The Wicked film is something I have been waiting for ever since I heard the Broadway cast recording back in 2003. When the show transferred to the West End in 2006 it quickly became my favourite musical at the time and 20 years later I was thrilled that the show has made its way to the big screen, no pressure for me to enjoy it though?!

For those unfamiliar with the show it tells of how green skinned Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West got her nickname and follows her and Glinda as they meet at Shiz University and after a rocky start gradually become friends and journey to meet the Wizard of Oz together. In Part 1 we begin to learn the story that leads to Dorothy throwing a bucket of water over her in the Wizard of Oz, how the animals of Oz are being supressed and why Galinda changed her name to Glinda.

The film is a perfect adaption of the stage show, rather than trying to remove parts of it to make it work for the big screen it builds on it. Moments that fly by in the stage show are beautifully extended which really help develop friendships and relationships and we see more of Elpaha’s childhood and her time at Shiz which helps us understand the characters more deeply. The close up shots really help hone in on the emotion of the character, tears rolling down the cheek which can go unchecked on the big stage hit home in these moments.

It is not just the close up cinematography that is utterly stunning. The physical locations such as the Emerald City, Shiz and the tulip fields are depictured beautifully and feels as if it has been taken straight out of the imagination and planted in front of the camera. The whole look of the film transports us to this fantasy land, with costumes really giving a sense of place and character and the choreography is varied and utterly transfixing.

Casting is absolutely spot on with Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande-Butera as Glinda. Their vocals blend seamlessly with each other and both of them have the ability to capture the joy in their respective parts whilst depicting a complex character. The also strike the perfect balance of paying homage to the stage depictions of the roles whist making them their own. Jonathan Bailey is a dashing Fiyero and his number ‘Dancing Through Life,’ is one of the highlights of the film. There is also a brilliant smattering a cameos from familiar faces to keep all the musical theatre kids happy.

Stephen Schwartz’s music is already a masterpiece but the additions made for the film version work brilliantly, The extended musical sequence at the Ozdust ballroom evokes tears, Ariana’s extended ‘Popular’ brings joy and the musical additions at unexpected times, for example the reoccurring ‘For Good’ theme or even refrains such as ‘Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead,’ are wonderful Easter Eggs to keep an ear out for.

To say that this film is a love letter to musical theatre is doing it a disservice, it is a full on book of sonnets dedicated to musical theatre. It is a bold statement to say it but I would even go as far as to say the best musical theatre stage to screen adaptation that has been produced.

If you like this review you might also like my article on where to buy Wicked merchandise. You might also like my review of Mean Girls and Six.