Is ‘Wicked’ Worth the Hype? Here’s My Honest Review
A few years ago, I remember my social media blowing up over the casting for a movie. It wasn't just any film, but the screen adaptation of one of my favorite musicals of all time, Wicked.
This is based off of the book by Gregory Maguire entitled, 'Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.'
These media outlets had announced that pop star Ariana Grande and Tony Award winner Cynthia Erivo. I remember being a bit thrown off by the casting choices.
However, after going to see the film in theaters I can admit that all of my concerns and preconceived notions of the flick were proven wrong.
Wicked: Part One
'Wicked: Part One' was released in theaters nationwide on Friday, November 22. The movie currently has a 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with a 98% on the Popcornmeter.
The cast has major star power with Jeff Goldblum, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathon Bailey, Ethan Slater, and Bowen Yang.
It's the actresses playing two of the most iconic witches in pop culture that are at the heart of why this film defies expectations.
The Good: Soaring High Like Elphaba
Let’s dive into what the film got right—and there’s plenty to talk about.
2 Hours and 45 Minutes? Do We Really Need This?
One of my main concerns going into seeing the movie was that they were splitting it into two parts. The Broadway version of Wicked 's runtime is 2 hours and 45 minutes with a fifteen minute intermission.
This first part of the two-part adaptation has the exact same runtime as the theatrical version! My initial thought was that they might drag it out unnecessarily just to squeeze more money from moviegoers.
Once the movie starts, you immediately understand why the movie is that long. The original stage adaption had a bit of a problem with pacing.
Director Jon M. Chu let the story breathe, and we got to spend more time getting a deeper understanding of Elphaba's backstory and why she's so impassioned over the plight of the animals in Oz.
The longer runtime also permitted us to get a richer connection to the blossoming friendship between Glinda and Elphaba. It felt like the characters really earned the emotional response that felt a bit forced in the stage show.
The Music and Choreography: Bringing Broadway’s Magic to the Big Screen
One of the hardest genres of film to pull off successfully is a musical.
However, somehow Chu and his crew pulled it off with this moving masterpiece. Many of the musical numbers were performed live during filming, and this allowed for the actors to pull off a natural and fantastical performance.
The music is not an exact note for note recreation. There is a slight creative difference in the 'Defying Gravity' number with Cynthia Erivo making a change to the battle cry at the end of the song.
It was a fun variation that set this Elphaba apart from others.
Another difference in the songs that I enjoyed was during the sequence where the two witches arrive in the Emerald City. During the number 'One Short Day' we get a bit more of a backstory on the Wizard's rise to power.
And I'd be remiss if I didn't comment on the amazing Jonathon Bailey's Fiyero. He truly made the number 'Dancing Through Life' his own.
He was charming and killed the choreography. There is a sequence with him opening up books with his boots and sliding on them that scratches my brain.
This song leads into my favorite scene in the whole film. I don't want to spoil this for anyone, but once the students at Shiz University get to the Oz Dust Ballroom there is an incredibly moving moment.
The Wicked Witch of the West shows up in her now iconic black hat to the disgust of her classmates. It's at this moment that the friendship between Galinda and Elphaba begins.
There is extra time spent in this moment and you can really feel the emotional rollercoaster that both women go on; the embarrassment and resignation of Elphaba, and the regret and empathy of Glinda "the good."
Grande's character is the first person to see the green witch for who she is; a deeply hurt young woman who yearns to belong.
The Not-So-Good: Wicked’s Weak Villains
For a movie musical based off of the story of the Wizard of Oz, I was underwhelmed by the man behind the curtain. Yes, I understand that we're supposed to be underwhelmed and a bit disappointed that the great and powerful Oz is just a normal man.
However, Jeff Goldblum's performance as the Wizard was just...boring. With Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and even Jonathon Bailey's performance, the larger than life actors melted away into these characters.
I completely forgot that I was watching Ariana Grande play Galinda. She WAS Galinda.
However, I couldn't see past the Goldblum of it all.
Unfortunately, the same could also be said for the incredible Oscar winning actress Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible.
While Yeoh acted and looked every bit the part of this sorcery professor, she was not used to her full potential. She wasn't the strongest singer (which I can't blame her for) but she just seemed stiff.
I would've loved to see her given some more chances to partake in some of the more action packed scenes.
Wickedly Good, with a Few Spells Left to Cast
Overall, the first film of this two two part movie adaptation was everything fans of the stage musical could want and more. It honored its theatrical source material while creating a beautiful new piece of media that will be enjoyed for years to come.
Now, unfortunately we have to wait another year to see the ending of this story.
'Wicked: Part Two' is set for a November 21st, 2025 release date.
Luckily, if you are interested in finding out how the tale of Elphaba and Glinda concludes, you can always listen to the original Broadway cast soundtrack OR somehow go and check out a theatrical performance of the show.
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