You know what…? It was quite fun.

Before Dorothy fell from the sky and into the land of Oz, two aspiring witches of very different backgrounds meet. A conspiracy lurks as well, but can they settling their differences and discover what is wrong in the wonderful world?

Wicked has quite the history. Unfortunately I personally am quite ignorant of a lot of it. But in 1900 “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” was published, written by L. Frank Baum. In 1939, cinema history was made as a movie adaptation was made, striking audiences with a clever use of technicolour film.
In 1995, Gregory Maguire, an American novelist, wrote a revisionist novel called “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West”. His intent was to explore what it is to be good or to be evil. The book, unlike the 1939 movie, was filled with adult themes and explored difficult subjects. The Wicked Witch was the focus of the story.
In 2003, this book by Maguire was given a stage musical adaptation, despite a movie being originally intended. The musical became a massive smash hit and cultural touchstone.

Now, Universal has produced the awaited movie adaptation of Wicked. But it is a musical.

Directed by Jon M. Chu (who has a disastrous filmography with the likes of Jem and the Holograms and G.I. Joe: Retaliation) the film stars Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, and Jeff Goldblum. It follows the story of Elphaba (which sounds like someone failing to say “alphabet”) as she chaperone’s her wheelchair-bound sister to a school of magic. But in the process, she is enrolled herself, having caught the eye of a sorcerer professor. The problem is, Elphaba is green and has long sharp nails. Side note: the name Elphaba, is a truncation of L. Frank Baum.

The negatives come first, but are reasonably short. It was tedious with everything being set in a wizarding school again. While Oz’s weirdness prevails in it having animal professors, there’s something played-out about a magic school setting (I wonder why that is). All of the characters are insufferable, and use annoying portmanteaus like “disasterific.” Ariana Grande is positively punchable at the beginning, as young Galinda. She is completely self-absorbed and petty.
Some background comes next: I hated Maleficent. In fact it remains one of my most fiery reviews. Clearly Disney at that time were trying to claim their own piece of the Wicked pie, by ruining one of their characters. There was some trepidation that this same feeling would affect my viewing of Wicked as well… but something happened.

Sympathy for Elphaba is so strong. Perhaps I have less investment for The Wicked Witch than I had with Maleficent, and the second act is resoundingly its own thing, borrowing less from Oz. But the mid-story turn in Wicked had me completely invested.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo have great chemistry here, and Grande becomes extremely magnetic as the film progresses. There’s something extremely likeable in seeing the extroverted Galinda attempt to jazz up the extremely introverted Elphaba. The performances are extremely energized, the choreography is excellent, with characters leaping around in song. The sets are impressive and creative, especially a library within the school. Costumes as well, are very strong. Jeff Goldblum has the perfect mannerisms for the Wizard; he immediately sold it.
The mid-point is the most separated from the Oz lore (that I know of) and it genuinely felt like it was starting to find its footing then. Not that the story doesn’t belong with the original film. In fact, the more I think on it with my limited understanding, it can work.

It might be too long. The film is not advertised as such, but this is part one. Presumably more lore from the novel is being added. But to not market it as a two parter is irritating. At least Dune had the excuse that the studio wasn’t sure part two was worthwhile!

Overall, I was very pleasantly entertained by Wicked. Took a moment of adjustment, but when it ended (with the promise of more) there was no ill-will left in me.

Additional Marshmallows: I hope there is a way for Part 2 to get Elphaba into full cackling Witch mode….