The 592nd film I have seen in theaters…

Spoilers below

The Wicked Witch of the West is dead! This is her story, following Elphaba Thropp (the witch) as she travels to Shiz University, befriends Galinda- the future “good witch of the north”, and meets the Wonderful Wizard amidst the growing threat of Fascism in Oz.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande play Elphaba and Galinda. They ROCKED… pure and simple. Both are contenders for lead actress in the 2025 Oscar race. Grande was a perfect Glinda. The voice, attitude, physicality, every element was there. Erivo is a force of nature. She was amazing here; such passion. I cannot wait to see where she takes it in part 2. I predict that her glasses will become a real fashion trend.

We have Jonathan Bailey as Fiero, prince of the Winkies, love interest for Glinda and Elphaba. His dance number was terrific, despite the damage to books. Ethan Slater is Boq, a woodsman (not yet tin) who dates Elphaba’s sister Nessarose but is secretly in love with Glinda. Marissa Bode is Nessarose, the future victim of Dorothy’s house. Our villains are Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, professor of Sorcery at the university. Yeoh is always great and I LOVE this new phase of her career, but a great singer she is not. She was effective in the role though. As the Wizard we have Jeff Goldblum channeling his Thor: Ragnarok role. This was good as his public persona plays perfectly into the bullshittery that is the Wizard.

Perfect. There is no doubt that this is the movie of 2024. I honestly cannot think of a better movie for this world. A story about a bullied, marginalized, underdog who learns to accept who they are and stands up to the growing fascism of the “Wonderful” con man leader.

There was not a level on which this did not succeed. The acting, singing, dancing, etc was top notch. The cast just about perfect. The script was a faithful, but BETTER, version of the musical. Adaptations of Broadway shows usually feel “theatrical” in setting and staging. I can usually tell whether something was originally written for the stage based solely on the staging. Maybe this gets a pass as it is based on a novel, but this was cinematic AF. The sets, costumes, cinematography, sounds, score, CGI it was absolutely perfect. I would not change frame of this movie. Even the title cards were spot on. Jon M. Chu understood the assignment and directed the movie of the year.

10/10