Ryan Rutt

As a fan of the Wizard of Oz movie, books and Wicked Broadway show, I was very excited to hear we'd be getting a movie version of this story. After finally seeing it, I can say that the hype was legit. Wicked is a visually stunning movie. And let's face it- it had to be. This is OZ we're talking about, you can half-@$$ it. The studio put out a ton of money for this project and it shows. The sets are beautifully crafted, immersing the audience into the fantastical world of Oz. The costumes pop in vintage fashion. The performances in the film are downright phenomenal. Cynthia Erivo IS Elphaba- which is crazy to finally say, because I never imagined anyone could possibly outdo Idina Menzel's portrayal of the character. Erivo gives a performance for the ages. You can see and feel her mood through the screen. You can feel Elphaba's struggles with who she is, how she's perceived and her struggle to be understood. Her vocals are so good, she absolutely dominates every song she sings (my favorite being "The Wizard and I"). Ariana Grande is charming as Galinda (later going by "Glinda). Her comedic timing provided laughs throughout the theater, and she nails the preppy attitude of her character. It's fun to watch Grande's dynamic with Erivo evolve over the film- it's clear they gave their all. Jonathan Bailey is a delight as the charismatic Prince Fiyero, and his chemistry with Grande and Erivo oozes through the screen. Jeff Goldblum gives a charming performance as the Wizard, even if he may lack the technical singing ability as his co-stars. The film's runtime may be the most divisive aspect amongst critics. "Wicked: Part One" runs for 2 hours 40 minutes, which is as long as the Broadway show's runtime. Despite this, the film (mostly) does a good job at keeping steady pacing. I personally didn't feel the runtime throughout the viewing experience. The extra runtime helped flesh out the world and narrative. Another divisive aspect of this film is that it's actually a two-part story. This may not have been clearly marketed as such, so some people may be upset. I don't mind this fact; I can't get enough of Oz and this story. Overall, "Wicked: Part One" was a pleasant return to Oz. The world is immersible, the performances are charming, and the story is beautiful. You can tell a lot of intent and love went into this project. I'm very excited for Part two to release next November! "Wicked: Part One" is a 10/10, go see it!

It’s so bad that it’s actually laughable, can’t believe this was shipped out to theaters in that state. Blow up the Sony “Spider-Man universe” at this point

Killed any momentum the previous movie hyped up. Ruined the sequel trilogy.

Anything that Taika Waititi did right in Thor: Ragnarok was thrown completely out the window in this one. It feels like there are no stakes because every scene has a cheap joke (that never lands) to try and downplay the severity of the situation. Taika thinks he's so funny, and none of the jokes really land. There are these screaming goats in the movie that never shut up, and it gets old quick. Christian Bale is wasted as Gorr the God Butcher, as they essentially turn him into Gor the Kidnapper instead. We never see him kill a God outside of the opening scene. The movie attempts to get emotional with the subplot about Jane Foster dying of cancer, but humor is interjected into those scenes too somehow. The storylines and concepts in the movie sound intriguing on paper, but somehow Taika Waititi manages to underwhelm and annoy with this flick.

Enjoyable flick with cool moments. The CGI is dreadful at times.

Loved it. It was a unique take on the characters, it felt like how Earth would react to someone like Superman. Ben Affleck kills it as an older, fed-up Batman.

Fell asleep watching it, something that should never happen for a superhero movie.

After the theatrical release of "Justice League" flopped in 2017, fans of Zack Snyder longed to see the director's true vision for the film before exiting production early due to a family tragedy. After years of determination, they got their wish. So how was it? RUN TIME: The film presents itself as a mini-series, with multiple parts to accommodate viewers who don't have four hours to kill. For the most part, the film justifies its run time. A lot of this time is used to flesh out the characters and story, most of which was missing in the theatrical release. There are also scenes that contribute nothing to the plot that Snyder included, such as the village people singing and Lois Lane's conversation with Martian Manhunter. PLOT: The general plot points are similar to the 2017 version, but the stakes are way higher in this version. The characters are more fleshed-out and the audience sympathizes with them. The whole subplot of Cyborg learning to accept his transformation was powerful, and I can't believe it wasn't in the original cut. In the theatrical release, the characters either fight or cut jokes. In this one, their actions make sense, they're sympathetic, and they feel 3-dimensional. Darkseid's inclusion in this cut makes sense and elevates the drama. Ray Porter sent chills down my spine with his vocal performance. The ending is different and the final battle actually sets up a completely different tone for the sequels that would never come to be. CINEMATOGRAPHY: If you love Snyder's visual storytelling methods, you'll love this film. If you can get past the sometimes-excessive use of slow-mo, it's a great time. A few shots in the film have stuck with me; they are iconic. Overall, this film has tons of heart. It's a thrilling comic book action movie with tons of great fighting, emotion, stakes, and even laughs. For fans of the DCEU and Snyder, this is the holy grail of the DCEU. It's a movie I will always go back to.