Wicked ★★★½

TWO films are going to dominate Perth cinemas from now until at least Christmas.

One meets high audience expectations while the other probably exceeds some lower expectations.

Wicked is the former while Gladiator II is the latter.

The screen version of the hit Broadway musical is a triumph in many ways, featuring two wonderful lead performances and spectacular design and costuming.

Like a few other recent, long-awaited films, the studio has opted to split the film version in two.

Everyone, including the audience, gets more bang for their buck; but you’ll have to wait another year for the second half.

In the case of Wicked, this first part ends on a terrific high point that will have you yearning for more.

But maybe not straight after. If you stay to see who helped paint the yellow brick road or design the Emerald City train, you’ll be in your seat for around 160 minutes.

Yep, it’s a long one; but the time mostly flies by with every pixel of the screen bursting with colour, movement and inventive design, much of which was still achieved through practical effects,

And front and centre throughout the running time are Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, two young but proven performers, who command the screen whether belting out a solo or working off each other.

In case you haven’t seen the stage show or read the novel upon which it was based, the events of Wicked occur mostly before those of the original book and film The Wizard of Oz. It’s basically a reimagined origins story for the Wicked Witch of the East and the Good Witch of the North.

We open where The Wizard of Oz ended, with the death of the Wicked Witch being celebrated throughout the land, including Munchkin Land where the Good Witch Glinda (Grande) is visiting.

In response to one of the villagers, Glinda admits that she and the Wicked Witch (Erivo) were once friends. We then journey back to the birth of green-skinned Elphaba, constantly chastised by her father and teased by others during her childhood.

Elphaba and her sister are later accepted into the prized Shiz University where Elphaba’s unique powers attract the attention of a teacher and, eventually, the Wizard himself. Along the way, Elphaba and Glinda progress from being sworn enemies to friends, before being faced with having to choose the next paths in their lives.

There are certainly story arcs and thematic links to the classic, original story with the message of being yourself and helping others achieve the same.

But this reimagining is also clearly aimed at a more contemporary audience with modern comic references, particularly via the character of Glinda, and life Shiz University sometimes resembling a brighter and lighter version of Harry Potter’s time at Hogwarts.

It’s during these sections that Grande shines most in her role, while Erivo’s performance constantly keeps the film grounded. Aside from their great singing voices, they are perfectly cast.

So, what’s not to like? Just a few things.

Unfortunately, the sub-plot involving treatment of the animal characters just doesn’t create the expected emotion and the character voices are not distinct enough.

Occasionally I felt the musical numbers were unnecessarily shortened and at other times there was too much editing in the dance choreography.

But these are minor quibbles for a film that really does crackle with energy and transport you to an enchanting world for a couple of hours.

Watched at the cinema