‘Wicked’ review: Decent movie adaptation doesn’t defy gravity without second half

movie review

WICKED

Running time:
160 minutes. Rated PG (some scary action, thematic material and brief suggestive material).
In theaters.

Who can say if “Wicked” has been changed for the better?

I do believe it has been changed for the longer.

Hollywood has, somewhat mystifyingly, taken a two-and-a-half-hour hit Broadway musical and — hey presto! — stretched it into two two-hour-40-minute movies in hopes of a duo of smashes.

You’re acutely aware of the doubled runtime in the genial first chapter, “Wicked: Part One,” which has the same number of songs as Act 1 of composer Stephen Schwartz’s show, but an extra 60 minutes of padding.

Onstage, the “Wizard of Oz” prequel, which depicts the cackling Wicked Witch of the West as a misunderstood activist teen before Dorothy and Toto arrive, is fun and fizzy.

Despite the Broadway production’s expensive effects and lavish design, the show succeeds more as a sweet boarding school comedy about friendship than a grand Ozian adventure.  

On-screen, however, director Jon M. Chu’s (“Crazy Rich Asians“) film tends to lumber along, becoming an unconvincing fantasy tale for 10 minutes or so before switching back to cozy musical mode.

For instance, the triumphant Act 1 finale, “Defying Gravity,” is broken up by an extended aerial chase scene and an exploding hot air balloon that causes an inferno. The pursuit of the witch ends, and “ahhAHHaaaAHH!”

Playing Elphaba, the burgeoning sorceress who’s bullied for her green skin color, Cynthia Erivo sings the ballad beautifully and powerfully — when Chu is not awkwardly interrupting it with too much business.

The sublime voices of Erivo and Ariana Grande, as blond mean girl Galinda (later Glinda), set “Wicked” apart from the many movie-musicals that often shove aside good singing in favor of star power. Johnny Depp in “Sweeney Todd” and Ansel Elgort in “West Side Story” are two unfortunate examples.

“Wicked” fans will be delighted by how lush their favorite tunes sound at the cinema, including Fiyero played by Jonathan Bailey, who was marvelous in the West End musical “Company” well before anybody knew what “Bridgerton” is.

The trio all attend Shiz University — a kind of liberal arts academy for humans, Munchkins and talking animals that looks like Rivendell if it sold Skittles.

Friendless Elphie dreams of one day meeting the Wizard of Oz and being “degreenified” into normalcy.

She gets one step closer to that wish because of her natural gift for magic. Elphaba studies privately with headmistress Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) — as her social-climbing roommate Galinda seethes.

There’s a lot of humor in the role, but Erivo picks a more somber, sad, quiet path. The Wicked Witch of the Womp-Womp, her portrayal jumps the gun on the ending. So the bulk of the laughs go to Grande, who’s a very funny, ideal 2024 version of Kristin Chenoweth. Her “Popular” is fabulous.

Crushes abound. Munchkin Boq (Ethan Slater) has the hots for Galinda, who pines for hunky Prince Fiyero, who sneakily wants outsider Elphaba. These CW-style hormonal antics eventually lead to Elphie and Galinda becoming odd-couple best friends.

But there’s a dark social underbelly in the land of Oz. Animals are being caged and losing their voices — professor Dr. Dillamond, voiced by Peter Dinklage, is a legit goat — and Elphaba wants to appeal to the all-powerful Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) to intervene.

On the way, she gets a lesson in the dirty tricks of politics.

Visually, Shiz, Munchkinland and the Emerald City are all obviously soundstages — think a library with a huge dance floor — which helps bridge “Wicked” with Victor Fleming’s technicolor classic starring Judy Garland.

Chu is careful to not let Oz appear too real, which is a blessing and a curse. The locales are occasionally fantastic and Hollywood retro, but never believable or taken seriously.

Speaking of the Emerald City, original Broadway stars Chenoweth and Idina Menzel make a strange, fan-service cameo appearance that should’ve been cut. No one would’ve mourned it.

“Wicked” has always been an imbalanced show. Act 1 has all the best songs, while Act 2 has the Cowardly Lion’s share of the plot. The first film, therefore, can feel like a lot of toe-tapping set-up to something more exciting in 2025.

Even after nearly three hours of sitting, I didn’t feel as though I’d gotten to know the characters very well.

Like Elphaba needs Galinda, “Wicked” needs its second half.

So, now, it’s intermission. Be sure to use the bathroom and buy some snacks.

You have only an entire year.