Wicked review: Ariana Grande, Cythina Erivo are magical in bringing popular musical to big screen

Though I am a fan of musicals, Wicked is one that I hadn’t gotten to see on stage. But with its basis in The Wizard of Oz stories and its biggest songs being engrained into pop culture, I went into the movie theater with a base knowledge of what to expect with the Wicked musical movie adaptation. I left with the understanding of why Wicked became the phenomenon that it is (and that’s only after seeing one half of the story).

In case you’re coming in completely blind, Wicked (based on the Broadway musical based on the book by Gregory Maguire) provides an alternative history to Oz and many of the classic characters that Frank L. Baum created in his original novels, specifically Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), aka the Wicked Witch of the West. The story tells of how the two characters became friends at school before their choices led them down diverging paths. The book and Broadway show cover more, but this Wicked movie is the first of two parts, with movie fans having to wait until November 21, 2025, to see the second half.

While many will likely be eager to see the full story once the credits start rolling on Wicked Part One, the movie itself feels like a complete story with an incredible ending. Add in the great performances by its two leads and an incredible job by director Jon. M Chu and his team in creating this version of Oz, you get what easily could be the best musical in years (at least since 2021’s strong showing of Annette, Encanto, In the Heights, tick, tick… Boom! and West Side Story).

A large part of that has to do with the performances by Erivo and Grande, who each had big shoes to fill. Not only are Elphaba/the Wicked Witch and Glinda iconic roles from The Wizard of Oz, but their original Broadway counterparts — Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth — are beloved for their runs as the characters. But these two talented performers rise to challenge, as Erivo and Grande have created the versions of Elphaba and Glinda for a new generation and carry the movie to incredible heights.

For me, Erivo just edges out her co-star thanks to her powerful voice and having a bit more of an emotional journey she needs to pull off in this part of the story; she is truly magnificent in the role. That’s not to belittle Grande, who is sparkling in all ways as Glinda and I’m intrigued to see where her character goes in Wicked Part Two.

Of course the movie is not a two-women show. Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible and Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero are strong in their supporting performances. The rest of the ensemble, which includes Marissa Bode, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Peter Dinklage and Jeff Goldblum, are solid in their performances.

The other person who should get plenty of credit is director Chu. Already with plenty of experience in the musical genre (Step Up franchise, In the Heights), Chu has outdone himself with Wicked. His version of Oz is stunning while his crafting of the musical scenes is mostly fantastic. All in all, the movie never stumbles as he was able to make the right choice at pretty much every turn.

If you’re wondering why I said the musical scenes were “mostly fantastic” it’s because there are a couple instances where they may have dragged on a hair too long. For myself that was most noticeable in “Popular,” but I’ve heard some make a similar claim about one or two other songs. They’re still a blast to watch, but just some choices to extend or add in a small moment don’t work as well as others.

Chu does completely justify the choice to split Wicked into two parts though. That kind of move has been a popular one in Hollywood in the last 15 years or so, lets face it primarily for monetary reasons. The results have been mixed (the Harry Potter and Hunger Games franchises’ final movies). While the stage show’s entire runtime (which obviously includes the second act we’re getting in Part Two) is just five minutes longer than Wicked Part One's runtime (two hours 40 minutes), the movie doesn’t feel slow or bogged down with unnecessary filler. And most importantly, it has a beginning, middle and end (and what an ending) to its main characters’ journeys, while leaving the enticing prospect of more to come.

Wicked delivers on what many fans of musicals want: a big, colorful spectacle with songs and performances that will blow the doors off. If you’re not a fan of musicals, mileage will vary whether or not the movie can flip you as it hits all the big staples of the genre, though hopefully you’d at least be able to appreciate the craftsmanship and performances. But most importantly, Wicked not only continues the legacy of the Broadway show, but it adds a brilliant new chapter to the cinematic legacy of The Wizard of Oz.

Wicked releases exclusively in movie theaters on November 22 in the US, UK and elsewhere around the world.