Wicked

Mean Girls with a side of fantasy? Adapted from first act of the Broadway play, Wicked: Part I covers the childhood of Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) and her enrollment at Shiz University where she'll be partnered with the mean but popular Galinda (Ariana Grande). It's also where Elphaba will discover that her magical ability is even rarer than her bright green skin eventually leading to trip to the Emerald City and an audience with the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum).

Opening after the events of The Wizard of Oz, the flashbacks to Elphaba's life are remembered by Galinda, later known as just Glinda, who is questioned by the populace of Oz how someone could ever become so Wicked. The extended running time offers a chance to explore the events of Gregory Maguire's Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which inspired both the musical and now the movies, in greater detail.

The end result will be a near six-hour musical that might test the limits of even Wicked's biggest fans. It also means audiences will have to wait 150 minutes before getting to the musical's most beloved song, "Defying Gravity," just in time to wait a full year to see what comes next.

Much like Maleficient or Cruella, the film focuses on retelling a well-known story but from the perspective of the villain. The focus of the film is largely on the animosity and eventual friendship between Elphaba and Galinda. Erivo and Erivo are both well-cast here, with Erivo giving the lead character depth and Grande having quite a bit of fun as the vapid would-be witch who finally learns a little empathy. Other performances of note include Jonathan Bailey, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, and cameos from Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth.

This extended, and as of yet incomplete, version of Wicked may not be for everyone but there's plenty of fun to be had, and the film's final half-hour does do its job arouse interest in events yet to come. Some of the effects, particularly in the sets early in the film, don't work as well as I'd like, but ultimately the film does its job in further exploring the world of Oz. Given the story is still incomplete, offering a final grade may need to wait, but for now it's still worthy of a recommendation.

Watch the trailer

• Title: Wicked: Part I
• IMDb: link