Jon M. Chu's hustle and bustle is brilliantly depicted in the big-screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, Wicked.

When it comes to big, spectacular productions, this prequel to The Wizard of Oz is exciting, whether you're in Munchkinland, Emerald City, or the campus of Shiz University, where the path of a young evil follows. The Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch of the North meet for the first time. As we've seen in his previous works, such as Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights, Chu has a unique talent for presenting grandiose song-and-dance spectacles without getting lost in them. His sense of speed and perspective draws us in and places us at the center of a swirling fantasy.

Having such incredibly talented stars in Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande helps a lot, as they're both fascinating multi-talented actors who rise to any physical and mental challenge these iconic characters present. It might seem like a tall task to fill the shoes of Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, but Erivo and Grande bring their own vocal and dramatic interpretations to the roles of Elphaba and Glinda. You really feel the friendship between these polar opposites, especially in the beautiful, wordless dance sequence where, in understated detail, they form an unlikely bond. That's the basis of this story, and for their destruction to have meaning, it's important to know their connection is real.

Much less effective is the way director Chu brings more serious themes of authoritarianism to the film, based on a screenplay by Winnie Holtzman and Dana Fox, which was adapted from a novel by Gregory Maguire. Yes, they are woven into the story. We know from countless 1939 Wizard of Oz films that the Wizard is a trickster who rules by fear; his deception is a literal mix of smoke and mirrors. All of this can also be found in the source material for the stage production Wicked, with book by Holtzman and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Here, in cinematic form, the tone oscillates curiously between cheerful surprise and dark oppression. Here, in a world where minorities are hunted, caged and prevented from speaking out, a charismatic leader (a playfully evil Jeff Goldblum) stalks a woman of color. The film is far from subtle and feels all too modern, despite being made decades ago, which also weakens the energy of this epic tale. The film is available on the Flixtor.to website.