'Wicked' review: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande superb in thrilling throwback to Hollywood musicals' golden age

"Are people born wicked? Or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?" So go the lyrics to the opening number in Jon M. Chu’s big-screen adaptation of Broadway’s "Wicked." It’s a deep question, wrapped in a sprightly overture inside a sumptuous-looking musical — all of which makes "Wicked" an utterly pleasurable, even enriching, slice of old-fashioned Hollywood entertainment.

More than 20 years and roughly $1.7 billion after debuting on Broadway in 2003, "Wicked" arrives in theaters with high expectations — and it does not disappoint. It’s competing not only against its source, but also the source of its source, "The Wizard of Oz," Victor Fleming’s genre-defining musical from 1939. Chu ("Crazy Rich Asians") employs CGI effects that Fleming never dreamed of, but that isn’t where "Wicked" gets its magic. It’s in the dazzling production design by Nathan Crowley (a longtime Christopher Nolan collaborator), the splendiferous costumes from Paul Tazewell ("In the Heights") and, most of all, the movie’s two perfectly chosen stars.

The first is Cynthia Erivo (Broadway’s "The Color Purple") as Elphaba, whose inexplicably green skin makes her an outcast even in a whimsically diverse land where Munchkins like Boq (Ethan Slater) and talking goats like Dr. Dillamond (a motion-captured Peter Dinklage) draw little notice. Withdrawn but intelligent, and possessed of hidden powers, Elphaba earns a spot at Shiz University, a Hogwartsian institution where Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) picks her as a prize pupil.

That triggers the jealousy of fellow student Galinda (the pop star Ariana Grande), an entitled blonde who has never met a setback. "Something is very wrong," Galinda (later known as Glinda) muses aloud. "I didn’t get my way." As the semester unfolds, Galinda does her best to thwart and humiliate Elphaba, but the two nevertheless form a friendship. ("Popular," which accompanies a makeover montage, is easily the film’s sweetest and funniest number.) Their new bond will be tested, though, by the arrival of hunky new student Fiyero (a charming Jonathan Bailey), and a Nazi-esque crackdown on talking animals that will force humans to pick sides.

There’s already Oscar buzz around Erivo, though she doesn’t truly shine until the third act, when Elphaba embraces her destiny as The Wicked Witch of the West. (That much-loved number, "Defying Gravity," provides the movie’s thundering finale.) Meanwhile, it’s Grande who steals the show with a sparkling performance that seems modeled on two great Reese Witherspoon roles: the despicable Tracy Flick from "Election" and the endearing Elle Woods from "Legally Blonde." (Grande also uses her voice, famous for its impossible "whistle register," to delightful comedic effect.) This Galinda may go down as one of the greatest frenemies since Rachel McAdams’ Regina George in "Mean Girls."

"Wicked" is packed with little treats, from Jeff Goldblum sashaying around as the Wizard to winking cameos from original Broadway stars Kristen Chenoweth and Syosset-raised Idina Menzel. Percolating and popping with energy, it’s just about everything a movie musical should be. With part two of "Wicked" coming next year, rarely have the words "To Be Continued" felt so thrilling.

By Rafer Guzmán

rafer.guzman@newsday.com@raferguzman