If you know someone who is a fan of musical theater, please check on them because they have likely been vibrating with excitement for weeks. One of the most iconic modern Broadway musicals finally has a theatrical adaptation, and the anticipation in the “theater kid” fandom has been insane. But does Wicked Part 1 live up to the hype?

The Wicked Plot

First of all, despite the lack of the full title on any promotional material, Wicked Part 1 is only adapting the first half of the Broadway musical. The plot of Wicked is a prequel story to the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. It delves into the lives of familiar characters and broadens the lore of a classic story.

Wicked follows a young woman named Elphaba, born with green skin (wink wink) and a strange power. She’s pulled into an adventure of magic, mystery, and higher learning. She must navigate her new mystical educational institution alongside her new BFF (best frenemies forever) by the name of Galinda, whose practically perfect wardrobe is permanently pink (wink wink). But will the pair ever make it to the gleaming emerald city, and if they do, will they be able to handle what they find?

The Wicked Good Message

What I was not prepared for was the overt commentary on racism and fascism. Wicked Part 1 has a lot to say about political oppression and prejudice, and it says it in a very visceral way. I found the commentary surprisingly and frighteningly relevant to the political world we find ourselves in today.

The Wicked Good Dancing

The most weighty problem when adapting any beloved stage musical to film is the musical numbers themselves. How to translate a stage performance, which is largely a two-dimensional presentation, into a three-dimensional environment? Wicked found a way.

I believe this is one of director John M. Chu’s greatest successes in Wicked Part 1 because he and choreographer Christopher Scott managed to create dynamic and engaging dance numbers that feel right at home in three dimensions but still maintain that stage musical charm.

The Wicked Good Sound

Any cinematic musical can live or die on its sound design. Wicked does not skimp in this area. All the songs were sung live on set, and this allowed the emotion and power of the vocal performances to shine through.

The Wicked Good Acting

The performances in Wicked are something special, and the casting department deserves a lot of credit. With strong performances by lead actress Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, and Ariana Grande-Butera (yes, she’s credited with her full name) as Galinda Glinda. Johnathan Bailey is charming as Fiyero, Marissa Bode is demure as Nessarose (yay representation), and Saturday Night Live’s Bowen Yang, playing Pfannee, does exactly what was asked of him. Oh, and there is a special moment later in the film that will leave anyone familiar with the Broadway production of Wicked absolutely breathless.

The Wicked Bad Stuff

There have been some pointed critiques of Wicked Part 1. Nicholas Barber from the BBC called the film “drawn-out and self-important”. I find some of these criticisms valid, but overall, most fall flat as either misunderstanding the material or giving less credit to the creators and the fans than they deserve.

My personal issues with Wicked are fairly minor. The color grading fell short of the crystal sharpness that the World of Oz deserves. I was frankly disappointed with Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard as he seems to just be a toned-down version of The Grandmaster via Thor: Ragnarok (Also, I fear I may be suffering from a bit of “Goldblum fatigue”). While the 2-hour and 40-minute runtime didn’t bother me that much, I feel like this film could have been released as a trilogy. This would have cut down on the run time and let each installment exist as its own piece.

The Wicked Result

Ultimately, Wicked Part 1 does an excellent job of building a fantastical world, developing its characters, and setting up conflict. It feels like a suitably grand beginning, but we’ll have to see if Wicked Part 2 can stick the landing. If you are someone whose brain turns off when someone starts singing (no shame), then this film is definitely not for you, but I would encourage anyone who enjoys epic stories and catchy songs to give Wicked a shot.