Wicked review: Critics praise Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's sensational performance in the 'fabulous spectacle' yet the duo haven't managed to convince everyone they can 'defy gravity'

By KIRSTEN MURRAY FOR MAILONLINE

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It's not long until the powerful lyrics of Defying Gravity will be belted out in cinemas across the country as Wicked hits the big screen this Friday. 

Starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as Elphaba and Glinda, the upcoming two-part feature is adapted from the long-running and much-loved Broadway and West End musical.

And reviews have already poured in from critics as they, for the most part, praise the leading stars' performances. 

Yet while some reviews have branded the film a 'fabulous spectacle' others have declared: 'it doesn't come close to defying gravity'.   

The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw described it as a 'sugar-rush fantasy with the overpowering star presence of Cynthia Erivo; it basically dunks you face-down in a hyperreal ball pit of M&Ms for two and three-quarter hours.'

Praising Cynthia's performance he added: 'Erivo’s charismatic Elphaba exerting a planetary pull over a star-studded cast'.

As the musical adaptation prepares to hit screens critics praise Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's sensational performance in the 'fabulous spectacle' yet the duo haven't managed to convince everyone they can 'defy gravity'

As the musical adaptation prepares to hit screens critics praise Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's sensational performance in the 'fabulous spectacle' yet the duo haven't managed to convince everyone they can 'defy gravity' 

Starring Cynthia and Ariana  as Elphaba and Glinda, the upcoming two-part feature is adapted from the long-running and much-loved Broadway and West End musical

Starring Cynthia and Ariana  as Elphaba and Glinda, the upcoming two-part feature is adapted from the long-running and much-loved Broadway and West End musical 

The Daily Mail's Brian Viner writes: 'It’s a fabulous spectacle, which demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible.' 

A huge fan of the casting choice he added: 'Erivo and Grande are both pitch-perfect and altogether sensational. 

'I confess to finding Wicked’s songs a little repetitive but it’s hard to imagine anyone delivering them better than those two, while Grande has proper comedic flair, which she brings to bear every time Glinda tosses her luxuriant tresses.

'Yeoh, Bailey and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard offer splendid support.'

Peter Debruge of Variety praised: 'Unlike several recent tuners, which tried to hide their musical dimension from audiences, Wicked embraces its identity the way Elphaba does her emerald skin. 

'Turns out such confidence makes all the difference in how they’re perceived.'

Dave Fear of Rolling Stone wrote: 'When Erivo nails that moment and rides into Oz’s history books on a broomstick, for a split second you feel like there’s no place you’d rather be than riding alongside her. Not even home.' as he added: 'Erivo is the one truly defying gravity'

Meanwhile The Independent praised Ariana and Cynthia's performance, but felt the pair were let down by the actual cinematography of the film. 

It begins at the end, with Glinda (Ariana Grande) announcing to the long-suffering people of Oz the death of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), better known as the fearsome Wicked Witch of the West

It begins at the end, with Glinda (Ariana Grande) announcing to the long-suffering people of Oz the death of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), better known as the fearsome Wicked Witch of the West

The Guardian' s Peter Bradshaw described it as a 'sugar-rush fantasy with the overpowering star presence of Cynthia Erivo'

The Guardian' s Peter Bradshaw described it as a 'sugar-rush fantasy with the overpowering star presence of Cynthia Erivo'

Likening the way it was shot to a TV advert, Clarisse Loughrey wrote: 'Wicked is shot and lit like we’re being sold an Airbnb in Mykonos'. 

Admitting that Cynthia 'nails those notorious high notes on Defying Gravity' Clarisse also wrote that despite its length and only being part one of the story, the film doesn't feel dragged. 

However she concludes: 'Wicked will need to dream bigger and brighter, otherwise it may just fade completely under the spell of a classic.' 

The Telegraph gave the movie a scathing review as they claimed that the film's leading actresses 'don’t come close to defying gravity in this bloated, beige screen adaptation of the Wizard of Oz prequel'. 

Robbie Collin writes that the 'casting of the leads feels off' as he describes Cynthia as playing the role with a 'wet-eyed severity that lends a grim medicinal quality to the film’s more emotional passages.' 

Critic Reviews on Wicked

The Guardian

Rating:

Peter Bradshaw described it as a 'sugar-rush fantasy with the overpowering star presence of Cynthia Erivo; it basically dunks you face-down in a hyperreal ball pit of M&Ms for two and three-quarter hours.'

The Daily Mail 

Rating:

Brian Viner praised: 'It's a fabulous spectacle, which demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible'.

The Independent 

Rating:

Clarisse Loughrey praised Ariana and Cynthia's performance, but felt the pair were let down by the actual cinematography of the film, as she likened it to a TV advert. 

Variety

Rating:

Peter Debruge praised: 'Unlike several recent tuners, which tried to hide their musical dimension from audiences, Wicked embraces its identity the way Elphaba does her emerald skin.'

Rolling Stone

David Fear added: 'When Erivo nails that moment and rides into Oz’s history books on a broomstick, for a split second you feel like there’s no place you’d rather be than riding alongside her. Not even home.'

The Telegraph 

Rating:

Robbie Collins gave the movie a scathing review as he claimed that the film's leading actresses 'don’t come close to defying gravity in this bloated, beige screen adaptation of the Wizard of Oz prequel'. 

BBC

Rating:

Nicholas Barber wrote: 'The film ends with a song called Defying Gravity, so it's only fair to say that that's precisely what Wicked doesn't manage to achieve'.

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The Telegraph gave the movie a scathing review as they claimed that the film's leading actresses 'don¿t come close to defying gravity in this bloated, beige screen adaptation of the Wizard of Oz prequel'

The Telegraph gave the movie a scathing review as they claimed that the film's leading actresses 'don’t come close to defying gravity in this bloated, beige screen adaptation of the Wizard of Oz prequel' 

Likening the way it was shot to a TV advert, The Independent wrote: 'Wicked is shot and lit like we¿re being sold an Airbnb in Mykonos' (Jonathan Bailey, pictured)

Likening the way it was shot to a TV advert, The Independent wrote: 'Wicked is shot and lit like we’re being sold an Airbnb in Mykonos' (Jonathan Bailey, pictured)

The Daily Mail added: 'Yeoh, Bailey and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard offer splendid support' (pictured)

The Daily Mail added: 'Yeoh, Bailey and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard offer splendid support' (pictured)

Meanwhile he concludes that while Ariana's voice fits 'she also lacks the manic stage-school brittleness the role demands, and the sense you’re primarily watching a pop star having fun while broadening her CV never dissipates.'

Nicholas Barber at the BBC also gave a rather negative review as he penned: 'This 'drawn-out' and 'self-important' film proves the musical didn't need to be split into two parts'. 

Despite giving credit to Ariana and Cynthia's performances, he added: 'The film ends with a song called Defying Gravity, so it's only fair to say that that's precisely what Wicked doesn't manage to achieve'. 

Wicked review: It's a fabulous spectacle, which demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible, writes BRIAN VINER

Wicked 

Rating:

The Royal Festival Hall in London must have seen some sights in its 70-odd years but possibly nothing quite like Monday evening’s European premiere of Wicked, at which the lucky members of the audience were those not seated behind the drag queens dressed as Glinda, the Good Witch of the South. 

There were a lot of them, and they all seemed to be at least 6ft tall, not even taking account of the beehive hairdos.

The stage musical Wicked, notional prequel to The Wizard Of Oz, by all accounts has a huge gay following and Jon M Chu’s eagerly-awaited film adaptation, conspicuously targeted at least partly at the same demographic, is a riot of camp. 

When it finally came to an end on Monday evening, a rapturous standing ovation all but raised the roof.

It had been a long time building. Chu’s exuberant film lasts two hours and 40 minutes, and leaves the story only half-finished. 

Wicked Part Two is scheduled for release this time next year.

I saw the musical on Broadway not long after it first opened (my wife and I extravagantly took our three children, which as I recall cost about the same as a medium family saloon). 

From what I remember of the original, the film cleaves to it very closely – unsurprisingly, as one of the screenwriters is Winnie Holzman, who wrote the stage version. 

But Chu also makes the most of all available cinematic bells and whistles. It’s a fabulous spectacle, which demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible.

It begins at the end, with Glinda (Ariana Grande) announcing to the long-suffering people of Oz the death of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), better known as the fearsome Wicked Witch of the West. 

But then some impertinent citizen raises the rumour that she and Elphaba were once friends. It is true, she confirms. And so back we are whisked to their respective origin stories, and to the way in which they first bonded.

As anyone who has seen the stage musical will be aware, Wicked cleverly evokes The Wizard of Oz by exploring how the kindly but misunderstood Elphaba discovers her dark side and how the manipulative Glinda finds her inner goodness. 

It’s simply a variation of of Ray Bolger’s Scarecrow looking for a brain in the unforgettable1939 picture, and Jack Haley’s Tin Man looking for a heart.

To the outside world, alas, and even to her own parents, Elphaba is defined by the fact that she was born green. 

Her father, the governor of Munchkinland, can hardly bear to look at her, and it is really by accident that she gains a place at Shiz University, where Glinda is among the same student intake.

There, the only person to recognise the decency and talent in Elphaba, and Glinda’s inner slyness, is college principal Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). 

The absurdly handsome Prince Tigelaar (Jonathan Bailey), while at first appearing to fall for the enticingly enigmatic Elphaba, soon has his head turned, like almost everyone else, by the dazzlingly pretty, popular Glinda.

Chu and the writers have enormous fun with all this and are superbly served by the cast: Erivo and Grande are both pitch-perfect and altogether sensational. 

I confess to finding Wicked’s songs a little repetitive but it’s hard to imagine anyone delivering them better than those two, while Grande has proper comedic flair, which she brings to bear every time Glinda tosses her luxuriant tresses. 

Yeoh, Bailey and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard offer splendid support.

There will doubtless be suggestions that it’s all a bit derivative, and certainly Hogwarts got there first as a school of sorcery; inevitably, there are numerous parallels. 

But it’s done with such tremendous pizazz, and the sets and costumes are so gloriously, preposterously, over the top, that I just about forgave the insanely long running-time and didn’t even object when a drag queen built like a prop forward, wearing a pink taffeta dress, leapt up with such excitement at the end that he elbowed me in the eye.