Review by DominikaKouassi 

On the Tuesday of Thanksgiving break, my 8-year-old sister and I went to the Marcus Majestic movie theater to watch the movie musical adaptation of “Wicked” directed by Jon M. Chu. And it seems that we were not the only ones who had this idea, because finding tickets for the movie was quite the hassle. Nonetheless, we managed to find the last two tickets for a 4:50 p.m. showing.

I was already familiar with the plot of  “Wicked” before watching because of its popularity within the musical theater community. The anticipation surrounding the plot of “Wicked” was first generated from the iconic Broadway adaptation of “Wicked” which was based off of the 1995 novel written by Gregory McGuire:“Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.” The novel depicts the life of Elphaba Thropp who was born green. The novel takes readers through Elphaba’s life as she faces discrimination and social ostracism because of her appearance while discovering themes of friendship through politically challenged times. 

In the novel, tensions become more apparent when Elphaba goes to Shiz University with her sister, Nessarose. At Shiz, Elphaba meets Galinda Upland. This is where the musical and book begin to deviate plots. In the novel, Elphaba and Galinda are encouraged to work together by Madame Morrible, the school principal, to help end political conflict in Oz. However, in the movie, Elphaba and Galinda are loathed enemies who cannot stand each other and only become friends when Galinda gets Boq, Nessarose’s crush, to ask her to the Ozdust, a school dance. 

The plot eventually lines up when Galinda and Elphaba get to Oz to meet the Wizard. Elephaba urges the wizard to protect the animals who once used to be treated the same as humans but are quickly becoming more and more ostracized. Things start going south as both girls come to realize that the Wizard does not have any actual powers and is, in fact, the reason that the animals are being treated poorly. This is where the iconic “Defying Gravity” song takes place. This song concludes both act one of the musical and part one of the movie musical.

From the casting choices to the intense choreography, “Wicked” is arguably the best movie musical adaptation that I have ever seen. Overall, I would give this movie 5/5 stars. I know there were a lot of mixed opinions about the casting choices, specifically Ariana Grande-Butera, who plays Galinda, but I felt that Grande was the perfect choice for the role. Because of her already established image in the music, Broadway and Hollywood acting industry, people doubted her ability to play this role. But, it truly felt like Galinda was brought to life on the silver screen, opposed to it feeling like Ariana Grande-Butera was just playing the part of  Galinda.

However, one thing “Wicked” fans can agree on is the casting of her co-star Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba. I have been a fan of Erivo since she played the role of Harriet Tubman in the 2019 movie “Harriet.” Erivo is a highly-skilled vocalist, so it is no suprise why she was cast as Elphaba. Erivo truly embodies what it means and feels like to be different, bringing a whole new light to the storyline of “Wicked.”

As a Black girl who loves music and musical theater, I truly felt as if “The Black experience” was represented on the screen that day. Though Elphaba may be green, her experiences are some that anyone who has ever felt outcasted can relate to. 

Though this is rated PG, it was truly made for the generation of theater kids who grew up on Menzel and Chenoweth’s version of “Wicked.” The original staged musical of “Wicked” came out in 2003. Though I was born in 2007, “Popular” was one of the first musical theater songs that I learned as a kid and loved singing for friends and family. So I empathize with older fans who were able to watch both “Wicked” on stage and “Wicked” the movie.

The movie was a bit long with a running time of 2 hours and 40 minutes, but the attention to detail with the choreography and huge vocal moments really enabled audiences to be engaged, besides my sister, who did indeed fall asleep an hour into the movie. 

Despite that, if you are looking for a fun family outing, a girls night or a new favorite movie, do yourself a favor and watch “Wicked.” I promise you won’t regret it. And if you have already watched “Wicked” and can’t wait for more, part two comes out Nov. 21, 2025. This next part will include everything in act two of the musical. Here is when we will find out if Galinda and Fiyero, played by Jonathan Bailey, will end up together, what happens to Oz after Elphaba leaves and if the Wicked Witch of the West is really dead.