If you’re reading this, you probably already know whether or not you’re going to see Wicked Part 1, the film based on the beloved Broadway musical based on the bestselling book based on material from the classic movie musical based on another book.

The only thing you need to know now is, is it any good? Read on to find out!

The Origin

Based on the classic film (and novel, etc.) Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, became a bestseller for going beyond its titular prequel mandate to deliver a scathing commentary on the abuses of absolute power borne of personality-based politics. The novel’s stage rights were quickly picked up by Stephen Schwartz, who, in 2003, turned it into the Broadway musical sensation we know and love today.

Now reimagined as a blockbuster film with a top-flight cast, Shwartz, producer Marc Platt (Les Miserables), and director John Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, G.I. Joe Retaliation) are betting big that Wicked will take global cinemas by storm.

The Story

In the land of Oz, Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo, Harriett, Pinocchio) enrolls at Shiz University, where her green skin, practical demeanor, and unusual dress make her a target for the popular students, led by Galinda Upland (Ariana Grande-Butera, Don’t Look Up, TV’s Victorious).

As Elphaba and Galinda’s squabbling gives way to mutual respect and, eventually, friendship, dark forces are at work that threaten every citizen in Oz. When the school’s headmistress, Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh, Crazy Rich Asians), catches wind of Elpheba’s burgeoning magical abilities, the young student and her newfound best friend Glinda (the “Ga” is silent) embark on a trip to meet the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) in a journey that will change their lives forever.

The Film

From the moment Wicked’s old-school title card evokes the 1939 Wizard of Oz, a sense of nostalgic giddiness takes over, and it’s a credit to everyone involved that the much-anticipated film lives up to its promise. Chu and his team have done a spectacular job of bringing the award-winning musical to life on the big screen, and it’s a joy to behold.

Not content to coast on the pre-existing songs, much of the film’s appeal can be traced to the talents of the multi-hyphenate cast and some truly imaginative production design. Running at a brisk 160 minutes, the film never feels drawn-out or bloated, to the point that seeing “To Be Continued” at the end drew audible groans at the premiere screening – it’s that good.

Going Green

Of the lead actors, Erivo has arguably the harder task; as opposed to the brand recognition Grande-Butera brings to her part, mainstream audiences will likely only know her for her parts in films such as Harriet Tubman (in Harriet) and The Good Fairy (in Pinocchio). Excellent as she may have been in those parts, Wicked is arguably Erivo’s most prominent role yet, and holy crap, she knocks it out of the park.

Meet Elphaba

Small and awkward when she needs to be, upstanding and commanding at other times, Erivo builds on the work of Elphaba actors past to create an altogether likable, believable portrayal of a green-skinned girl trying to make her way in the world.

Whether she’s putting up with Galinda’s antics or holding up her end of songs like “Loathing” and “Defying Gravity”, she is completely invested, and one need only look at her eyes to know what Elphaba is thinking. In Erivo’s hands, as in the play (and novel, etc.) before it, one of the film’s most infamous villains is rendered eminently likable and, more importantly, relatable, winning the audience over in preparation for the events to come.

Meet Glinda

When it comes to actors who were born to play certain roles, few are as outright spot-on as Ariana Grande-Butera, playing Elphie’s nemesis-turned-BFF Glinda, to the point of the actor using her birth name in the film’s credits to acknowledge the fulfillment of her childhood dream.

This is a part that the pop icon could have played in her sleep, but she never — not for a second — phones it in, fully committing to her character’s over-the-top theatrics and status as a self-absorbed queen bee. Long relegated to “pretty, but dumb” roles, Grande-Butera builds on that foundation and runs with it, taking the role Kristin Chenoweth made famous and making it her own, nailing every bit of Glinda’s histrionic nature, to hilarious effect.

The return of the musical blockbuster

Despite the majority of Hollywood studios shying away from marketing their musical films as musicals in fear of alienating potential audiences, the sheer name-recognition of Wicked meant that they couldn’t get away with misleading trailers and audio teases – this is an all-out musical, and Chu clearly understood the assignment, flexing the same filmmaking muscles he used in adapting Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights (2021) and, to some extent, his Justin Bieber concert films (Never Say Never and Believe).

Whimsical choreography plays off the extravagant sets and lavish costumes to bring viewers into the wonderful world of Oz, while never overpowering the actors’ performances. At the same time, the songs from the stage production are present, having survived the transition largely intact, save for the occasional updated backbeat. The vocal abilities of Erivo and Grande-Butera are beyond reproach, delivering instantly-iconic takes on songs one was genuinely hard-pressed not to sing along to. While Goldblum and Yeoh’s vocal stylings are somewhat questionable, their combined charisma is enough to distract from their (blessedly brief) musical shortcomings.

The bottom line

Wicked is an excellent example of a stage-to-screen adaptation where nearly everything goes right. From casting and production design, to the reworking of classic songs for a new audience, the filmmakers and cast knew what they were doing, and it shows. This isn’t some shameless cash grab cosplaying as Wicked — this is Wicked.

By the time the title card comes up announcing the end of Part 1, you’ll be hungry for more, hardly having noticed that nearly three hours have passed. Trust us when we say, the wait for November 2025 will make for one hell of an intermission.

Have you seen ‘Wicked’ yet? Tell us what you thought about the film in the comments!