Review Grade: 9.5/10

Rating: PG

Runtime: 2hr. 40 min.

Pros: Outstanding singing and dance performances as well as incredible set design.

Cons: I’m going to be honest, I can’t think of any.

Parental Guide: The movie is honestly fun, colorful and lively. If you’re familiar with the Broadway show and are okay with it, you’ll be okay with this too.

I heard from many people who said the film adaptation of the Broadway show, Wicked, was one of the best movies they’d seen in a long time. I went in expecting a spellbinding experience and was not disappointed. As the headline of this article notes, shivers went down my spine from the enchanting singing voices of Ariana Grane and Cynthia Erivo. The last time a movie made me feel that was in Avengers: Endgame when Captain America finally wields Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir and starts giving Thanos the business. So, let me break down— in addition to the singing—why this Wicked was such a strong movie.

Storytelling

 So, before you watch Wicked, you should know you’re not getting the entire story. The story will be split into two parts, with the second portion premiering on November 21, 2025. I remember hearing people question how the movie could possibly be drawn into two films when the Broadway show’s runtime is about 5 minutes longer than the film plus an intermission. It turns out, the team behind the movie let scenes breathe instead of ushering along the entire plot within the 2 hours and 40 minutes of runtime. This allowed us to engross ourselves in the world of Oz in a creative fashion that you can really only get in a cinematic setting. That’s not to say it eclipses the Broadway show. What I mean to say is that there are certain things you can accomplish through film, visually and narratively—such as having different camera angles and allowing certain camera shots to remain on screen for a while before transitioning to the next scene. In any case, the story of Wicked stays in tune with the Broadway show from what I understand, though admittedly, I’ve never seen that production (but will be changing that!).

Set Design

The sets, environments, and backgrounds of Wicked felt like a mixture of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Harry Potter; whimsy and colorful with a dab of classic Victorian architecture. What captured my attention was how many practical effects and design seem to have gone into the film. Yes, there’s some obvious computer-generated elements; however, they don’t compare to the amount of hard work that clearly went into building the sets. One of my favorite sets is in the Emerald City when Elphaba and Glinda go to see the Wizard of Oz. The colors, the details in the designs- all of it is just a feast for the eyes. You’ll feel like you’re watching one of Jim Henson’s classics, The Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal when you’re watching Wicked, sans the Muppets. Perhaps that’s what I enjoyed about this film: feeling like a kid again and watching some awesome, immersive fantasy action.

The Singing and Dancing

 I would be surprised if you haven’t seen one of the trending video templates on social media in which content creators are mimicking Ariana Grande and cast’s choreography during the musical number, ‘What is this feeling?’ Glinda’s clique is behind her all bobbing and strutting with Ariana’s signature book tap. There’s something so satisfying about the choreography, camera movement, and flow of the music that matches so incredibly well. The same is especially true during the performance of ‘Popular’, though clicking the link on the song title will take you to the audio and not the video performance.

Though I was aware of Ariana Grande’s acting and music history, I was unaware of Cynthia Erivo’s (but aware of her acting) singing ability and I can say with confidence that I’m aware of it now, including her ties to Broadway. Yes, I felt as though I was living under a rock when I looked her up, but it’s because of her show-stopping performance of ‘Defying Gravity’ and other songs in the movie that hit my ears just right. I put on the soundtrack of the film on my music streaming app on the way home and hummed and sang along the way.

The Acting

Admittedly, I have never seen the Broadway production of Wicked, but I was at least aware of the personality types that Glinda and Elphaba were written to have. Ariana Grande’s performance as Glinda had me laughing at various parts of the movie. Her cartoonish movements and demeanor between scenes and music performances are worth rewatching. Cynia Erivo captures the sharp and witty personality of Elphaba in a way that made me feel like she was channeling the titular character from Daria, though Cynthia certainly emoted much more.

There wasn’t a single person acting in the film, including the supporting case members such as Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum, that I didn’t like. Everyone knew their roles and seemed to make it their own, though Goldblum plays that same type of character (basically himself) that he’s been doing for some years now but it isn’t bad!

Worth Watching

This movie is fun for the entire family. The sad part is waiting until next year to see Wicked: Part II, but until then, I wager I’ll see the first film again. There’s something about watching a production with music that lodges itself in your brain that puts you in a chipper mode, and that’s exactly how I felt walking out of Wicked: chipper. You may wonder why I gave the movie a 9.5 out of 10 instead of a perfect score. It was mostly because some of the movie’s pacing fell off between scenes several time; however, this isn’t to say the movie didn’t feel perfect.

Oh, and if you’re familiar with he music of Wicked and want to sing along without being chastised at your local theater, there are sing-along showings that will play in select theaters in December.