eyes. In wicked, the perspective is from characters from that world, so it make sense that, while still wonderous, it doesn’t need to over-emphasize the colour tones in an exaggerated way as we are seeing it from the point of view from its inhabitants.
loved the debate on this movie. felt like both guys gave good points for either side of the argument
I really want to know more from people that have no history with the musical prior to the movie. I think this movie is the most effective for musical theater lovers.
I had zero history with the musical. I had trouble enjoying this movie.
Loved the movie even more than when I saw the musical (didn’t see the original cast). The two lead actresses in this version deserve Oscar nominations as well as the director and technical and craft awards. So far I’ve seen it in IMAX and Dolby Cinema and the Dolby Cinema was better because the colors were more vivid due to the Dolby Vision. More theater chains need Dolby Cinema or some other equivalent. The only scene that needed better lighting was the end of the song Popular when Glinda is dancing in the pink hallway in a pink dress. She blends too much into the background. The end of the song looks great though in Dolby Vision when she is standing in front of the window with the light coming through. Also, the second half of the movie where Glinda and Elphaba board the train and go to the Emerald City is a fitting transition towards the end of the movie in my opinion. It’s the last trip, the last bit of fun the characters have together and they don’t know it. At the end of the town song with the original musical cast leads and fireworks, the entrance doors close behind the girls and the story takes its darkest turn and the characters won’t ever be the same. That’s a great ending to part 1. Looking forward to seeing part 2 in a year.
I’m noticing that most of the negative reviews that I’m seeing are focussed on issues with the visual. I’ll admit I’m not the biggest fan of John Chu as a Director, but I can’t deny that the film is so full of heart and brilliant characterization by its actors. The story is way more than just about discrimination. It’s about friendship and not at a surface level. At the same time it also speaks to a piece of IP. That is almost 100 years old in a way that makes it truly relevant again. Wicked as IP is absolutely fascinating. I don’t like how the negative reviews are simply focussed on visual and not even tapping into the depth of the story. I understand that if you’re not familiar with the wicked IP, you’re only getting half of the story but there’s so much more to talk about here than issues with the visuals which in my opinion aren’t even close to being egregious. It’s just about your personal taste. I would’ve loved a more stylized tour to take this over. But maybe then the heart of the film would’ve been sacrificed. All in all I was nervous about what we were going to get and ultimately, I deeply satisfied and can’t wait to see how part two pans out.
Wicked felt bloated, unnecessarily long and over hyped imo. It was good but not this great cinematic experience everyone’s trying to make it
The pics look dull Why the washed out color?
Dallas buyers club had no prosthetic but won best hair and makeup
extremely weak competition that year with no real prosthetic contenders
My god, thank you all for giving me some hope with this review. I’m simply astounded to see so many reviews that refuse to criticize this film at all, and also give complete credit to Jon Chu. Critics are beginning to become less reliable to actually critique art suddenly in music and now film? It’s concerning, so I appreciate you guys actually having cons along with your pros as any film should have, even if it’s your favorite movie ever.
cannot believe this is actual an oscar contender...
The MCU made it in. Bohemian Rhapsody made it in. Plenty can get nominated.
It has zero chance at winning best picture
@@nms7872 Both movies that have won the last two years have been popular movies that have made people have an emotional reaction or have somehow gut punched the audience. Oppenheimer’s ending made you go, “Oof,” and was aw inspiring. Everything Everywhere All At Once had everyone in my theater in tears.
Wicked had the same reaction in my theater both times I went. I really hate to be the bearer of bad news but… I’d put this movie near the top of my predictions if I were you.
It was fantastic!! So smart, and overflowing with respect for the source material. So many complex layers to Gregory Maguire's book and they did a great job of capturing his cleverness. I think the two part structure is essential to the film's success. I'm shocked that it delivered the goods for me because I was very skeptical going in. Impressive!! I'm also shocked that you didn't like it. I feel like you are not giving it enough credit!
green shirt is just being a contrarian and i don’t think his review is made in good faith. if you go in with all these preconceived opinions that you got from stan twitter of course you’re going to be inclined to dislike it. i think 5/10 is very funny. camp.
Oh the irony.
It does feel like he is being like this because he already has a bias when it comes to the Oscar races but I am so glad his brother serves as a counter balance.
Elphaba and Galinda should have ended up together and I’ll die on that hill.
Lesbihonest
I rarely get a chance to directly compare the IMAX experience to a regular film, and I have to say the color grading wasn't an issue for me at all in the former compared to the latter. On top of the obvious improvement in sound quality for the music, I would highly recommend the IMAX experience at large.
I watched it on the opening night. It has its moments, good production design and costume design - but I find pacing and tonal shift between songs are not done well and very distracting. I do think the movie is abit too long for what it is, and is quite similar to stage play (ie not that much additional materials being added).
Someone is grumpy and lacking empathy. Yes lighting could be better and visual effects could be better..but this is a tremendous achievement. Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and Jon M. Chu all deserve oscar nominations. Set design, costumes and hair makeup are all superb. Makes you cry, smile, laugh.😊
I’ma go with the twin that loved it bc I just watched Wicked and I absolutely LOVED it!
Is anora still winning best comedy or musical at the golden globes?
Is mickey madison still winning best actress comedy or musical at the globes?
Asking the real questions here
But isnt she against Zaldana in GG?
@@helloyouhellome3004 isnt saldana supportting?
@@helloyouhellome3004Saldaña is campaigning in supporting Actress. Madison is winning comedy/musical Actress.
I'm on team Cole. I don't accept fans excusing the fact that this film could have looked less murky and desaturated, and it was jarring for a massive musical set in the world of the Wizard of Oz to look like that for quite a few scenes. Not every film has to be a technicolor dreamland, but this one did. Would you have excused Barbie if it was atrociously white balanced and desaturated? It hurts the film significantly that it goes for hack "realism" rather than daring to dream a whole dream in it's visuals.
Tbh I think the part 1 thing here was handled better than dune part 1 ( and I still like that movie more)
I actually felt the splitting is worse in Dune Part 1 than Wicked. Still loved it and rated it high, but watching it again as a stand alone the ending is incredibly anticlimactic. Just a setup for the Part 2 which wasn’t even filmed yet.
Part 2 of wicked has already been filmed. Where are you guys getting your info from?
@@Rozziefeatherschneider He was talking about Dune Part 2.
Big Movie + Best Picture Nom = Best Visual Effects: Avatar, Forrest Gump, Oppenheimer, Inception DUHHH Cole
yeah... guy on the left seems like he just wanted to dislike it, comes across EXTREMELY nitpicky and complaining about things that are so silly. First off, the story is a very strong message and discrimination, etc. is very serious issues that is still very relevant today especially right now in today's political climate, but if you go into any film just looking at it as if it's a message you're suppose to be seeing... of course ur not gonna be invested in it. It's really about seeing the characters and story unfold and becoming emotionally invested in the characters. Even if you don't relate to them, it's something called empathy and compassion.
Also really over complaining about stories being cut into 2 parts... when it's done, it's most likely cuz it's needed and the people who worked on this film and created it are huge fans, I think they understand it more. Wicked fans know how rushed the 2nd act is on the stage. Dune was just cut into 2 parts cause everyone knows how difficult that story is to bring to life and how detailed the books are.
It’s not just an obvious story lol. Yeah there is some
Obvious element because it’s been out for over 20 years lol. How complex do you need the story to be? How is this obvious and simple but you gave Barbie such a high rating? That’s a bit disconnected for me but everyone is allowed to have an opinion, regardless of how much it’s not consistent lol.
After popular nothing interesting happens between the two characters!? The final song defines what their relationship is moving forward into part two…the Oscar expert is trying too hard to be one of the cool film bros on letterboxd…opinions can be wrong and they are here.
Cole decided to be a hater for no reason at all. Weird to see him in this position.
I really think hype ruins our expectations. It’s so hard to ignore these days because everyone’s opinion is everywhere within minutes of seeing a movie. I truly believe he would have enjoyed it more if he went in completely blind. I miss the days when our opinion on a film was only word of mouth.
I do not agree with the visual criticisms. I think the cinematography, color grading and direction was magical and the look of the film and lighting really worked for me. Also the film wouldn't have worked as a 1 part story. For those who haven't seen or aren't familiar with the second act of Wicked, you'll understand why these two films needed to be two parts
I’m with Oscar Expert on this one. I thought Wicked was quite flat, washed out and too long for what it really delivers. I did not care that much about the characters and I think the Part 1 factor really affected the plot. (I have never seen the broadway show and didn’t know anything about the story prior to watching the film)
The one on the left is dead inside.
I think it’s worth noting that the stage show has some major flaws. One of which being the severely underdeveloped characters. While I don’t think this needed to be two films, this did need to be at least 3.5-4 hours. The film developed the characters MUCH better than the stage does because they had more time to. Remember the stage show is based on a novel (a dark novel at that) and a TON was left out to make the 2.5 hour cut.
You guys should watch the musical to see how this part of the story works so much better with half the runtime... this film literally has every single line and song from the first act of the musical, so you can watch and see how it doesn't feel rushed in its stage format, and how the movie feels incredibly bloated... honestly, if the lines and scenes they added felt in any way inspired or necessary, I wouldn't mind the runtime, but I spent the whole film noticing how inferior all the new material was...
I actually think it has a shot in Adapted Screenplay. Kinda a tall order for them to honor and draw from the broadway show, the novel, The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz, etc. I thought they did a great job paying homage to it all, while still being its own thing. Honestly there are so many ways this could’ve/shouldve flopped like Cats, but they pulled it off. I think the academy will be impressed by that.
I haven't even seen this movie yet, but based on the shots they're showing in this video, I feel like my stance on the color/cinematography might be that there's probably enough color saturation, but there might be too much fade/not enough saturated black. It seems like the colors pop, but the darker tones and blacks are washed out. I guess we'll see how it looks once I actually see it in a theater.
Just going to say; it's a movie worth watching, but fine if it didn't sit with you; it's not awful, but not for everyone. We mexicans (not all but a good bunch) aren't stomaching Emilia Pérez quite well, but that is way more cultural... All is subjectivity...
Y'all should watch the broadway musical and see that it's has more dull colors than the film, I wouldn't compare this to the OG wizard of oz because that is meant to be colorful af because of the technicolor and it's a children's movie watching it feels like a dream and not real. With this movie you feel like Oz is real and it is not washed out it's very vibrant when i watched it in the cinemas lol have we been watching the same movie?
This was SO Siskel & Ebert - I loved it!
Thank you for educating me on how biased the oscars towards blockbusters. I am baffled how Dune 2 is not mentioned for the top nominations.
Dune 2 is probably going to have the most nominations overall. The only movie I see that could tie or surpass it would be The Brutalist. Should be about 10 nominations for Dune 2 if Denis gets nominated, perhaps 11 if it qualifies for Best Score.
Yeah makes me feel crazy that dune is not running away with this thing. Why??? I hope when it gets screened again closer to Oscars that it picks up steam again.
@@DaveNetWorld I can see that it will get technical categories, but omg Javier should be considered for supporting. Heck even Austin. Timothee gave an amazing speech. Maybe he might get it for the Bob Dylan film.
@@aprilnewell5434 Yeah I think he gets the Lead Actor nomination for A Complete Unknown.
@@DaveNetWorld The way people have decided this before even seeing the movie is cringe.
And it proves that movie studios control everything and absolutely no-one has an independent opinion.
Ok. So first of all. The cinematography and unsaturated hues and white light are exactly what allows the film to escape from the Disney-esque/Oz The Great and Powerful CGI super expected random aesthetic we were all scared of from the trailers. Totally deliberate.
These choices are why the film looks real and classic rather than popping out in saturation and cheap like all those forgettable Disney live action movies.
Second of all, the animal theme is in the musical and it’s great.
Finally Jeff Goldblum is amazing in this.
Refreshing review but in all cases this film will become a classic and Wicked fans will cheer for a very very long time.
Was dying to see this review in full after seeing the initial one on letterboxd
I’m simply shocked at how wrong Cole is. Sure let’s talk about lights and color, but 5/10 is a WILD score for this movie.
I must say all love to cole but i'm completely agree with justin her. great movie and I agree so much with how the complaints abt the cinematography are overblown twitter nonsense. i guess I wouldn't mind a tiny bit more of saturation but I enjoyed the visuals overall and the ones on the 3rd act in particular are pretty great, loved everything abt the emerald city. and this was actually one of the few rare cases of a "part 1" where I felt like I left the theater satisfied with the movie as a one-piece. the ending with elphaba and glinda having to decide if they are gonna take a stand together or go separate ways was a great way to finish this first movie bc it fulfilled the narrative beats that the movie explored through their two main characters during its duration. i didn't mind the loose ends abt their relationships with fiyero or what's gonna happen with elphaba's sister because clearly those are supposed to be cliffhanger elements that will get explored in the 2nd movie. they did connect the main themes of this first part during that finale and that's why it works so well IMO.
i agree with what brother bro is saying about the characters and such, but i also agree with cole, and i think coles points bring down the film quite a bit
the sets and costumes were gorgeous! and it's a shame the lighting did it such a disservice
The movie being about discrimination being bad is a bad thing? 🤔
Right. says a lot about them 👀
That’s not what they’re saying at all. They’re just saying that it’s very surface level, which it is. It’s meant to be surface level because this is one of the most popular Broadway musicals ever, and it’s meant to be palatable to general audiences. They’re not complaining about the theme, they’re just pointing out that it’s quite simple
and that's not even what the movie is about, the central theme is FRIENDSHIP.
@@toxic1strike167right. I used to listen to the soundtrack growing up, and knew the general plot, but have never seen the play. and I was pretty underwhelmed with how uninteresting and simple a lot of the story was
Dune part 1 was basically anticlimactic.
I’m not an expert on cinema and lighting but I don’t think we could be comparing Wicked’s colour to a 85 year old movie that was big during its time. Wicked doesn’t have to be big and colourful like the Wizard of Oz. Yes Wicked is set in the same world as the Wizard of Oz but this movie is adapted from a Boardway show that was adapted off a book. Wicked could have two parts because it would be weird to have something immediately following Defying Gravity which is act 1’s closure. Both of you make fair points but consider other facts and decisions that might have been made in making this movie (and by extension part 2)
Dune was separated into two parts and we didn't here this take especially when Dune Part I was boring as hell.