one of the most frustrating films I've seen in a long while. at its best when Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are given free will to bounce off of their respective personalities. Both powerful in their genuinely poignant musical moments, both strongholds in their own right - charismatic and funny, particularly Grande. Unfortunately, most of it is completely hideous to look at, especially when they arrive in Emerald City. It lacks the colourful, dream-like sense (like in the original Wizard of Oz) and instead displays a shiny, washed gleam that aims for a more realistic, down-to-earth look - and this pretty much sums up why countless big-budget films look the way they do now. Hollywood's insatiable desire to make the imaginary seem real continues to dumfound me. And I don’t even need to mention the god-awful lighting. The aggravating thing is that, as I type this, my review feels so harsh, but my rating will not reflect that - I truly had a decent time (largely thanks to the two central performances, as already mentioned). feels mostly earnest, and it merits its big character moments, but it's a frustrating shame that it’s mostly very very ugly.