It’s the movie every Broadway fan/theater kid/Wizard of Oz aficionado has been waiting for. Based on the bestselling novel by Gregory Maguire(Wicked), WICKED(the movie) tells the story of the witches of Oz. Universal has taken this story and broke it into two parts, with the first in theaters today(November 22) and Part 2 in theaters November 21, 2025.
I personally fall into the Wizard of Oz aficionado category, with one of my earliest childhood movie memories being The Wizard of Oz. I remember wondering why the Wicked Witch of the West was so mean, and why Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, wore a princess dress, and who really was the Wicked Witch of the East(in my defense, we really only got to see her feet). I have eagerly awaited seeing this movie, as I have not read the books or seen the play(I have seen a few videos of the original Broadway performance). I always enjoy a good prequel, and this is about as good as a prequel gets.
spoilers…
If you have read my reviews before, you know that I do not indulge spoilers. Now, I will caution, since this is based on a book & a play, and the story is fairly obvious, I will discuss the story line & characters. But, I will not dive into Easter eggs, etc. I will just suggest you watch the entire movie and pay attention to every detail. It’s all so important.
About WICKED(from Universal)
Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Broadway’s The Color Purple) as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart.
The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
What I Thought About…
…The Movie
Ohhhh, the things I think about this movie – I would not even know where to begin.
Let’s start with the story itself. This is a classic “the bad guy never starts out bad… other people caused this” scenario. This is such an overused plot. Granted, Wicked was written in 1995, so it may be one of the original stories to do this sort of thing. My first thoughts went to Disney’s Maleficent, where she was treated poorly and her actions were really reactions to how she was treated. In a way, sometimes you just want your villain to BE the villain. Why do we need to have empathy for the one causing the pain & suffering towards our hero? Or, why do we need to see that the “hero” could possibly be the “villain” instead? I honestly feel this is why my generation is so skeptical and cynical. Ok, I’ll step down off my soapbox now regarding this.
WICKED opens with a beautifully vintage title screen, an obvious nod to the original 1939 movie. The beginning starts with the death of the Wicked Witch of the West, post Dorothy pouring a bucket of water over the witch’s head. Glinda is confirming the death and appears in Munchkinland to relay the news. This starts a question and answer session between the Munchkins and Glinda, which triggers flashbacks for Glinda. The movie takes off from there. Flashing back sets the tone, knowing that eventually, we will end up at the beginning of Dorothy’s arrival in Oz. This is helpful in knowing that any and all questions you once had about the original 1939 movie should be answered.
There is so much attention to detail in this movie. Pay attention to every little thing. I am certain I missed some things and need to watch it again. Everything said and done has intent and purpose.
There really are so many reasons to see WICKED – the cast, the music, and the story itself.
…The Cast
I am very familiar with the original Broadway cast for Wicked. Kristen Chenowith(Glinda) and Idina Menzel(Elphaba) brought incredible talent to the stage and left pretty big shoes to fill. To say that Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba are not the theatrical equivalent would be the most ludicrous statement of the year. The relationship between the two is so deep and feels so very natural. Ariana Grande is insanely talented, more so than I ever thought possible. She channels Chenowith with style and grace, while adding her own qualities to her portrayal of Glinda. It would not be a stretch to say that she was born to play this role. Cynthia Erivo is equally as talented, bringing perfect pitch to Elphaba. While I do not feel she encompassed Menzel’s Elphaba, she made “Elphie” her own. Erivo has powerful vocals – and her breakout moment in “The Wizard and I” is enough to bring you to tears.
The talent in WICKED is not only found in Grande and Erivo. The film also stars Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible; Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton, Fellow Travelers) as Fiyero; Ethan Slater (Broadway’s Spongebob Squarepants, Fosse/Verdon) as Boq; Marissa Bode as Nessarose; Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live) as Pfannee; Bronwyn James (Harlots) as ShenShen, Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman) as Miss Coddle. Last but not least, a legend should only play the role of a legend – Jeff Goldblum as the legendary Wizard of Oz.
Can we talk about Michelle Yeoh for just a second? This is one incredibly talented, intense actress. She takes Madame Morrible to an entirely different level. I’m pretty sure I could feel her staring deep into my soul in some scenes.
I do not think another actor could portray the Wizard of Oz as brilliantly as Jeff Goldblum. He just has a certain ‘je ne sais quoi‘ that makes him perfect for this role.
Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater and Bowen Yang are favorites of mine. While not ‘legendary’ status, they bring their own qualities to their characters. Their experience from previous roles play into the character portrayals of this film – Bailey is the heartthrob(from Bridgerton), Slater is the overly optimistic, happy one(from SpongeBob) and Yang is the hilarious, quick to comment one(from SNL).
…The Music
If you are seeing WICKED, I do not need to tell you how incredible the soundtrack is. I will leave you with this – I cried. For. Every. Single. Song. Bring tissues.
How long is WICKED?
Pace yourself with drinks and popcorn. WICKED is a long movie – 2 hrs 41 minutes. It moved at an even pace and did not feel as long as it was. Most of the movie is spent developing the characters, and by the end of the movie, I felt as if I had really known the characters and could have watched more.
I did see WICKED in Dolby, and that greatly enhanced the experience. While there is not too much to “felt,” the reclining of the seats for the length of this movie was nice.
Overall
WICKED is more than a movie, it’s an experience. You will feel all the emotions, embrace the laughs, and cry the tears. This is a movie to be seen more than once. And if you are wanting to sing along with the film, a sing-along version will be in theaters this Christmas. But I do not recommend waiting until then to experience this epic story.
WICKED, rated PG (some scary action, thematic material and brief suggestive material) is in theaters now – make this something you do this holiday week. See it more than once. It’s that good.
WICKED – In Theaters Now
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A Disney blooded, crafty, fun-lovin’ wife/mom/organizer/planner, etc who is obsessed with all things Disney 🙂 Maria grew up with the Magic Kingdom and has loved watching WDW evolve into what it is today. A firm believer in the Power of Pixie Dust, she is the owner of The Disney Driven Life – A Community for Neurotic Disney People & a d.i.y. crafty blog, Carousel of Projects – create~inspire~share.
