Wicked For Good

In this episode we talk all things Wicked from the first Wicked film to Wicked For Good. Which of the Wicked series of films is good.

Transcript

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Hello, hello, hello, and welcome back to the Let's Talk podcast. My name is Hannah Cubington, and I'm so glad to be back with you yet again. I'm glad you are tuning into this amazing podcast where we talk all things pop culture related uh at a later date because it's hard to keep up with stuff, but I try to keep up with it as fast as I humanly can. And that's what this podcast is about. If you are just tuning in, or if you are a regular listener, thank you for coming back yet again. And this is going to be an interesting episode because it is something that is a very good interest of mine, so much so it took up quite a bit of my year back in 2024 when I was reading these books and watching the first film, and I just watched the second film of this. Because if you've been living in a small hole over the last year or so, I am talking about Wicked part one and part two. And if you want to hear my thoughts on part one of Wicked, please go tune in to my other podcast that I do with a buddy of mine called A Simple Discussion and listen to the Wicked Oh My episode. If you want to know my thoughts on part one of Wicked, even though I am still going to be talking about it in this episode. But it was much more fresher part one was in that episode. So I would recommend listening to that as well to get a full grasp of my thoughts on part one of Wicked. Yes, I have mentioned I am a theater nerd. Have always been a theater nerd for quite a bit of my life, and that's never gonna be changing with me. If you know, Wicked was the first ever musical I ever did see growing up. I saw I have seen Wicked two times in my life so far. Once in Chicago when I was in elementary school, when it had just barely been out for a couple years at that point, and that's actually where I fell in love with theater and Broadway and all that was seeing Wicked in Chicago. Fast forward to my senior year of high school, I saw it again with a group of I don't know how to describe it. I went on a trip with a group of friends, it was a school trip, and we saw Wicked again, and I saw Wicked again much, much older and appreciated it a lot lot more. When you're in high school, you appreciate certain things a lot more than the elementary self of you did. I just thought it was amazing seeing a Broadway show as a kid in elementary school where I was seeing it a lot differently of like, wow, the set pieces are amazing. Can't believe this actor and actress can hit that no and how do they do it every single night. So, yes, I saw it very differently. It's one of those timeless musicals you can watch over and over again on Broadway, just like Chicago, but we're not gonna talk Chicago, even though Chicago and Hamilton are my other top musicals. And I've also talked about Hamilton in another episode. I hope you have listened to the Hamilton episode because it should be out before this episode. So, yes. I hope you have watched what listened, not watched. This is all audio, hello. And we're gonna talk all things wicked today. What were my thoughts on the first wicked film? Well, first of all, it blew my socks off because I thought this was gonna be the hardest film to create because it took years for it to be made. They announced they were gonna do a wicked movie when I was in middle school and it didn't happen until 2024. The trailer got released early 2024, and it came out in November 2024. So I was patiently waiting for this film to come out, and I was really, really looking forward to it. I am so glad it waited years and had the best CGI effects, all the whimsical colors. I almost think some of the costumes were better in the first and second film than on Broadway, which is mind-boggling. The people they picked to play the characters knocked my socks off in the first film. I'm like, how can they top the first film to the second film? Were my thoughts after walking out of the theater of the first film? And both times I saw this film, I waited a month. Which is a long time for somebody who is dying to see a film like me. If it's something I'm wanting to see really, really bad, I usually usually try to go opening weekend. That didn't happen. That's okay. At least I got to see both films in theaters a year apart, which is so funny. Now they did move up the date with the first film instead of the second. I don't know why, but they just did that, and I respect that decision. But overall, I would say my thoughts on the first film were it was a good link. They followed the musical pretty well. I loved the casting, I loved, I loved, I loved, loved the CGI effects, they did a phenomenal job with that. I love the people they picked to play certain characters. I was surprised the route they went with Alphaba and Glinda, because I'm like, they could go any route with these two characters, and they did a phenomenal job. I loved the little Easter eggs they had in the first film. One of them being is putting the original Glinda and Alphaba in one of the scenes in part one, which was very surprising, because you didn't expect that, and then the next moment you're seeing the OG Alphabet and Glinda singing in one short day, and you're like, wait, how did they ask them? They're pretty big actors now, by the way. And why would they take time out of their schedule to do this? But they loved Wicked so much when it first came out on Broadway, they would do a movie, which I am glad they did, because they're they actually got to see seeing some of their OG lines, if I remember correctly. It's been a minute since I've watched the film, so I'm trying to remember off the top of my head to the best of my abilities. Please bear with me. But they did a phenomenal job, they still can hit those chords without a doubt. And of course, how pretty the costumes were in all the scenes. I just loved it. I loved how Ariana Grande was stepping out of her pop era and stepping into her Broadway era, is that what we call it? And she nailed it because I feel like she was starting to hit a dud in her music from talking with other people. They felt that her music was just plain and just the same thing over and over again, which it didn't bother me. But some people were like, why she keep reproducing the same old same o when she should be doing more? And yes, I agree she should have been pushing her limits because she is young, her voice is young, she should have been doing that, but she wasn't. And her playing Glinda in pushing her vocals was the best decision she could have ever made. Because I feel like her career has popped even more since she has become Glenda to a degree, because she has gotten to perform at some award shows that I would have least expected her in Cynthia Arrivo to be doing, which is the other person who also made the film, was of course Cynthia Arrivo as Alphabub. She was one of those nobodies you really didn't know about. I think she might have been in Black Panther. Let me check myself. I don't want to say something wrong and I'm wrong. I'm gonna see. Oh, she was in Harriet. That's what I'm getting wrong. I knew I had seen her in another film, but I couldn't keep it straight. It's hard to keep actors straight as I've mentioned before. As I'm looking at this, I just looked her up, but it was Harriet I saw her in, not Black Panther. Uh my bad. I'm sorry if I'm confusing people. I guess the last film I saw her in was Harriet before Wicked. And I must have been wowed by her performance in Harriet, and I'm like, I guess I didn't remember her because Harriet had been such a long gap period between films I had seen her in or other things. Whereas Ariana Grande is popping up everywhere. Hello. But you really don't hear Cynthia's voice in Harriet, and then you get introduced to how she sings in Wicked, and I mean The Wizard and Eye was a phenomenal song. I thoroughly enjoyed The Wizard and I. That that was one of those songs that didn't stand out to me when I would I saw it on Broadway, but Cynthia changed my mind on that song because of her vocals being so stinking strong. I mean, she nailed that song out of the park and how they filmed that scene and how she ends up in an open field. Oh my gosh, it was so good. Every song she did, she nailed. She nailed being the outside character, which she fit that role so perfectly. I loved it. She moved you in ways you wouldn't realize. And then you put her and Ariana Grande together for Defying Gravity. I'm pretty sure the big Broadway nerds were probably bawling their eyes out when they're singing Defying Gravity. I was on the verge of tears when I was listening to that. I was like, how on earth are these two lovely ladies? They're just singing a song, didn't even have an audience in front of them, and everybody in this theater is either bawling or on the verge of bawling because of how good that song was. I almost bawled. There's probably probably people around me that probably bawled, but I don't know how many people I heard that went back and saw this film several times before it left theaters. I think it pre I think it had a pretty long run in theaters for a film to come out in November around the holidays. And it was even released a week early just because of that. And people were talking about it on the radio of why would they re-release this kind of film this early? Because it had had such good press that people were dying to see it. Like it was almost hard to get tickets for the first two weeks it was out. If you didn't pre-order your tickets, you almost had to wait a couple weeks until it kind of calmed down and you could get tickets, is the best way I can say is it was hard to get tickets. I know I've been just yakking and yakking about the first film and how amazing the first film has been. If you still have not watched it, or if you have and if you're agreeing with me, the first film was really good. I know there were some people that felt that it was missing some stuff. Trust me, not every film can be perfect, and that's a-okay, but that is how the film industry works, is you are competing with a amazing Broadway show, but you can't put every little minor detail into a movie, which if that was your expectation, you should have lowered it. I had no expectation at all when I was going into the theater. I was just looking for a really good film, which it was to me. I thoroughly loved it. I even bought the film once it became available to buy, which was months later. It took forever for it to come on streaming services because it stayed in theaters for so long. I think it stayed till January, I'm not for sure, but it stayed a pretty long time. Just like Top Gun Maverick, and I feel like the second film is gonna be the same way. I might be wrong, I don't know. Don't quote me on it, but I just have a gut feeling. I'm moving on to the part two film, Wicked for Good, because it needs to be talked about, and if I want to keep this episode under an hour, that is what I'm gonna have to do, by the way. So yes. What was I hearing before going to see Wicked for Good? Well, part one, it was blow off the charts kind of what was I hearing was it was blowing off the charts kind of situation. But part two was a different story because people were having mixed feelings on this film between social media and YouTube and news articles I had been seeing come out was people either liked it or they were not impressed. And why I feel this way is and that's okay that people weren't impressed because it's okay to not be impressed with the film. It is very common for sequels to not hold up as well as the first film from from my experience, but I feel that they did a good job. I'm not gonna dog the film at all. Because I'd just be rude because they spent a lot of time making this film. It is hard, it really is. How did I prevent from hearing spoilers? Well, you know, I don't know how I accomplished this of waiting a month to go see this film and not hearing spoilers, but I actually accomplished it miraculously for working with teens that are big Broadway nerds and telling them they could not talk about wicked for good was very hard, but I set a firm boundary with them is you can't talk about this film, there might be others that want to go see this film, I am one of them, I just didn't want the film to be ruined for me, which is very fair of me to ask of them to not ruin a film for someone who is also a big fan. And also, most of the people I follow on social media media were not really posting about it, or if they had seen it, they were being polite and not spoiling the film, which was kinda nice. I'm glad people are more respectful in that manner than you realize. I guess because they knew it would take some people a while to get to the film. I even know a good movie nerd who has also not seen it, and I'm trying not to spoil it for them. And trying to explain a little bit of the film without spoiling it is so hard. So, so hard. You don't realize when you're in that boat of wait, don't spoil the film. I just gave a rough detail and that was it. Without spoil spoiling it, and I think I did a good job. I hope I did a good job. Did I re-watch the first wicked before going to see part two? I'm gonna be honest with you guys, it is a busy season of life, and I was not successful at all of trying to get it watched because it is just a very, very busy season for me at the current moment. I tried to get it watched, and I was not very successful. I got a few minutes in before going to bed and then thought, oh, I'll get this watched fully through before I go see it the same day. Yeah, that did not happen at all. I was feeling very, very hopeful, and I was not successful at all, and I feel very sad about it because I feel like would it have made better sense? Sorta kind of because they pulled the beginning scene of part one kind of picks up into part two and is also used at the end as well, which was kind of interesting without putting any spoilers for anybody. Any spoilers, yeah, no spoilers. I'm trying to be polite. I am yeah, trying, yeah, trying to not spoil without just giving the bare minimum. Yeah, that was the beginning scene of part one going into part two at the beginning and at the end was kinda overused, I will say, is all I'm gonna say to that. All I am gonna get out. And I was having zero success in trying to sit down and watch a film. Because it's the holiday season, it's hard to try to catch up before going to see a part two to a two-part film series. We're all not perfect. Don't beat yourself up. If you were kind of like me thinking you're gonna get prepared, you're gonna get prepared. We're all not perfect. We should just love ourselves and be respectful. Did either films follow the musical? Actually, both films followed the musical. Mostly were there parts they took out? Probably I didn't pick up on it, but other people I know picked up on it. I guess I was just there to enjoy a good film, which is what my goal was. I was there to enjoy a good film. There was stuff I had forgotten that happened in the musical because I had been reading the book that happened that didn't happen in the book. Because hopefully you have seen this film by the time I am releasing this. Alphabet does not die. She just hides in a certain area when they when Dorothy pours the water on her and her and free fier Fiero just run away at the end. And that is all I'm gonna say about that, without spoiling it, but she does give the grimary away to Glinda to hold on to, to hide from the wizard and his evil forces. It's as though the film does a certain scene and then moves backwards, getting towards a scene from watching both films. If I am saying this correctly, please correct me if I am wrong, but I think I am correct. So, yes, they followed the musical. To a good T to a degree. And I was talking about some of my the parts I found interesting. What would I consider my favorite parts? Oh, that's hard. That is so, so hard because I thought everything was interesting between both films. It's hard to find I know my favorite parts for part one, and it would have to be the one short day scene for sure. Because you get to see the original Alphaba and Glenda appear in the film. And also the defying gravity scene would be my top favorite scenes in part one. For part two, that is hard because I was just mesmerized by everything that was happening. I would say probably those scenes where Glinda was being very caring towards Elphaba, any of those scenes in any time they did a duet. It's just Ariana and Cynthia Arrivo's voices just mesh well very, very well. It just nails. It's just amazing, is what I'm trying to get at. Is it so so good? I would just probably pick those as my top scenes. What are my thoughts on part two? I thought they did a very good job. And for a sequel, it was pretty good. Now, was it as good as the first? I would say in the I'm I'm gonna be in the middle. It wasn't horrible and it was great. It hit some wows, but there was one song that was repeated way too much, I feel. And some people feel the same way as well. A lot of people are saying they could have shaved off the last 30 minutes of the film. I have mixed feelings on that. If you have taken a video editing editing clash, you understand, and it's hard to shave things out of a film some days, and I will be totally honest, it is hard. So they were probably having a hard time shaving certain scene scenes off. So I respect if they didn't cut the last 30 minutes they should have cut, but that is a okay if they left that last 30 minutes, but hey, we live and learn from mistakes. It's hard to please everybody in an audience. It is it yeah, it was a pretty good film. There's parts I really really love and parts I don't. They never showed Dorothy's face, which that aggravated me the most. I was looking forward to them showing Dorothy's face. They never showed Dorothy's face, which really, really upset me. Now they did show who the Tin Man was and who the scarecrow was, and they also showed the lion. And there was stuff I didn't realize until watching the film was the courageous lion was the lion cub she freed when she was at Shiz, and that two of her friends turned into the Tin Man and the Scarecrow, one of them being her love lover that her and Glinda fought over in the film. I didn't realize they both had a crush on Fiero until after watching it. I was like, dang, I could see a friendship falling apart over a guy. It always happens. Any songs did I enjoy from either film? Well, I've kind of already mentioned I liked One Short Day, The Wizard and I, and Defying Gravity, of course. I wish they had brought Defying Gravity back into part two, and I feel like it would have made the film, but that's okay. It's hard to please everybody. Let's be honest, it is. Was it worth seeing either one in theaters? I think it was worth seeing both parts in theaters. It is one of those films you have to see in theaters because of it being a musical film and just the graphics are so much better. Even though our TVs and tablets and phones can show it very well nowadays. It's just everything's better in movie theaters and support the movie theaters. Yeah, it was just and the sound quality is always better in a movie theater. Come on. Y'all forget this and hey, that's a-okay by me. We all are not perfect. So hey, I'm cutting y'all some slack, okay. As I've said before, the wick both both parts were mainly based off the musical. Even though it started out as a book, people do not realize these things. And you have to be a book nerd to know these things. I saw Wicked on Broadway before I ever read the book. Series. Yes, it is a series of books, which people would not know that until after looking up the first book, which is called Wicked. It even gives credit to the author of the Wicked series in the films. If you were not paying attention to the post credits, which not many people paid attention to the credits. So overall, what did I think of this film? It was a great watch in theaters. You should go see it in theaters. And I also love the graphics. And if you are an avid reader like me, go check out the book series. So I highly, highly recommend. And I will see you next time. Bye.