Director Jon M. Chu’s Wicked is an adaptation of the first act of Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s 2003 stage musical, which was adapted from Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, which was adapted from Frank L. Baum’s Oz books and Victor Fleming’s 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Across media, Wicked presents a heartfelt story that anyone who has felt different from others can identify with as it tells the origin of the Wicked Witch of the West and how she became a villain in the Land of Oz.
Buy Wicked Blu-rayOpening just after the events of The Wizard of Oz where the Wicked Witch of the West is killed by Dorothy, Glinda the Good Witch (Ariana Grande-Butera) arrives in Munchkinland (which oddly is devoid of little people) and tells of the scandalous birth of Elphaba Thropp (during the song “No One Mourns the Wicked”). She was born from an affair her mother had with a traveling salesman. Her father is not clearly shown, but one with a good ear will know his identity.
Elphaba is unique, born with green skin and inexplicably causing magical things to happen. These differences cause many people to treat her poorly. It somewhat makes sense that her stepfather Governor Thropp does as she’s a constant reminder of his wife’s infidelity, but in a world full of people of every shade, people who are gay or fat or disabled, a world where talking animals are accepted, it seems odd that just being green would be off-putting to so many.
While accompanying her wheelchair-using, younger sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) to Shiz University, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) has a magical outburst that draws the attention of Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), Dean of Sorcery Studies, who requests Elphaba enroll at the school to teach her how to control her abilities. Morrible suggests this could lead to Elphaba meeting the Wizard, which Elphaba desires, imagining him offering to de-greenify her (“The Wizard and I”).
Elphaba rooms with Glinda, whose name was Galinda when she was younger. Their differences initially lead to clashes (“What Is This Feeling?”) but as they learn about who each other is below the surface, they become friends. Galinda offers to take Elphaba under her wing (“Popular”) and Elphaba requests Morrible teach Galinda magic.
At the school and across Oz, animals begin losing their rights and the ability to speak. Elphaba sides with the animals and is certain the Wizard will help their cause (“Something Bad”). However, once they get to Emerald City, Elphaba and Galinda learn the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) is not a benevolent magician nor are his plans for Elphaba.
Wicked contains wonderful songs, especially the climatic “Defying Gravity,” a powerful anthem about believing in oneself. This version of Oz is a marvelous creation, a brightly colorful world brought to life by skilled artists of various production departments filling every frame with imaginative details. The talented cast infuse the characters with life, particularly Erivo and Grande-Butera, the former exuding a variety of emotions as Elphaba grows while the latter delivering a memorable comical performance. In addition to the characters working throughout the plot, the theme of the story deals with xenophobia, both on an interpersonal level and at a political level.
The video is presented in 1080p/MPEG-4 AVC encoded transfer displayed at the film’s original aspect ratio of 2.39:1. Vivid colors across the spectrum pop off the screen. Blacks are inky and don’t crush. Whites look accurate. The image offers a strong contrast and presents fine texture details in the costumes, sets, and digital creatures.
The audio is available in Dolby Atmos which defaults down to Dolby TrueHD 7.1. Dialogue and singing vocals come through clearly. The music fills the surrounds and envelop the viewer while the vocals come from the front speakers. Effects ring out of and move across different channels as required. The dynamic range is quite wide.
The Bonus Features are
- A Sing-Along version where the lyrics appear on screen
- Commentary with director Jon M. Chu
- Commentary with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
- Deleted and Extended Scenes (16 min) – 10 different segments that the hardcore fan will want to dive into.
- Making Wicked (46 min) – A nearly hour-long look behind the scenes.
Although presenting only half the story, which will be completed in Wicked: For Good on November 21, Wicked is a thrilling musical fantasy that entertains and inspires. The high-definition presentation is so good the Blu-ray should make year-end “Best of 2025” lists.
