Ever since it dropped in Philippine cinemas nationwide on November 19, Wicked: For Good has been extremely busy breaking records.
As of writing, the green-and-pink musical fever dream has earned almost P174 million in box-office sales in just the first six days since its release, making the Philippines the movie’s sixth-highest-earning market outside the United States. Globally, it’s already brought in $226 million, making it the biggest global and domestic opening for a movie based on a Broadway musical (a title previously held by its predecessor, Wicked).
But it has also made history as the first film to premiere in the Philippines on ScreenX, a theater format in which the screen extends out to the sides of the theater, creating a 270-degree panoramic view. The term “immersion” gets thrown around a lot when moviegoers speak about the ScreenX viewing experience, and this, in some way, is true: the wraparound screens help make you feel like you’re in the middle of the action, and it’s a format that lends itself to large-scale spectacle. Other movies shown in ScreenX abroad include F1: The Movie, Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, and Mickey 17.
But the big question remains: is seeing Wicked: For Good in ScreenX worth it?
A Shaky Tableau
As someone who’s seen Wicked: For Good at SM Mall of Asia’s ScreenX theater (the only one in the country), I must say that seat location is paramount for an ideal ScreenX experience. If the whole draw of ScreenX is that it’s immersive, then it’s a more intelligent choice to try and sit in the center of the cinema.
I made the mistake of picking a seat close to the left side of the venue. When the big opening number, “Every Day More Wicked,” began to swell, I became increasingly aware of the pixels on the screen to my left. It makes sense that not all three screens in a ScreenX theater would be high-definition, as this might be too visually jarring. But the screens on the left and right seem to be intentionally blurry: the red tulips of Munchkinland looked more like pixels, the clouds that Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) flew through were never in focus, and the crowd extras during the mob scenes dissolved into vague, bobbing shapes.
Visual Spectacle
There are moments when the panoramic view does pay off, though. To see the Emerald City splayed out across three screens, its jade towers sparkling as the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) launches into another dance number, is a genuinely impressive tableau. The Yellow Brick Road also sprawls around the cinema, and if you don’t focus too hard, you might think you’re right in the middle of Oz.
But at times, the stunning visuals tend to distract from the real narrative unfolding on the main screen. While I was busy trying to make out different faces in the crowds of Munchkins on the left and right screens, Glinda (Ariana Grande) had already started up “I Couldn’t Be Happier.”
What’s more, the seams of the side screens do not always completely line up with the main screen. This means that, if there’s, say, the face of a lion that’s positioned right at the intersection of the left and main screens, there’s a good chance that the sides of its face won’t completely align. If you’re picky about visuals, the lopsidedness of ScreenX may irk you.
Finally, it’s important to note that not all of Wicked: For Good plays out across the three screens. It seems like the format was saved for the musical’s big numbers, with the side screens suddenly lighting up at the start of a song. They remain quiet and dark for the most part, and sometimes you forget that you paid P700 to see this movie on ScreenX.
