A+Z Movie Review Podcast · Alex Long and Zach Cavanagh

Episode 33 - Wicked - 2025 Best Picture Nominee

·56 min·4 clips

Zach argues that Wicked's film adaptation interrupts the rising action of Defying Gravity's climactic arrangement.

1. The A Plus Z Movie Review Podcast's Episode 33 reviews Wicked, a 2024 film adaptation discussed as a 2025 Best Picture nominee. 2. Alex and Zach are the podcast's two hosts, and their prior Broadway experience matters because both compare the film with the stage production. 3. The episode asks whether Wicked can stand as a complete first film while competing for Best Picture despite being part one of a larger story. 4. Wicked is described as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz centered on Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and her friendship with Glinda. 5. Alex and Zach saw Wicked on Broadway in New York City before watching the film, with Zach having seen the stage show roughly 15 years earlier. 6. Zach says he liked the movie more than the stage production, while Alex calls the film technically gorgeous and vocally strong. 7. Ariana Grande receives extended praise for making Glinda her own instead of simply copying Kristen Chenoweth. 8. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's shared singing in What Is This Feeling? and Defying Gravity is identified as one of the film's strongest elements. 9. Jonathan Bailey's Dancing Through Life sequence is praised as a major improvement from the stage version and a standout cinematic number. 10. Alex and Zach discuss the film's expanded treatment of Oz's animals and its political thread involving oppression and the invention of cages. 11. Zach says Wicked feels more narratively satisfying than Dune Part One despite both films being labeled part one. 12. The hosts argue that Defying Gravity's film editing cuts away from the song's rising action at least twice before extending its ending. 13. Alex criticizes Michelle Yeoh's Madame Morrible for playing scenes flatly and questions her singing preparation. 14. Jeff Goldblum's Wizard is described as an improved performance that still retains recognizable Goldblum mannerisms. 15. The inclusion of Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth surprises the hosts, although they think Menzel's brief vocal moment reduces Erivo's later impact. 16. The hosts note that Wicked earned $718 million on a $150 million budget and became the highest-grossing musical film adaptation. 17. Alex and Zach use a concession-stand format of sweet, salty, and refresher categories to organize their review. 18. The conversation shifts from playful musical references to awards analysis of Wicked's ten nominations and missing Best Director nomination. 19. Broadway-to-film musical fans who value vocals, staging, and adaptation choices. 20. Listeners uninterested in musical films, Wicked, or Oscar-season comparisons might skip it.

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