Honest review: is ‘Wicked’ worth the hype?

After my entire social algorithm was adjusted to the images of almost all interviews where Ariana and Cynthia are holding each other's hands in tears while thanking the interviewers for their fantastic questions, I gradually started to feel a bit of irritation about the hysteria surrounding this film. Don't get me wrong, the first few times I saw those crying interviews, I really had moist eyes, but when it turned out that this was literally the case in every conversation, I had seen enough. And yes, Ariana went through a divorce while making this film, but she is now very happy again and I think she should stay true to her own lyrics: ‘No tears left to cry.’.

Still, there were enough reasons to want to be the first in that cinema

Earlier we talked about the 11 reasons why we couldn't wait to admire ‘Wicked’ in the cinema, and I really stand by that. In short, I really had to be one of the first to be ready to give my unfiltered opinion. Now the big question is: is ‘Wicked’ really worth the hype? The very short answer is: yes. How did I come to that conclusion?

The singing is just fantastic
The most obvious reason, but with two singers like this, you just can't ignore it. You might think you've seen enough of it in all the previews, but believe me, when you see ‘Defying Gravity’ in its entirety on such a big screen and hear it blasting from the cinema speakers, it really makes a much bigger impact than on your phone.

The story is really emotional
I already confessed that I had no idea about the storyline and actually that was quite fun. It was quite a surprise that it is really an emotional story, and timeless. Because of that, it really hits home and I must admit: at one point there is a dance scene with Ariana and Cynthia, and despite the fact that the dance itself is quite funny, I was in tears streaming down my cheeks.

All the lovely, happy people in the cinema
It's no coincidence that Cynthia said in the media that she hopes people will sing along in the cinema, because that really happens. Next to me sat a girl of about 30 singing beautifully along with every song, and call me crazy but I find those kinds of things emotional. That it means so much to someone, that you know all the songs by heart and can't help but sing along. Just sweet and endearing. And also enough adults who came dressed for the theme. Not fully painted green, but definitely the pink and green outfits with glitter and all. Suddenly going to the cinema feels like ‘going out’ again.

It's really for all ages
Okay, it's a very long sit. We sat still for about three hours, although that includes the trailers beforehand, of course. For a 12-year-old boy, it was a bit too long, but he still thought it was really fantastic. The story is educational and, as I said earlier, timeless. It's a beautiful way to become aware of exclusion, bullying, and even discrimination. And all under a blanket of fiction, because in the real world, it's not the talking animals that are oppressed, but the link is very easy to make with certain things happening in the world now.

So what is the final verdict?

Don't wait too long and buy that ticket. The cinemas are packed for a reason. Trust my honest opinion (I was really not enthusiastic about ‘Gladiator II’ and there's also such a hype around it). I saw the version now in 3D, but I can imagine that there are enough parts of the film that would have been even more beautiful if you were sitting in a 4DX theater. And tip from the expert: make sure you bring enough snacks inside. A large bucket of popcorn and a lot of chocolate was just enough to be sweet until the end of the film.