Wicked

Rated PG • Theaters

I’m philosophically opposed to the kinds of stories in which bad guys get recast as good guys. Cruella, Maleficent, those movies with the dreamy vampire boyfriend … They all reveal a fascination with evil that desires to explain it away—or at least mitigate the badness by making the villain sympathetic.

That said, I was predisposed to be skeptical of Wicked, Universal’s screen adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical which purports to tell the true story of the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. Despite my prejudice against villainy, I have to admit I found Wicked thoroughly entertaining.

The story begins where The Wizard of Oz left off, with the Land of Oz celebrating the death of the Wicked Witch of the West. Glinda, the good witch, delivers the news to the citizens of Munchkinland, much to their delight, but then she becomes pensive as she remembers the days long ago when she and the Wicked Witch knew each other at school. Commence the flashback.

Serious-minded Elphaba is a green-skinned outcast of a girl who attends Shiz University, where she develops her talent for magic. Bubbly and popular Glinda is a fellow student who also hopes to be a mighty sorceress someday. The two would-be witches get off on the wrong foot, but after being forced to room together they become friends. However, not everything is right in the Land of Oz, and Elphaba uncovers a plot that will lead to her further rejection from society.

Director Jon M. Chu takes us on a zany romp through Oz. The script is full of humor—both slapstick and wry—and the singing and dancing take place on spectacular magical sets. Chu’s version of the Land of Oz has an intriguing Renaissance–meets–Art Deco vibe.

Pop star Ariana Grande is an absolute delight as the self-absorbed Glinda. Her Glinda might not possess much magical talent, but she casts a spell when she tosses her hair. British actress Cynthia Erivo certainly has the pipes to play Elphaba. She also manages to play an adequate straight man to Grande, but when the tone shifts from comedic to dramatic, Erivo embodies a smoldering anger impatient with injustice.

While Wicked boasts impressive candy for eye and ear, it attempts to tackle a serious question. Toward the beginning of the musical, someone asks Glinda, “Why does wickedness happen?” Are people born evil? Or does society thrust evil upon some of us? Answering this second question in the affirmative sounds like victim blaming to me, but that’s the direction the story leans—unless it’s arguing that wickedness is merely a mirage the powerful foist on an unwitting populace. As one character says, “The best way to bring folks together is to give them a real good enemy.” But, to be honest, if you’re looking for a theodicy in a film based on a popular Broadway show, you’re looking in the wrong place.

On the bright side, many parents will feel comfortable sharing this movie with their youngsters. Wicked is rated PG for some scary action and mild suggestive material. There’s an implied question about Elphaba’s parentage, but there’s nothing explicitly objectionable. You should, however, be prepared for the worst thing about the movie: the runtime. At 2 hours and 40 minutes, this movie is long, and you won’t even get the full story. This is just Act 1. You’ll have to wait a year to get the rest of the story.

But Wicked is a grand story told in an epic style with a charming cast. If there’s anything that could get the American moviegoer interested in big-screen musicals again, it might be this.