Wicked Part 1

Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande-Butera, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Marissa Bode, Keala Settle, Bowen Yang, Peter Dinklage

Director: Jon M. Chu

Based on the Musical Book Wicked by Winnie Holzman based on the Novel Wicked by Gregory Maguire

Life has been a struggle for Elphaba (Erivo), becoming an outcast after being born with green skin. After dropping her sister Nessarose (Bode) off at the prestigious Shiz University, Elphaba accidentally displays her magical powers. This display catches the attention of the Dean of Sorcery Madame Morrible (Yeoh), who invites Elphaba to attend Shiz with the hopes of mentoring her and promises her a future working with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Goldblum). Because her attendance is news to everyone, she is forced to live with Galinda (Grande-Butera), who was promised a private suite. Soon after the arrival of the carefree transfer student Prince Fiyero (Bailey), their antagonistic relationship soon blossoms into a great friendship. While at school, Elphaba discovers something sinister may be happening with the animals in Oz, which only fuels her desire to meet the Wizard as she believes he is the only one who can stop it.

This adaptation has been in the works for seemingly forever, as the smash Broadway hit which debuted in 2003 seemed destined for a rapid big screen translation. Twenty one years later, it has finally arrived. But was it worth the wait?

Absolutely! This adaptation, which covers only the first act of the stage musical, may not only be the smash hit of the year but also one of the greatest big screen musicals ever! Not only is it a huge crowdpleaser which should have audiences stoked for Part 2, it made me cry twice!

Everything about this musical, from the sets to the choreography to the acting is pitch perfect. Director Jon M. Chu, who helmed another great (and underrated) big screen musical adaptation In the Heights, understands what it takes to make the transition from Broadway to Hollywood successful. Going in, I worried this was going to be a bloated and CGI heavy extravaganza like Sam Raimi's 2013 misfire Oz the Great and Powerful. While there are some scenes that rely on visual effects, Chu smartly keeps things mostly real, with the sets being practical and the actors are actually in a real place.

Despite running two hours and forty minutes (which is longer than the length of the entire Broadway musical), it never feels like anything was unnecessarily added to pad the length. Instead, Chu gives moments that weren't allowed to breathe on stage the opportunity to do so here. Sure, songs are allowed to play out a little bit more but this is the benefit of being a movie rather than a play. You can just do more on film than you can on a stage. Plus this is Part 1 of an epic two part adaptation of a popular musical. Take the moments where you can.

Fans of the musical can breathe a sigh of relief early, as the first notes of "No One Mourns the Wicked" set a powerful tone for how the music will fare in the film. Filled with many memorable songs, for me the standouts are "Defying Gravity" and "Dancing Through Life". Especially with the latter, the choreography which is set in a library with hamster wheel-esque bookshelves is impressive. Also the closing moments of "Dancing Through Life", which take place at the Ozdust Ballroom and is the turning point of Elphaba and Galinda's relationship, is the first place in the film that I cried. The moment, involving a silent dance between Elphaba and Galinda, is so beautifully handled, even the most hardened of viewers will find their heart melted by the moment.

Also, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande did all their singing live, which proves that it is possible to do this well. We aren't far removed from the last time they attempted this in 2012's big screen adaptation of Les Miserables, What happened there?!?! Sorry...I got sidetracked. Just know for how poorly it worked there, the opposite is true here.

Of course, the success of any film comes down to its casting. When it was first announced, we all knew that Cynthia Erivo was going to be a great Elphaba and was going to absolutely slay "Defying Gravity". Slay she does and this song marks the second time the film made me cry. Jonathan Bailey also makes for a great Fiyero, easily capturing the charm of the character and making it easy to see why he is the object of everyone's affection. The real standout to me was Ariana Grande-Butera. The pop star's casting was initially questioned by many since she had never really undertaken a role like this before. However, much like the rest of the award winning cast, she was on the Broadway stage as early as age fifteen and proves all her doubters wrong. Not only is she the standout for the film, she is going to give Zoe Saldaña a run for her money at the Best Supporting Actress award this year. Galinda feels like a real character in her hands and her character is allowed to grow believably.

As I said before, this is one of if not the best big screen adaptation of a Broadway musical ever. I can't wait for Part 2!

Grade: A