Based on the famous musical, the story focuses on the origin of the wicked witch of the west before her first appearance in The Wizard of Oz. 

The citizens of Oz are celebrating her death. Galinda the good witch reveals that she and the wicked witch, named Elphaba, were once friends.

The film takes the audience back to their days at Shiz University. Everyone avoids Elphaba due to her green skin. Elphaba also has magic powers that she cannot control. An instructor, Madame Morrible, sees this as a gift and teaches Elphaba how to control it.

Later, she and Galinda become roommates. Then they befriend each other. 

The wizard of Oz also invites Elphaba to see him. But meeting him results in disaster.

Below are what I liked and disliked about this movie.

Strengths

The musical numbers 

They are dramatic, fun, and exciting in many ways. Some of my favorites include:

• “The Wizard and I”
• “Popular”
• “Dancing Through Life”
• “Defying Gravity”

They make the film more exciting for being almost 3 hours long with no intermission.

The inclusive casting

This has become a popular practice in recent years. Not only is there a lot of racial diversity amongst the extras, but also some of the characters. For example, Elphaba, her mom, and her sister are played by black actresses. Madame Morrible is played by an Asian woman. Traditionally, they were played by white people.

I really admire this since it shows representation. I was also surprised by the cast at the beginning of the movie where there were a lot of kids. Maybe they wanted to add more realism. Plus, it seems that child labor laws for movies are different than they are for stage performances.

The execution of filming

Whether it be the choreography, filming locations, and the background designs, the crew nailed translating a stage performance into a movie.

One scene that stands out to me is the ball. It took place under a frozen lake, and I like that since it’s a unique choice that works well.

The advocating of animal rights

Although this is a subplot, this movie does focus on animals too, especially ones that can talk. A major example is a Shiz University instructor, Dr. Dillamond, who is a talking goat. He reveals that dangerous people are capturing animals and taking away their abilities to speak. This upsets Elphaba greatly. And I applaud her for wanting to advocate for animal rights.

The appearances of Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth

They were the first actresses to portray Elphaba and Galinda in Wicked on Broadway in 2003. It was a great surprise to see them in the movie adaptation, although they have minor parts. But that is no big deal.

The characters 

They are all well-developed! Galinda is peppy and popular, Nessa is handicapped, but loved, and Elphaba is unpopular and misunderstood due to her green skin. They all handle their situations believably. 

Nessa appreciates the kindness she receives from others. And Elphaba is a bit irritable due to others fearing her. 

Which brings me to what I dislike…

Weaknesses

Judging people based on their skin colors

Although it is important to the story for people to fear Elphaba because of her green skin, it is never acceptable to avoid someone because of their skin color. That is prejudicial and wrong.

Hopefully, this won’t influence kids to do this. But I think most children will know better.

Overall impression

I absolutely enjoyed Wicked! Note that this is part 1 of the story. Part 2 will be released around late 2025. 

I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars.