The razzle-dazzle that’s Jon M. Chu’s bread and butter is on glorious display in “Wicked,” the big-screen version of the beloved Broadway musical.  

When it’s all about the spectacle of big, splashy production numbers, this prequel to “The Wizard of Oz” is thrilling, whether we’re in Munchkinland, the Emerald City or the campus of Shiz University, where a young Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch of the North first cross paths. As we’ve seen from the director’s previous films including “Crazy Rich Asians” and “In the Heights,” Chu is uniquely adept at presenting an enormous song-and-dance extravaganza without getting lost in it. His sense of pacing and perspective draw us in and center us within the swirling fantasy. 

It helps greatly that he has deeply talented stars in Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande: magnetic multi-hyphenates who can meet every physical and emotional challenge of these iconic characters. Following in the footsteps of Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth would seem like a daunting task, but Erivo and Grande bring their own vocal power and dramatic interpretation to the roles of Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. You truly feel the friendship between these opposites, particularly in one beautiful, wordless dance sequence where they forge their unlikely bond, which is moving in its understatement. That’s the foundation of this story, so it’s crucial that we know their connection is true for its destruction to be meaningful. 

Far less effective is the way Chu, working from a script by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, wedges in the movie’s heavier themes of authoritarianism. Yes, they are baked into the story: We know from watching 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz” countless times that the wizard is a con artist who rules by fear. His deception is literally one of smoke and mirrors. That’s all in the source material of the “Wicked” stage production, as well, for which Holzman wrote the book and Stephen Schwartz wrote the music and lyrics. Here, in film form, the tone swings awkwardly between upbeat wonder and dark oppression. This is a world in which minorities are hunted, placed in cages and prevented from speaking, where a charismatic leader (a playfully evil Jeff Goldblum) persecutes a woman of color. It is not subtle, and it feels all-too relevant to our times, despite originating decades ago. It also drags down the energy of this epic tale. 

And yet, overstuffed as the film is at 2 hours and 40 minutes, this is only part one: “Wicked” ends where the intermission occurs in the stage show, with part two coming in November 2025. It’s a lot to ask of an audience. Still, people who love this story and these characters will be delighted, and there’s much here for people who aren’t familiar with the musical but are looking for a cinematic escape around the holidays. 

“Wicked” begins with Grande’s Glinda descending majestically into Munchkinland to inform her enthusiastic fans that the rumors are true: The witch really is dead. Then it flashes back to how she and the green-hued Elphaba (the Wicked Witch’s first name) became unlikely allies in college. Elphaba has always been bullied and ostracized because of the color of her skin; Glinda—or Galinda, as she’s known at this point—is a pretty, pampered mean girl who’s always gotten her way. (Bowen Yang is a hoot as one of her loyal sycophants.) 

But once they’re forced to room together, they eventually realize, to their surprise, that they genuinely see each other in a way no one ever has before. Galinda’s makeover anthem “Popular”—one of the most popular songs from the show—is among the film’s highlights, and a great example of the technical prowess “Wicked” offers. The costume design from Paul Tazewell (“West Side Story”) and production design from longtime Christopher Nolan collaborator Nathan Crowley are exquisite throughout but especially here. Alice Brooks’ cinematography is consistently wondrous, but her use of hot pink lighting as Galinda’s at the height of her power is really evocative.  

Chu’s usual choreographer, Christopher Scott, delivers again with vibrant, inspired moves, particularly in the elaborate “Dancing Through Life,” which takes place in the school’s rotating, multilevel library. “Bridgerton” star Jonathan Bailey gets a chance to show off his musical theater background here, and he’s terrifically charming as the glib Prince Fiyero, the object of both Elphaba and Galinda’s romantic interests. Michelle Yeoh brings elegance and just a hint of danger to her role as Madame Morrible, the university’s sorcery professor. And Peter Dinklage lends gravitas as the resonant voice of Dr. Dillamond, a goat instructor who, like other talking animals in Oz, finds himself increasingly in peril. 

But it’s that connection between Erivo and Grande that gives the film its emotional heft. Erivo does do much with her eyes to convey Elphaba’s sadness and loneliness and, eventually, her hope and determination. There’s a directness about her screen presence that’s immediate and engaging, and of course she can sing the hell out of these demanding songs. Grande meets her note for note and once again displays her comic chops, but it’s the little choices that make her portrayal of the perfect Galinda feel human: a jerky perkiness that’s slightly dorky. The blonde tresses and array of pink dresses scream confidence, but deep down she’s a try-hard whose desire to be liked is her driving motivation. 

As undeniably crowd-pleasing as “Wicked” is in its big moments, these smaller and more intimate details are just as magical.