Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		5.0

Wicked 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

"There's a collection of, um, rare books around here somewhere. And some medium-rare as well."

Reviewed by Justin Dekker February 5, 2025

After successfully making the leap from page to stage, the beloved Broadway hit musical leaped to the silver screen and now 'Wicked' arrives on 4K UHD disc courtesy of Universal. Starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, and supported by Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible) and Jeff Goldblum (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz), the stellar cast takes viewers on an incredible journey filled with music, drama, comedy, triumph, and tragedy. Based on the book by Gregory Maguire, the film looks every penny of its purported $150 million dollar budget and would go on to gross nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars upon its original theatrical release. On-disc supplemental material includes a "Sing-Along" version, deleted and extended scenes, and two feature commentaries. An embossed slipcover, a Blu-ray, and a Digital Code redeemable through Movies Anywhere are also included.

Are people born bad or do they have badness thrust upon them? This is the question that permanently pink bedecked Glinda asks in Wicked's opening moments. Glinda never directly answers the question, but it's clear by her retelling of Elphaba's story which of the two potentialities she more strongly endorses. Elphaba, the product of her mother's affair with a man who's never definitively identified, was the object of discrimination and prejudice from the very start. Her own father in particular, who is seemingly unaware of his spouse's infidelity and was joyously exuberant just moments before she emerged into the world, reacts with unfiltered shock and horror at his child's appearance. Her green skin is simply too much for him to take. When her mother dies due to complications from the delivery of their second child, Nessarose, who is born with a physical disability that confines her to a wheelchair, Elphaba's father blames her. She becomes forced to abandon her own childhood and hopes for the future to serve as her sister's playmate and caretaker. His disdain for Elphaba is obvious in his every word, look, and gesture. The rest of Oz acts in a similar fashion, with those seeing her either responding with revulsion or cruelty. What separates her from the others, though, goes far beyond the color of her skin. From the moment of her birth, she is obviously able to unleash some sort of magical power, a power that manifests itself in moments of heightened emotion and stress as she grows into adulthood. Arriving at Shiz University in the capacity, again, as Nessarose's (Marissa Bode) caretaker, she is once more subject to mockery and disgust. Her barely controlled magical outburst immediately draws the attention of the distinguished Madame Morrible (Yeoh). Morrible, sensing her raw power, and to the surprise of everyone, quickly decides that Elphaba must remain at Shiz to be her student. Being singled out for Madame Morrible's personal attention and instruction does little to improve her standing with the student body, and in fact, she continues to be the subject of ongoing ridicule. After working to build a relationship with Glinda, Elphaba's progression under Morrible's tutelage brings her to the Wizard's (Goldblum) attention and he summons her to Emerald City. The Wizard presents her with a test, that, if she passes, will change her life and all of Oz forever.

In the original Wizard of Oz (1939), Elphaba, then known only as The Wicked Witch of the West, was a deliciously, almost cartoonishly evil character. Unabashedly one-dimensional and designed to be disliked, she channeled the very best villainous behavior that radio and movie serials had to offer at the time. She over-emotes in a clutching and grasping fashion, her back crooked, and her statements and threats frequently end with her hideous and self-satisfied cackle. She takes obvious delight in cruelty coupled with quips as she sets the Scarecrow on fire and threatens poor little Toto. Even her death is a moment too melodramatic for her to let pass without a suitably over-the-top reaction as she cries, "You cursed brat! Look what you've done! I'm melting! Melting! Oh, what a world, what a world. Who would have thought that some little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness.". She's the consummate villain to the very end.

In Wicked, Elphaba is certainly beautiful but decidedly not wicked. Considering that the "merry old land of Oz" offers the wonderous and unusual no matter where one chooses to rest their eye, it has puzzled me from the first time I saw it on-stage why Elphaba being green was so shocking. Oz is, after all, a land where the single most revered figure is a wizard who is allegedly capable of granting the lucky few their heart's desire. The Emerald City, which rises impossibly from the landscape, is a riot of green and filled with not only wondrous architecture but amazing machines as well. Shiz University, home to much of the film's action, is also home to many impossible (or at least improbable) things, the least of which are professors who are literally talking animals. If an Ozian can accept the existence of a wizard, the reality of magic, and learning at the feet of talking animals, why, then, one must wonder, is a green woman so beyond the pale?

The simplest answer, and the one most convenient to the story, is because she simply is. She is one of one. An aberration. She's something Oz has never seen before and is unlikely to see again. And in this case, what should be an accepting and tolerant culture just isn't. Underneath Oz's beautiful and awe-inspiring veneer, something sinister and ugly festers and grows. These negative attitudes and behaviors have plagued her for her entire life, beginning with her father's reaction at the moment of her birth, extending to the youngsters who should have been her childhood friends, and carrying over to the students at Shiz who are old enough to know (and be) better. Despite the intolerance and ignorance she routinely faces, underneath her understandable defensiveness lies a heart that is still willing to seek a connection and a hand that still extends in hopeful friendship.

Even more frightening is the treatment of the fantastical talking animals, which was less of a focus on stage but is given expanded airtime here. Their treatment parallels that of a number of groups of people in our civilization's history and, unfortunately, our present as well. Shiz's esteemed Dr. Dillamond (voiced brilliantly by Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)), a professor who happens to be a talking goat, isn't the only one being impacted by the people of Oz's ever-worsening attitudes toward talking animals, but he is the story's face of the issue. Increasingly, these once-respected citizens are being rounded up and placed in cages. In these horrible conditions, they quickly lose the ability to speak. They are actually robbed of their voices. Those who remain free, gather in secret. As no one is coming to their aid, they plan to flee, in search of a place where they will be accepted and given the chance to live as they always have. At the same time, those in power expunge their stories.

Without these themes, it would be easy to be somewhat dismissive of Wicked as yet another in a long line of light, toe-tapping musicals. A harmless bit of fluff. An American fairy tale. An often funny or quirky diversion and nothing more. But like Oz, there is something else entirely happening beneath the surface. Sure, there are quite a few impressive musical performances for which the actors sang live on the set. But the catchy songs, wild choreography, and elaborate practical sets can sometimes distract from the message of the lyrics. "No One Mournes the Wicked", for instance, is riddled with dark judgment, a celebration of groupthink, and unbridled vindictiveness all wrapped up neatly in something masquerading as a celebration of justice or liberation. The students at Shiz University focus on image, popularity, and other superficial pursuits rather than noticing the things going on around them; things that will only worsen if they fail to pay attention and take action. And mixed in between the other impressive musical numbers, the stunning visuals, and the stand-out performances from Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum, there are even more salient issues to discover and consider. All of these factors work together to make Wicked as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. So much so, in fact, that it was the fastest two-hour and forty-minute movie I've seen. The wait for part two of Elphaba's story, however, is going to feel quite long, indeed.

Wicked 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Wicked 4K looks impeccable. As good as the 1080p presentation is, and it's very good, every element sees improvement here. Depth and dimensionality are improved and are at times almost three-dimensional, inviting viewers into Oz at every turn. Primaries dazzle and are immediately appreciated in the rainbow of poppies surrounding Munchkinland. The Dolby Vision grading offers a subtle but much-appreciated enhancement and expansion to the color palette, as, for instance, witnessed in the Yellow Brick Road that runs through Munchkinland (and Oz) and in Elphaba herself. Both benefit from appearing more richly saturated and convincing than what is seen on the Blu-ray. Not limited to yellows and greens, all colors are more richly saturated. Fine detail is spectacular no matter where one chooses to linger. Fabrics have a delightful realistic texture, as is greatly observable from the beginning of the film in Munchkinland when the crowd gathers to receive confirmation of the news from Glinda. Rough-spun garments of the less well-off are chunky and fibrous, while by contrast, Glinda's multilayer gossamer gown reveals the intricacies of the tulle, and each sequin is defined. The fur on the numerous animal characters is excellently rendered, moving naturally in response to wind and the animal's movements, with their coloration blending and transitioning from one color to another quite believably. Facial particulars are precise and abundant. Each freckle on young Elphaba's face is distinguishable. Even long shots tracking characters through their environments and aerial shots allowing the viewer to understand the scope and scale of Oz never waver in their ability to deliver incredibly detailed sights. Darker or shadowed scenes yield more gradation and visible detail. It's a reference-quality transfer.

(Please note: all included screenshots are sourced from the included 1080p disc.)

Wicked 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As is the case with Universal's Dolby Atmos Tracks, the levels are a bit lower, but the overall beauty and sophistication of the track is undeniable. Once viewers have found their preferred listening level, they will be treated to lively and impressively immersive track. Bass is seriously deep surrounds are used nearly constantly. They support music, primarily for instrumentation, with lead and backing vocals focused in the front channels. Singing is handled exceptionally well, with Grande's amazing soprano notes remaining perfectly clear and defect-free even as she hits some truly jaw-dropping notes. Large production numbers, and there are quite a few, robustly fill the sound stage. Directionality is precise with objects and characters moving with excellent fluidity throughout the sound stage. Sound effects are lusciously deep; huge doors boom shut and the massive fire when the effigy of the Wicked Witch of the West is burned roars to violent and destructive life. Likewise the train that takes Elphaba to the Emerald City rumbles with impressive depth. No matter the din created by the action of even the film's busiest scenes dialogue is always clean and intelligible, properly prioritized above all else, from Dr. Dillamond's increasingly animalist delivery, to Goldblum's soothing and honey-dripping lothario-like enticements. Due to the variety of material and sounds handled, and the constant and complex demands placed upon it, it's a wonderful track to use to either show-off or explore and appreciate one's home theater set-up.

Wicked 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Wicked arrives on 4K UHD with a magical assortment of on-disc extras that include:

• Deleted Scenes (Please note that some effects elements are unfinished.)
  • Pfannee & Shenshen Meet Glinda (0.34)
  • Shiz Gazette Introduces Fiyero (1.34)
  • Toss Toss (1.48)
  • Elphaba & Fiyero In The Forest (1.39)
  • Elphaba's Promise (1.56)
  • Train Platform Farewell (0.53)
  • Boq & Elphaba Talk (2.02)
  • Train Ride To Emerald City (2.22)
  • In The Emerald City (1.25)
  • Palace Monkeys Chase (1.23)

• Making Wicked (45.45) - Director Jon M. Chu, Producer Marc Platt, and Stephen Schwarz (composer) contribute to the discussion of the origins of Wicked, first as a musical (some beautiful stills of the original cast are shown), and ultimately in its film version. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's casting are explored, and footage from these early meetings is included, with Erivo's powerful voice sounding spectacular even at this early stage. Grande shares how long she pursued the role. Michelle Yeoh describes what bright her to the role, and Jeff Goldblum is obviously a fan of her portrayal. Goldblum also offers his perceptions of The Wizard and Oz. Many other members of the cast and crew are heard from intermixed with voluminous behind-the-scenes material with topics discussed being make-up, costuming, choreography, singing live during filming, and the massively immersive sets (including planting 9 million tulips).

• Welcome to Shiz (8.02) - Director Jon M. Chu leads the viewer through the huge set as the place and its characters are examined.

• A 'Wicked' Legacy (4.20) - Chu, Erivo, Grande others discuss their impression and remembrances of the original cast of the musical as time is given to Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth's cameos in the film.

• The Wonderful Wizard (3.45) - Jeff Goldblum discusses his role of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with a look at the visual and practical effects that support the character.

• Feature Commentary With Director Jon M. Chu - Chu is very informative in his discussion of the film, offering much technical information on shot construction and execution, costuming, and other topics. It's a thorough, relaxed track.

• Feature Commentary With Stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande - Erivo and Grande have a grand time discussing the film and playing off each other along the way. They address some of their favorite shots, little Easter Eggs hidden here and there, thoughts on songs and lyrics, and a myriad of other topics. The commentary is very organic and free-flowing with their remembrances springing forth based on the on- screen action. It's very relaxed, feeling more like you're watching the film with a couple of close personal friends who just happen to be the stars of the film. The pair occasionally (but briefly) fall silent to appreciate the completed work, but who can blame them?

• Sing-Along Version - While not found in the "Bonus" menu, it made sense to list it here. Instead, once "Play" is selected from the main menu, viewers will immediately need to select the Theatrical Version or the Sing-Along Version. Please note that the Sing-Along Version is only available in English. When selected, lyrics to the film's many songs appear at the bottom of the screen in a magical, Oz-inspired take on the traditional karaoke style, with the word to be sung increasing in size as magical sparkles dance above it.

Wicked 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The journey to bring Wicked to the screen was a long one, and the care and craftsmanship on display in every shot relentlessly impresses. The labyrinth practical sets for Shiz University (and other locations) are gratifyingly explored and impeccably dressed. Costumes are a richly detailed and sumptuous mix of whimsy and functionality. And, considering Wicked is a musical, it is important to highlight that the vocal performances of the two leads and the elaborateness of the large production numbers are as gripping as they are powerful, every bit the equal of the work done by the original Broadway cast lead by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. The 4K presentation is as close to perfect as one could hope, and the immersive Dolby Atmos track keeps viewers consistently in the middle of the action as it dazzles from beginning to end. Wildly entertaining and imminently rewatchable, Wicked 4K earns my Highest recommendation.