Wicked

Description

Wicked, one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, now arrives on your screen as a generation-defining cinematic event. The untold story of the witches of Oz, Wicked stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, a misunderstood young woman who has yet to discover her true power, and Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman who has yet to discover her true heart. The two meet at Shiz University and forge an unlikely friendship - before their lives take different paths following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Their extraordinary adventures will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. Wicked is an immersive, cultural celebration you will want to experience over and over again! Review: Personal Experience with 4K Transfer.. - After seeing Wicked in the cinema five times in different formats, I was a little nervous about the transfer to 4K, especially after seeing some negative early disc reviews. This was my personal experience with Wicked on 4K. Packaging: Nice slip case with embossed logo, some effort has been made in the presentation. Two discs included 1 x 4K & 1 x Bluray. Both printed with the re-created and iconic whisper shot. A nod to the musical even before watching. Disc and Menus: Still image of the shot from the slip case. Very simple design and navigation tools. Was expecting a little more from this, maybe some animated menus etc. Theatrical version and Sing Along with extras on this disc. The additional scenes add more context to the story. The making of Wicked is the standout here. 4/5 because of the lazy menu design. The Transfer: I have to agree that the finished product did lack in colour saturation, I also found it lacking in sharpness. This was apparent from multi format viewing in the cinema and depending on the quality and age of the equipment. I feel that projector bulbs aren't being replaced as often as they should due to cost cutting. At home the saturation issue is still present, but a simple adjustment to colour saturation and sharpness fixed this. See the included photos. It made a huge difference to the palate. Elphaba's skin tone really pops GREEN and Galinda's pinks stand out more prominently. I increased saturation from from 50 to 80 percent. It's subtle in the photo's, but more noticeable when you see it for yourself. The sharpness adds more depth and detailing. I increased this from 50 to 70 percent. Even without the adjustments I noticed finer details from the transfer. Like dust particles in the air, the red smoke that comes out of the Grimmery as she's casting the levitation spell, I can't recall that in any cinema presentation I watched. Happy with the transfer 5/5. Music and Sound: Absolutely Outstanding! We've gone from a 45 piece Theater to 96 piece Studio Orchestra. Never has the Wicked soundtrack sounded so good. A beautifully rich and expanded score guarantees to give you chills. It still blows my mind that the lead cast all sang live, and you can hear it too. As Elphaba sings the Wizard and I and moves around Shiz, you can hear the change in sound dynamics. Mind blowing! The Dolby Atmos adds further richness. I did go for a slight bass Increase for a bit more punch. I don't have rear speakers but built in Atmos and a soundbar. 5/5 Production and Casting: Well it appears the stars finally aligned and they pulled the best team possible together to pull off this amazing project. Jon M Chu is a GENIUS. Period. You can tell he loves everything about Wicked. This movie is a love letter to the fans of the original Broadway Smash and you can clearly see where the budget has been spent. I was nervous about the whole project until I watched the first trailer. After bursting into tears of relief and multiple re-watches later I was fully on board. I've seen this movie NINE times since November and I cannot tire of it. It is now my number one movie of all time. A Modern Movie Masterpiece. People are not ready for how EPIC For Good will be. If you thought Defying Gravity was dramatic, you aint seen nothing yet. No Good Deed is gonna blow ya'll away and For Good will Break You!.. Review: Suprberb! - I am not really a fan of musicals and have only ever been to one (Oliver! at the London Palladium in 1994, starring Jim Dale as Fagin and 14-year-old Gregory Bradley as Oliver, which was an amazing show!) However, I decided to purchase this as I had read the book and was intrigued by the idea of a movie of the musical. I was not disappointed. Though the musical differed a little from the book (written by Gregory MaGuire), such as Elphaba's sister being in a wheelchair (in the book she has no arms), it was pretty much spot on. I purchased the 4K edition seeing as I have a 4K TV, and I have to say that the picture quality was amazing. I loved the acting, particularly the two leads. The dance choreography was wonderful. What I found interesting, and I don't remember realise this when I read the book, was that it seemed that Glinda (who becomes the Good Witch) started off not exactly as evil, but very selfish and mean, whilst Elphaba seemed to start off as good before becoming "wicked". As the story ends it seems they switch characters and become the witches we all are familiar with. What I didn't expect was that this movie is only Part One. I assume (and hope) that part 2 will follow. A truly wonderful experience. Recommended.