Wicked, the movie, is based on the immensely successful stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, which in turn is based on the novel by Gregory Maguire. That novel is itself a prequel-slash-alternate telling of the story of the time-honored classic Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

The movie follows Elphaba, played by Cynthia Eviro, the green skinned girl who will one day be the Wicked Witch of the West. Before all of that, however, she was a student at the prestigious Shiz University. Initially only there to see her younger sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), off to school, she finds herself enrolled in Shiz due to a special quirk she has that the headmistress, Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), finds intriguing and useful. She almost immediately strikes up a not-so-friendly rivalry with her roommate, the silver-spooned Galinda, who Ariana Grande portrays.

Jonathan Bailey, of Bridgerton fame, joins the cast as Fiyero Tigelaar, shallow, self-absorbed, and unbearably charming prince of the Vinkus, as does Boq (Ethan Slater), a kind-hearted but meek Munchkinlander.

These are the early, formative years of this group of friends, set before the days of Dorothy crashing into Oz.

Adapting well-loved fan favorites from one medium to another is always tricky and fraught with potential scorn from die-hard fans, and indeed, the addition of weighty names in the cast, such as Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard and Peter Dinklage as Dr. Dillamon. But Wicked, as convoluted a history as it has, was able to make the leap. Schwartz’s songs are all intact and amazing on screen, meticulously brought to life by the two leads. 

Eviro captures the tragedy and hopes Elphaba experiences, while Grande perfectly embodies the entitled ditzy-ness of the young Galinda. The scenes are expanded upon, giving the world and the story room to breathe, and the songs weave in and out naturally and never feel forced or disjointed.

The production design is impressive, rich with detail and history, and respect for all the previous iterations of Oz that it draws from. The story follows the musical, yes, but the visual elements have direct callbacks to the original illustrations and the Judy Garland film from 1939, making this movie a bridge between them, lovingly blending all of its sources and their mediums.

It may be sacrilege to say so, but I’d argue that the move to the big screen made Wicked even better. Not that I’m throwing shade at the stage musical. I’ve seen it several times, and it deserves all the accolades and praise heaped at it over the years, but the big screen breathes so much more life into the story. Oz is a large and fantastic world; seeing it on the the scale, it was meant to be seen is just a joy to behold.

And don’t let any CG naysayers overwhelm you with their digital negativity. Yes, they planted millions of tulips and had a working train rig and built sets for Shiz and the Emerald City, but the epicness of the scenery is something that comes from the seamless integration of those elements with computer graphics.

Director Jon Chu deserves credit for a vision that combines all these inspirations into a beautiful cinematic experience. And that’s only half of it, as next year, we can expect the epic conclusion in Wicked Part 2.

Am I overflowing with my praise? Did I like it that much? What can I say? If my Hogwarts letter doesn’t arrive soon, I’m enrolling in Shiz.