Once in a while, a film comes along that justifies the work, effort, hype and anticipation. Wicked is one of those, just about. It’s a sumptuous sugary explosion of style and glitter that gets right far more than it doesn’t. After all, transferring a theatrical smash to the big screen is a gamble, and with Universal’s commitment to a two-part adaptation, it wouldn’t be great if this first, rather lengthy instalment didn’t stick the landing.  

Fortunately, it does, after defying gravity. Director John Chu has a fine time adapting the musical for the screen, and, as this film is only concerned with the first half of the stage musical, things are greatly helped by the gallop to its show-stopping crescendo.

The death of the Wicked Witch of the West (see The Wizard of Oz) causes Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande-Butera) to recall their first meeting at Shiz University. Two total opposites room together—Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), the green-skinned child despised by her father in Munchkinland and the spoiled, entitled and ‘popular’ Galinda from wealthy Gillikind. A rivalry festers when Elphaba’s incredible, innate magical power brings her under the personal tutelage of Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), something Galinda, the girl who’s used to getting what she wants, has always wanted.  

Oz, however, is in a state of change, and Elphaba is drawn to the plight of the animals, including Dr Dillamond (Peter Dinklage), who are losing their voices as much as their place in Ozian society. It’s with the arrival of the handsome Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) that the reluctant roommates finally realise their similarities during a night at Ozdust, and form a tight relationship that propels them towards the Emerald City and a meeting with the Wonderful Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), who, extraordinarily enough, isn’t all he appears…

The metaphorical, colourfully fairytale land of Oz, the invention of L. Frank Baum, in the early 20th century, is as ripe for interpretation as sharp satire. Despite being locked in a colourful 19-hundred-and-something, the blend of steampunk, magic and here, music, helps it feel timeless. However, screen adaptations are always beholden to the incredible achievement of 1939’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  

In 2003, Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s stage musical Wicked was an instant smash, making Gregory Maguire’s 1995 reimagining of Baum’s original novel more family-friendly and adding a brilliant soundtrack. It’s a great idea, of course—the origins of the cackling Wicked Witch of the West—but two decades on from the stage show starting an all-encompassing tour of the Earth, it’s still got plenty of things to tell us about our times.

Almost all of Wicked follows the school years of Elphaba and Glinda (she knocks out the ‘a’ from her name in solidarity with Elphaba and her causes before they head to the Emerald City), allowing for a Hogwarts-load of fun. Wrapped in sumptuous production design and costumes, and barely a trick is missed in the magical mix of study and socialising, rivalry and romance. Despite the runtime, Wicked doesn’t hang around, letting audiences draw what they want from the heady blend of relatable rivalry and darker plotlines familiar from the Narnia or Harry Potter stories. 

While all ages can be caught up in the hate-love relationship of the two witches, the real strength of Wicked is blowing up the famous carnival trick of the wizard to show how the power behind the throne manipulates events. It’s a wholly relevant message in a time of populism and misinformation, to the point it feels like it was written yesterday, not 2003. But the more things change, the more they stay the same. 

That concept is almost bigger than its stars—although both leads grab the scenery with exhausting dedication—no mean feat, as Erivo and Grande follow in the famous shoes of their characters’ originators, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth (who make the most of a rather lovely if brief cameo appearance). Most importantly, Wicked is huge. The world Chu assembles is arguably the greatest Oz ever put to screen—a constantly beautiful and surprisingly colourful vista perfect for exploring the perception of good and evil and mass manipulation. He pulls many tricks out of the book, with understandably stagey elements playing to the screen’s strengths rather than detracting from it: The animals’ shadow puppets and the Wizard’s model spectacle seamlessly fit into the artifice. 

As the witty book rolls and wraps around the impressive, bright and airy production design, it’s the sharp editing that holds back the sneaky suspicion that photography might be a little flatter and not half as timeless as The Wizard of Oz. It’s a film that needs to sweep up its audience, and it has a fine final set-piece to demonstrate that perfectly—finding a way to honour the stage show as Erivo mesmerisingly pulls together the spectacle and vocal performance.

Superstitions, fanaticism, discrimination, destiny. Wicked is a fundamentally 21st-century story irresistibly drenched in 20th-century imagination. It’s hard to walk out without a smile.