The following post contains a discussion of Wicked and a few minor spoilers for the movie nothing that would come as a surprise to anyone who has seen the Broadway show.Forthe last year,I have lived with Elphaba and Glinda.Thats not their given names, obviously. But ever since we took our nine and seven-year-old daughters to seeWickedduring 2023s Kids Night on Broadway, my two girls have been obsessed with the show. We watch clips on YouTube. Theysingthe songs every night at bedtime. We wentback and sawthe show a second time. We listen to the soundtrack on long car trips. The kids sing the songs some more. I beg them to give it a rest. They continue singing anyway.Mydaughters have tagged along to family films before (and theyve even reviewed things for me once or twice) but theWickedmovie was a horse of a different color (green, obviously). This was the first time in my professional life that my daughters (and my wife, who is also a hugeWickedfan dating back to when she saw the show for the first time in 2003 with the original cast) all flat-out demanded they come to a press screening.After the four of us saw the film, I asked the kids what they thought about it and how it compared with the Broadway show.(Mom makes a brief cameo appearance during the discussion as well.)Ive slightly condensed some of the conversation, but these are their unvarnished (andmostly very positive) reactions to the film.WICKEDUniversalloading...READ MORE: 20 Sequels You Forgot ExistedDad: So which did you like more, the Broadway show or the movie?7 Year Old: Movie.Dad:What about you? Which is better, the movie or the 9 Year Old: The movie!Dad: The movie was better than the show?9 Year Old: The person who played Elphaba, was so amazing.She did so good on Defying Gravity. And I also liked how, becauseon Broadway she just it felt more real in the movie than in the Broadway show. And you always want it to feel more real.Dad: I think I understand what youre saying. The movie has all the special effects and the massive sets. Its not just ona stage.9 Year Old: Also, when we were sitting close [on Broadway], I could see[Elphaba] had green gloves on that went up her arms.Dad: And in the movie you didnt see that, so it felt more real?9 Year Old: Mmmhmm.Dad: Did you cry at all? Were there any moments that really got you feeling stuff?9 Year Old: No.7 Year Old: I didnt cry during the movie. I felt like I wanted to at some points, like Defying Gravity.Dad: Mom was crying. I looked over and she was wiping tears away.Mom: It was so good.WICKEDUniversalloading...Dad: What differences did younoticebetween the movie and the show?7 Year Old: The movie was more sad and more scary.Dad: Why more sad?7 Year Old: They were crying and upset that they had to leave each other. And the guards were trying to get them and stuff.Dad: So that made it scarier?7 Year Old: Yeah.Like when the monkeys were trying to get her. And the monkeys had wings.9 Year Old: That scared me wait, wheres my magic wand?Dad: Mom has it.9 Year Old: Oh phew.Dad:So the monkeys scared you?9 Year Old: The first time the monkeys came out and, like, crashed into the window. I was like Ah!Dad:Do you know what thats called? Thats called a jump scare. You want to know why?9 Year Old: Because you jump and youre scared?Dad: Pretty much. So if themovie was sadder and more scary, why did you like it more than the show?7 Year Old: It was more silly.Dad: Who was more silly?7 Year Old: Fiyero. So was Glinda. In Popular she was very funny. I also like when she spun around on the ceiling.Dad: Oh, you liked when she jumped up andhung on to herchandelier during Popular. Am I going to catch you trying to do that in our house?7 Year Old: No.WICKEDUniversalloading...Dad:You say you like the movie better than the show. But was there anything that was better in the show than in the movie?9 Year Old:What I didnt really like in the movie ... Fiyero ... well, two things. First: We meet Fiyero in the woods. I didnt really like that scene. I likedhow they did it better in the show.Dad:Okay, yes, they added a scene in there where Elphaba meets Fiyero before his first big song.[long pause]Dad: You said two things. Was there was something else about Fiyero you didnt like?9 Year Old: Uh ... no.Dad: What did you think of Dancing Through Life?9 Year Old:[Holding up bag of leftover popcorn] Can I eat this?Dad: Hold on.[9 Year Old grabs fistful of popcorn]Dad: Stop.[9 Year Old shoves popcorn in her mouth. Dad sighs.]Dad:What did you think of little Elphaba in the beginning? That was another thing they added for the film.9 Year Old: Cute. I liked her glasses. I wish you had those glasses.Dad: That would be an interesting look for me.WICKEDUniversalloading...9 Year Old:I didnt like that they didnt do the thing whereElphaba gives herteacherher lunch and then heeats the paper instead.Dad: Thats true. That got left out. Well, its probably hard to do that when its a CGI goat.9 Year Old: Whats a CGI?Dad:So in the movie, that wasnt a real goat. It was made with computers and special effects.9 Year Old: Dad, the goatin the show wasnt a real goat either.Dad: Okay, yes, but that was a human wearing makeup.9 Year Old: And a mask!Dad:And a mask. But it was a real person under the mask. In the movie, the goat was basically an animated character.9 Year Old: Yeah, that character didnt look real.7 Year Old: He looked weird.UniversalUniversalloading...Dad: Did you have a favorite scene or song?9 Year Old: I liked Popular, but Defying Gravity was my favorite. Popular was my second favorite because Glinda did like a split, kind of, and spun around and hung on to the whats it called? The chandelier.Dad:Yes, your sister likes that part too.9 Year Old: It was so cool.Dad: What did you think ofthe actors voices?7 Year Old: I thought Elphaba was very very good.Dad: She really has a beautiful voice, huh?7 Year Old: It sounded so easy in Defying Gravity when she did it.Dad: It really does.7 Year Old: It sounds so easy, but its really hard!Dad: Oh, I know. I know.WICKEDUniversalloading...Dad:You have been waiting for this movie. Did it live up to your expectations?7 Year Old: Even better.Dad: Did it seem too long? Because this movie is about as long as the whole Broadway show, andits just the first act of the show.7 Year Old: I feel like it is a little long.Dad: But was it too long?7 Year Old: [shakes head no] Even though it is pretty long, its so good that I didnt mind. I liked watching it. I didnt want it to end.Dad: Is it weird that it endsin the middle of the story?7 Year Old: Its kind of not as weird as I thought it would be. I thought they would do the end and just turn off the television. Like [mimics a remote control turning off a TV] done.Dad: So you guys arent gonna want to see the second one, right? We can just skip it?7 Year Old:[grabs Dad and pulls him down to herface] I WANT TO SEE IT!Dad: Would you rather see this one again or the second part?7 Year Old: This one again.9 Year Old: Second part.Dad: Would you rather see this one again or go see the Broadway show again?Both: [Simultaneously] This one again.Get our free mobile appThe 25 Best Sequel TitlesThese sequels all share one thing in common: They all have really good titles.Filed Under: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jon M. Chu, WickedCategories: Longform, Movie News, Movie Reviews