Wicked… there’s a lot to like here!

Ariana Grande. She’s cute, she’s funny, she can sing and dance and now she’s blonde. She lights up the screen in her role as Galinda in the new film Wicked. She’s made great music and music videos for years. Done some cool things on SNL. And now she gets her big star turn in this big movie and she nails it.

Also delivering a killer performance is Cynthia Erivo in the title role. She’s Elphaba and as Kermit proclaimed decades ago, it’s not easy being green. Hers is the less likable role but she’s the necessary spice to make the movie fly. She and Galinda are roomies at Shiz University and their many contrasts are the crux of the narrative.

Erivo, too, can sing a bit. Her excellent rendition of the song Defying Gravity puts a capper on the film’s proceedings in Emerald City and sets up the next act of the Wicked story. Part 2 comes next November after a yearlong intermission.

Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible is another highlight. She’s the one who instructs Elfaba in sorcery. Hers is a role that she handles with a cool, understated delivery. 

Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard is, well, he’s Jeff Goldblum with his trademark mid-sentence pauses and his often bemused expressions. 

Many of the film’s dance numbers are stunning. With dozens of dancers and more space and depth than a theater stage allows, Wicked matches many of the best dance sequences you’ve ever seen on film. The dance bit in the library with its clever cylindrical bookshelves is classic.

One scene with Elphaba singing while running appears to be an homage to a classic movie musical scene from the 1960s. IYKYK, as they say.

Great to see and hear Kristin Chenowith and Idina Menzel, the women who starred as Galinda and Elphaba in the original Broadway production, get a bit more than a momentary cameo in the film. They show up when the new Elphaba and Galinda travel to the Emerald City.

Other cast members worth a mention: Jonathan Bailey as hunky romantic interest Fiyero, Marissa Bode as Elphaba’s sister Nessarose, SNL’s Bowen Yang as Pfannee and Peter Dinklage as the voice of the goat Professor Dillamond. 

A few questions that need to be answered:

Is the film too long? No. It clocks in at two hours and forty minutes. But there’s a lot of stuff going on here! Could it have been more tightly edited? Maybe, but you can say that about most any long movie. (Would Titanic have been better as a two-hour movie instead of a three-hour film?)

Does one need to have seen Wicked on stage to appreciate the movie? Absolutely not. You may want to sample some of the show’s songs on Spotify or Youtube before you go to the theater. But it’s also possible that you’ll be humming a song like the catchy tune Popular afterward even if you’ve never heard it before.

Is Wicked too much of a girlie movie for a guy to enjoy it? There’s no denying its female appeal but Wicked is a fun movie that a male can dig as well and still hang on to his man card.

When will Wicked be available to stream? Not soon. The guess here is that Wicked fandom will generate multiple repeat viewings of the film on the big screen, delaying its appearance until deep into 2025. (Unless Universal gets desperate for a Peacock subscriber bump.)

Is Wicked okay for little kids? Ah, that’s where the parental guidance comes into play! There are a couple of intense bits that may be rough for the youngest.

As for awards, expect several for costuming, art direction and other tech categories. Director John Chu is likely to receive serious consideration for his vision and guidance.

The decision was made months ago to slot Cynthia Erivo in the Best Actress category and Ariana Grande in the Best Supporting Actress category. The guess here is that Grande is more of a sure bet for a nomination. (FWIW, she goes by Ariana Grande-Butera in the closing credits.)

Sometimes a film comes with huge hype and huge expectations and falls short. The tedious Deadpool and Wolverine movie last summer, for instance. Wicked lives up to its expectations and it delivers… with a big wallop!