Director Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) is at the helm of the long-gestating film version of the beloved Broadway musical “Wicked.” As he did with 2021’s “In the Heights,” Chu gives the production the grand scale it deserves while honoring the legacy of the source material. Adding his previous work on two Justin Beiber concert films and next year’s “Wicked Part Two,” the director is the go-to filmmaker for the modern musical.

Since Universal first announced the film adaptation in 2004, devoted fans have waited twenty years for Elphaba and Glinda to make it to the big screen. Once the project came to be, Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox were hired to adapt Gregory Maguire’s original book, yet the project began to suffer from a series of roadblocks. In 2018, Universal put the film on hold. Then came the 2020 pandemic that pushed it out even further. By then, original director Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot) bowed out. In 2021 Chu signed on, with pre-production finally taking shape in December of 2022, but the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike caused further delays. After a short hiatus, Chu and his cast and crew were back in front of the cameras to finish the film in early 2024.

The long wait is over for fans, and Hollywood has returned to the land of Oz, bringing audiences the origin tale of “Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.”

Wicked is the first half of two parts, running about as long as the entire play, with the film covering the musical’s first act. It has become a trend for Hollywood to break films into two (or more) chapters. Sometimes, it works well (Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, a book series that needed three movies), and sometimes, it dulls the shine of the films that came before (the final two Harry Potter entries that were split to quench the studio’s thirst for more audience dollars). Anyone’s guess is whether they needed to bloat this tale, as the second half will not be released until November of 2025. While there are moments of sluggishness, they don’t hamper the fun of the story and its presentation. Everyone is having a great time On-screen and behind the scenes, and the production’s joy is often infectious.

For the uninitiated, Wicked is set before the arrival of Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, Lion, and the Tin Man. A young Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is tasked by her governor father to follow her sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) to Shiz University, where the youth go to learn about magical wonders. Nessarose lives her life in a wheelchair, and their poppa wants her to be safe, hence tasking her older sibling with her care while away from the protective cover of their family’s home. Sadly, their father cares only for his youngest daughter’s well-being, as he has nothing but resentment for his firstborn being “different.” Elphaba’s destiny was set at birth. An outcast due to her green skin, she is shunned by her parents and lives her life as a ridiculed outcast whose powers come to light when anger gets the best of her. Her relationship with Nessarose is Elphaba’s one pure outlet of love.

Elphaba is assigned a roommate at the University, Galinda/soon-to-be-Glinda (Arianna Grande). Galinda has an ego bigger than Oz itself, while her new roommate is reserved and rightfully distrusts everyone she meets. Of course, their relationship is the shape of things to come (only in reverse), as Galinda takes a “Mean Girls” attitude towards her roommate while Elphaba is just a misunderstood person with a good soul.

Grande goes all-in on her portrayal. Her Galinda has a jealous streak if the spotlight fails to shine on her. The character also has a mean streak and can be cruel to Elphaba while smiling to her face, although Galinda’s good soul is beginning to blossom. Grande is perky and wide-eyed whimsical. The actress has good comic timing and is a source of the film’s best laughs, but she fails to impress in the musical moments. A pop singer by trade, Grande’s vocal stylings don’t reach the Broadway-level heights required by Stephen Schwartz’s superb compositions. She can hit the notes but overreaches too often for vocal plateaus that seem to compete with Schwartz’s music rather than finding symmetry. Singing aside, Ariana Grande gives a bubbly and often hilarious performance.

As Elphaba, Cynthia Erivo is at the height of her performing powers. The actress/singer can do both as well as anyone. Erivo is one of the best out there, and this role allows her the canvas to use her incredible talents to their fullest. The performance is touching and soulful, as the actress brings humanity to the one we only know as the Wicked Witch. It is great work from one of the most intoxicating talents in today’s film and music worlds.

The future Wicked Witch comes under the tutelage of Madame Morrible (the cinematic treasure that is Michelle Yeoh). Morrible sees something special in Elphaba that could serve the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum coasting on his Jeff Goldblum-ness). Morrible becomes her new prodigy’s private tutor, helping Elphaba discover her inner sorceress and enhancing her power to bring her to the great and powerful Wizard. In the meantime, Galinda’s jealousy increases, but after an incident where Elphaba is publically humiliated, the egomaniac feels for her roommate, and the two find a way to a friendship.

Add to the mix the dashing young Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey channeling actor Rupert Everett), who walks a not-so-fine line between being drawn to both Galinda and Elphaba. His presence will be another source of jealousy, this time for both women.

It will be everyone’s undoing when Elphaba is summoned to meet the Wizard of Oz, where she is asked to perform a levitation spell on the Wizard’s monkey servant, Chistery. As she reads the spell, all the monkey guards painfully sprout wings. Elphaba realizes that the Wizard and Madame Morrible are in charge of making all of Oz’s animals subservient, as some used to be doctors and teachers. (Peter Dinklage voices the University’s goat professor.) This newfound discovery, coupled with the revelation that the Wizard is a fraud, Elphaba resists and is made an outcast, sending her to her dark destiny and leading to the film’s showstopper, “Defying Gravity.” This wonderful song bursts with energy as the screen is filled with eye-popping visual representations of changing destinies. The dark and the light come alive during this incredibly designed moment that will send audiences off to the next chapter.

Where this film truly succeeds is in Nathan Crowley’s incredible production design. The film is a visually stunning treat that brings the land of Oz alive more so than Sam Raimi’s 2013 “nice try,” Oz the Great and Powerful, which went for the gold in its presentation. As he did with last year’s Wonka, Crowley gives Wicked an intoxicating look that compliments the magical tone of the story. Cinematographer Alice Brooks captures the beauty and old-style grandeur of the film’s sets with camerawork that becomes an enthusiastic guide through the magical land of Oz, resulting in a cinematic spectacle that will dazzle viewers with its visual splendor.

For those who are anti-musical, “Wicked” will probably do nothing to convert them, as Stephen Schwartz’s songwriting style is very much of the modern era. The musical numbers are bouncy and written with the type of sing-talk exuberance that has become standard for Broadway. While a couple of the songs are great (“Defying Gravity” will truly blow you away), most fail to distinguish themselves from the familiar sound of their contemporaries. Still, devoted followers will be pleased with this film.

Jon M. Chu has crafted grand, old-school entertainment, the kind that has rarely been seen since the golden yesteryear of the Hollywood musical. With its subtext of inclusion and acceptance, this film is for the whole family to enjoy.

From the costumes to the visuals, from the musical numbers to Erivo and Grande’s chemistry, “Wicked” will be a supreme holiday gift for all who love the Broadway original.