“Wicked” is an epic, vibrant and gut-wrenching musical adaptation based on the Tony award-winning Broadway musical, which in turn is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel titled “Wicked.”

“Wicked” is the prequel of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” The story is told from the perspectives of Glinda, the Good Witch and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West.

The film’s screenwriters are Dana Fox and Winnie Holzman, who worked on the original stage musical as a playwright along with Stephen Schwartz.

The story follows two university students, Glinda and Elphaba, who started off as rivals, but ultimately became best friends who faced and overcame adversity together.

Lead characters Elphaba and Glinda, portrayed by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, are the highlights of the film with their tour de force performances.

Erivo brings her own take on the character of Elphaba with strength, emotion and heart that emotionally impacts the audience. Grande adds charisma to Glinda that makes the character relatable.

Character developments include with Elphaba and her mentor Madame Morrible helping her with controlling her powers. Elphaba’s relationship with her sister Nessarose played by Marissa Bode from childhood to young adults.

Here is a tangible amount of chemistry between the two characters. The connection between the characters is particularly noticeable during the musical number “Defying Gravity.”

What makes the film adaptation of “Wicked” so great is that it was brilliantly handled with care from the director Jon M. Chu.

Chu is widely regarded for directing films like the romantic-comedy drama “Crazy Rich Asians” in addition to musicals including “In the Heights” and “Jem and the Holograms.”

Chu knows the source material very well since it’s a faithful adaptation of “Wicked” from both the novel and the stage musical, with a few nods to the classic 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz.”

Fox and Holzman keep the story close to the original material while adding some changes by giving characters more development. How did the characters change from the original work to the movie?

Despite the two hour and 40 minute runtime of both the film and the musical, there’s a complete difference between the two since they are separate mediums. The stage performance of “Wicked” has a much faster pace and the film has a calm pace.

“Wicked” convey messages of self-identity, equality and standing up to what you believe in whether it’s good or bad.

The musical numbers of the film are very energetic and entertaining. The musical elements impact the deliverance of the story, in which they add emphasis to the plot and themes of the film.

Some of the best numbers in the film are “What Is This Feeling,” “Dancing Through Life,” “Popular,” “One Short Day” and “Defying Gravity.” These pieces are well choreographed and performed by the cast and ensemble.

More acting standouts in the film are Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard and Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible. All of the actors featured in the film demonstrate an energetic performance.

There are various settings showcased in “Wicked.” The film takes the audience from Munchkinland to Shiz University and the Emerald City that demonstrates the large scale and world building.

The costumes from Paul Tazewell are truly works of art. From Glinda’s pink costumes to Elphaba’s dark whimsical outfits elicits a fairytale tone adding to the fantasy quality of the film.

“Wicked” is a very entertaining film that emotionally touches viewers with the acting performances, musical numbers and the themes of friendship and self-discovery.

“Wicked” is a two-part film adaptation with this being the first film, while “Wicked: Part Two” is set for release on Nov. 21, 2025.

The film is rated PG and will be playing in theaters worldwide starting on Nov. 22.