Jon M. Chu’s Wicked turns the stage musical’s story of Elphaba and Glinda into expansive cinema, and the strongest case for watching it is that its scale can heighten—not replace—the characters’ friendship and conflict. Reviews praise its design and musical spectacle, though they differ on the effects, performances and pacing. Whether it suits a group watch or a quieter solo evening depends on how much you value that spectacle alongside the story.
What this review covers
This is a review of the 2024 film adaptation directed by Jon M. Chu, starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. It is the first part of a two-film adaptation; Universal Pictures describes Wicked: For Good as its concluding chapter. The films adapt the stage musical, written by Winnie Holzman with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, which in turn draws on Gregory Maguire’s novel.
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Wicked (2024) [Blu-ray] | $17.95 | Buy on Amazon |
The supplied title resembles a December 2024 review by Benjamin Garrett at 1st Reviews, but the exact originating page for the title is not confirmed. The critical judgments below are attributed to the reviewers whose published assessments support them.
Does the film’s scale serve the story?
Garrett’s central praise is that Chu expands the world beyond what a stage production can show without losing the musical’s tone, heart or spirit. He sees the spectacle as supporting the story rather than distracting from it. That is the film’s key adaptation test: bigger settings and visual transitions matter when they deepen the characters’ choices, not simply because they make the world look larger.
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#1 Best Overall
- Wicked, one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, now arrives on your screen as a generation-defining cinematic event.
Garrett’s enthusiasm is especially suited to a communal viewing. He wrote, “Jon M. Chu captures the magic of cinema, with a movie that demands to be seen with an audience on the biggest screen possible.” That is his recommendation, not a guarantee that every viewer will prefer the largest screen. The same scale that makes the songs and production design feel eventful may be less important to someone chiefly interested in the intimate relationship between the leads.
What reviewers praise—and where opinions diverge
Reviews cited in the available coverage praise the production design, costumes, visuals and musical numbers. Another assessment is less positive about some visual effects and offers a mixed view of the lead performances. These are not contradictory measures of one thing: an elaborate design can impress while individual effects shots or performance choices remain debatable.
Pacing and emotional focus are also useful questions to bring to the film. Because this is the opening installment of a two-part adaptation, viewers may judge not only the scenes’ immediate impact but also how the first film balances its own character arc with a story that continues. The cited review material identifies these as critical discussion points, rather than providing a shared audience verdict or measured comparison.
How it compares with the source material
The film’s source chain matters when considering fidelity. The two movies adapt the stage musical, which is itself based on Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The novel is a separate reading experience, not a scene-by-scene substitute for either the musical or Chu’s film. A film can preserve the musical’s character relationships and spirit while using cinematic space and staging differently.
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Is it worth watching at home?
The theatrical-scale argument is strongest for viewers who want the songs, sets and visual world to feel expansive. For home viewing, a Boomstick Comics review of the 4K UHD edition discusses Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and bonus features. That review supports the existence of a physical-release viewing option, but it does not establish current retailer stock or the exact contents of every edition; check the specific listing before buying.
Universal Pictures’ page for Wicked: For Good reports 10 Academy Award nominations for the first film, including Best Picture, and wins for Costume Design and Production Design. Those are Universal’s figures; the page excerpt does not specify the awards-cycle year, so this review does not assign a ceremony date. The same page reports a worldwide gross of $750 million without a dated snapshot, so that figure should not be read as a current total.
Quick Recap
Who is most likely to enjoy it?
- Choose it for a group watch if you enjoy musical spectacle, richly detailed production design and a film that invites a big-screen experience.
- Choose a quieter viewing if you want to focus on Elphaba and Glinda’s relationship and are comfortable with a sprawling fantasy musical.
- Temper expectations if effects consistency, every performance choice or a self-contained story are your main criteria; the available reviews include reservations on those points.
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