It's unusual these days for a film generating considerable buzz beforehand to actually meet expectations, but this adaptation of the Broadway musical genuinely manages to do so across the board. Director Jon M. Chu has skillfully translated the backstory of the two witches from L. Frank Baum’s original novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), its 1939 film version, and Gregory Maguire's 1995 prequel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West to the screen. This visually striking and enjoyable movie shows how the character known as Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) came to know Glinda, also called Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande-Butera), who were sorcery students and college roommates whose relationship initially shifted from dislike to friendship. As political maneuvering unfolds in the land of Oz – secretly driven by the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and university headmistress Mme. Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) – Elphaba and Glinda find themselves unintentionally involved in what’s happening around them, which puts their friendship and Oz's stability at risk. The filmmaker presents audiences with a story about good and evil, especially concerning what truly defines wickedness when it is cleverly disguised. It’s an entertaining film filled with impressive musical numbers, great dancing, plenty of humor, beautiful visuals, inspired set design, and outstanding performances from the four main actors, all likely to be considered for awards (and that's saying something coming from someone who doesn't typically enjoy musicals). Beyond that, “Wicked” is a thoughtful exploration of seeking power and using it wisely in both personal relationships and larger situations, which feels like an appropriate warning for our times. My only reservation would be that this seems to be another story split into two parts, a trend I don’t think will ultimately benefit the film industry. The director explained that this was necessary to do justice to the original material, as it would have been nearly impossible to fit everything into one movie without compromising its quality. And, acknowledging the filmmaker's perspective, perhaps that will turn out to be true when the second part arrives in 2025 (but I’ll wait and see). Nevertheless, this first installment delivers on what was promised, which is remarkable these days.

Source on TMDB