MOVIE REVIEW: Wicked's witches sing in soaring spectacle

The Snapshot: Two dazzling lead witches and a careful director’s vision make Wicked’s Part 1 one of the strongest stage-to-screen adaptations in years.

Wicked - Part 1

8 out of 10

PG, 2hrs 41mins. Musical Fantasy Epic.

Directed by Jon M. Chu.

Starring Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Marissa bode, Ethan Slater, Peter Dinklage and Jeff Goldblum.

Now Playing at Galaxy Cinemas North Bay, 300 Lakeshore Dr.

Are you doubtful that Universal’s long-awaited adaptation of Broadway’s blockbuster Wicked could live up to its lofty heights? Witch, please!

Wicked works on many fronts, but thanks to the leadership of stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande and director Jon M. Chu, this song-filled retelling of the Wicked Witch of the West will easily fit on the top shelf among the best modern movie musicals.

Based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel and even more so on the 2003 mega-hit musical, Wicked (more specifically, Wicked Part 1) is a prequel to Frank L. Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, telling the coming-of-age story for both the famous Wicked Witch, named Elphaba (Oscar nominee Erivo) and Glinda the Good (Grande).

The whole concept revolves around the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda as they go to sorcery University and eventual start their careers as Oz’s two most famous witches, from enemies to friends to eventual rivals.

For fans of the show, the Wicked property is inescapably popular because of its tightly enforced themes of sisterhood and girl power. But the movie version is focused from the beginning that the story's important moral is that of acceptance in all forms.

What does it take to accept and respect others? How does the fear of those different from us grow into greater conflicts? Why is facing peer pressure so difficult? Those questions and their answers, I think, are the true, universal messages that's made Wicked so compelling for so long.

The movie leans hard into the fantasy elements of the story that the stage musical never could - it’s totally a genre film, and that’s what elevates the movie from a Broadway show on screen to a fully formed Hollywood blockbuster.

Many changes made by writer Winnie Holzman in adapting her theatrical script to screenplay, including minor story details and connections, are smart, tight improvements over the original show that make the Oz-centric moments clearer than ever. One scene about poppies, for example, is particularly well done.

Most deserving of our congratulotions (as Glinda would say), is director Jon M. Chu, who’s keen eye for recreating Oz on screen is nothing short of masterful. His understanding of stage and screen elements and how they fuse is the work of a real creative genius.

With the mixing of CGI effects and creatures, grounding for plot moving scenes, balance of close ups on soloists and grand pans for dancing choruses, and a creativity in adapting all of Shiz University’s fantasy settings - that’s a lot to handle. But not for Chu.

Managing this would be a tall order for any director to work around, and he makes it look easy. Chu's work as a director is even stronger here than on his last musical, 2021’s In the Heights - arguably the last great musical blockbuster.

Read more here: Happiness is happening In the Heights - Movie Review

Wicked isn’t without some faults, however: in addition to a few sound mixing issues (why is the score drowning out some principal vocalists?) there are some obvious things unexplained. The fantasy genre often has plot holes, and Wicked is no exception.

Throughout the whole time at Shiz, why are only the four main characters the ones not in a school uniform? Do none of the hundreds of other students have permission to have a personal fashion style?

Another note: while I loved the short tutoring scenes where Elphaba is learning magic, I would’ve loved to see more so her eventual rise as the wicked witch made more sense. For a nearly three hour movie, surprisingly little time focuses on Elphaba’s education. In general, there are remarkably few lessons for a story heavily focused on school.

These however, are small critiques of an otherwise extremely thoughtful film. Erivo and Grande are both masterful as vocalists, comedians, actors, dancers and bona fide movie stars, but the rest of the cast (including Jeff Goldblum’s Wonderful Wizard) are all at the top of their game.

At the end of it all, I do still have a lingering worry that there’s a part 2 coming out next year, but it seems like all the best moments in the story have already happened. With an opening this strong, I’m curious to see if the second half can match the first’s great success.

In the meantime, Ozians should rejoicify! Wicked’s big screen debut is made up of all it was meant to be, and fans pouring into theatres to experience the marvel for themselves will be changed for the better.