Wicked begins on a visually stunning note. This is a film that deserves to be seen in the IMAX screen as the look, production design, cinematography, VFX etc are top-class. The story is also intriguing and the bond formed by the two opposite characters makes for a nice watch. The track of the animal professor is also very arresting. The film ends with a cliffhanger and with the promise of a sequel (which releases exactly a year later). However, the biggest issue of the film is the runtime of 160 minutes. It's too long and the story moves at a sluggish pace. Songs are well composed and choreographed but a few of them could have been done away with. Cynthia Erivo plays the lead role and is superb. However, it is Ariana Grande who steals the show with her antics, singing, cuteness and performance. Michelle Yeoh, as always, is dependable. Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero Tigelaar) has a late entry but leaves a mark. The others who do well are Marissa Bode (Nessarose), Ethan Slater (Boq), Jeff Goldblum (Wizard Of Oz) and Andy Nyman (Elphaba's father). Peter Dinklage and Sharon D Clarke's voiceovers are appropriate. All in all, Wicked is a well-made visual musical but suffers to some extent due to its length.

My rating - *** out of 5!