Can a ‘Wicked’ Divided Against Itself Still Stand?

Remarkably, yes.

I saw Wicked the stage musical back in 2006 and loved it. An especially nice touch that I didn’t fully appreciate at the time: We got to watch the entire show. Only a 15-minute intermission separated the first act from the second. We weren’t asked to come back a year later to watch the rest.

Hearing that Wicked the movie was split into two movies gave me pause. And the fact that Part One alone is two hours and 40 minutes gave me a longer pause. For most musicals, this would be a terrible idea and would come across as a cynical, money-grabbing scheme.

More than most musicals, though, Wicked lends itself to a movie adaptation. After all, the story is the prequel to one of the most famous movies of all time, The Wizard of Oz. The effects were impressive on a stage, and a big-budget movie would allow more opportunities for visual splendor. And two movies, apparently, would allow even more.

It’s not just about the fantasy visuals, though. The performances and characters sell the movie more than anything else, especially the two leads: Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Galinda (Ariana Grande).

Elphaba is the future Wicked Witch of the West, but here she’s a lonely young woman who’s been cursed with green skin since birth. Her outsider’s perspective allows her to empathize with other misunderstood beings, bringing her to the defense of Oz’s talking animals. Humans are turning against the idea of treating these animals as equals, so much so that the school Elphaba attends, Shiz, is down to one last animal teacher, a goat named Dr. Dillamond (voiced by Peter Dinklage).

Something else sets Elphaba apart: She’s unusually adept at magic, which draws the attention of magic teacher Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). But Galinda was hoping to be the one to impress this teacher and become her protégé. Compounding her aggravation, Galinda was promised her own room but is now forced to share the space with Elphaba.

Galinda, the future Good Witch of the North, starts out as the standard-issue passive-aggressive Mean Girls type of character, the sort who puts on a show of being kind and benevolent but is only ever thinking of herself. However, she doesn’t stay locked in that role. And that’s key.

Much of the movie revolves around the dynamic between Elphaba and Galinda, as ample friction gives way to genuine friendship. But the friction never entirely disappears, which makes the relationship feel more authentic.

Charming bad boy Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) creates additional tension, as he naturally falls for Galinda while also developing an interest in the unconventional Elphaba. Galinda speaks to his affected shallowness while Elphaba speaks to the more complex person he conceals beneath that façade, resulting in a memorable triangle that enriches all three characters.

As much as they come to respect each other, Elphaba and Galinda are moving in different directions, lending an element of tragedy to their burgeoning friendship. They could be such a wonderful team, but we already know what’s actually in store for them. This becomes especially apparent in the Emerald City (where Jeff Goldblum plays himself the Wizard of Oz).

It reminds me of the X-Men. Wicked does for the Wicked Witch of the West what 1980s X-Men comics did for Magneto—taking an unhinged, over-the-top villain and giving this character reasons for having become such an unhinged, over-the-top villain, creating a more complex and interesting character in the process. Granted, this isn’t a perfect comparison. Magneto was still ultimately a villain, even if he did reform for a while. Elphaba may simply be misunderstood. Both, however, fight against the oppression of sentient beings.

Also, the dynamic between Elphaba and Galinda resembles the dynamic between Magneto and Professor X—friends torn asunder due to competing philosophies. Galinda, like Xavier, is no saint, even though they both may get viewed in that light.

Wicked: Part One uses the extra runtime to flesh out its characters and deepen the overall experience while still preserving the wonderful songs (from this part of the soundtrack, anyway, with the rest to come!). Still, it’s longer than it needs to be. Some trimming in the first half would have benefited the overall movie, but the momentum eventually picks up and keeps going right up through the thrilling climax (or climax of Act One, rather).

“Defying Gravity” was always a show-stopping number. Here, it truly stops the show and left me eagerly awaiting the rest of the movie next year. But the ending isn’t as blatant a cliffhanger as what we saw in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Wicked: Part One presents an origin story for the Wicked Witch of the West, and it brings us right up to the point where Elphaba adopts that identity. The second movie will show us what she does in the role. It’s a natural split, at least.

Other members of my family also enjoyed this nearly three-hour extravaganza—adults and kids alike. I let them test out the waters first, and my sister strongly advised that I see it. I must now concede that she was correct.

Wicked provides a fun and engaging—if somewhat incomplete—experience for people of all ages.

All right, Hollywood, you sold me on a two-part Wicked. I hope you’re happy. Don’t get any ideas, though. Well, get ideas, of course, but not this idea. One success does not signify a trend.