When  Wicked (2024)  was released, I had zero interest in seeing it.

But when it showed up FREE on Amazon Prime, I gave it a shot.

Wow.

Fantastic!

I don’t know on whom to heap praise. Director Jon M. Chu? Writers Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox?

It adapts the first act of the 2003 stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Holzman, which was loosely based on Gregory Maguire‘s 1995 novel, itself a reimagining of the Oz books and the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.

Jonathan Bailey was impressive as Fiyero. At least as charismatic an egomaniac as Ariana Grande / Galinda Upland — and she’s perfect in that role. Self-obsessed.

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp has a more complicated role.

The songs aren’t great. But I did enjoy Defying Gravity.

It should have been much SHORTER. It would have been near perfect at about 100 minutes. At times it felt 1000 minutes long. 😀

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.