Much like the con man Wizard hiding behind the curtain, utilizing sleight of hand and subterfuge to convince the easily fooled that his powers are beyond all imagining, Wicked: For Good has precious little in the way of any actual magic.

As much as I wish the filmmaking team had refrained from splitting the story into pieces and delivered one three-hour musical adventure, Wicked: Part One won me over. There is magic here — elements that defy conventional cinematic gravity — and I’m not about to let my reservations bring me down.