Wicked director Jon M. Chu is still firing on all cylinders, weeks into the movie’s press tour, thanks to the fevered reaction the film has received so far from fans and critics alike – and also knowing what he and his cast have in store for audiences yet to see it.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande discuss how the musicality of their characters' songs in Wicked influence the storyline and the feel of the film.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande play Elphaba and Glinda in "Wicked." Credit: Universal Pictures While the performances in the film are sensational overall, Chu makes a series of downright confounding choices that undercut the rapturous flow of the Broadway production and even the perspective of the story he aims to exalt.

Any trip to Oz requires top-of-the-line craftsmanship, so a big shout-out to the sparkling cinematography of Alice Brooks, costume design of Paul Tazewell, production design of Nathan Crowley and the dazzling choreography of Christopher Scott. John Powell’s thrilling musical score, blending with Schwartz’s iconic tunes, is note-perfect.

It's the ultimate celebrity redemption tour, two decades in the making. In the annals of pop culture, few characters have undergone an image makeover quite like the Wicked Witch of the West.