Cynthia Erivo’s vocal chops are on full display with the film’s lush score. (photo courtesy of Universal)

When the movie “Wicked” was in production, its cast and crew could not have known the environment in which it would land in theaters. Certainly, in 2003’s fresh wave of “United We Stand” patriotism, composer Stephen Schwartz couldn’t have heard how his new stage show might play two decades later. Nor in the economic boom of the mid-1990s, when the Gregory Maguire book was released, could the author have imagined how his Wicked Witch tale would resonate 30 years into the future.

And yet, here we are, with a box office juggernaut born from a story of a woman of color defying a man who crafts a dangerous lie to oppress an entire subset of a population. Chilling, isn’t it? And being that “Wicked” is anything but subtle, it would seem almost impossible to miss the analogy. However, I’d bet a good half of the population will. The obvious, after all, is so often missed by the masses.

We all know “The Wizard of Oz.” Even those that miraculously missed the movie have seen it referenced, ad nauseum. “There’s no place like home.” “Follow the yellow brick road.” “I’ll get you my pretty, and your little dog, too.”

Based on the 1900 novel by L. Frank Baum “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” the iconic 1939 film is so enshrined in pop culture that, though Baum wrote many sequels to his book, additional Oz screen adaptations have struggled to find their footing. 1978’s “The Wiz” is inferior to its Broadway predecessor. 1985’s “Return to Oz” is barely remembered. 2013’s “Oz the Great and Powerful” was maligned by critics. But the book and subsequent musical “Wicked” did the seemingly impossible. It honored the original story and the celebrated Technicolor classic, all while creating something entirely unique in and of itself. Certainly, to understand “Wicked,” cursory knowledge of “The Wizard of Oz” is a necessity. But if you don’t know that one, I’ll direct you to Wikipedia.

“Wicked” is the backstory of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), destined to be the Wicked Witch of the West, and Galinda (Ariana Grande), later to become Glinda the Good Witch of the North. In their youth, they are simply roommates at Shiz, the sorcery university of record in Oz. Though they initially loathe one another, the two eventually form an unlikely friendship. Elphaba, born with green skin and different from all her fellow students, is concerned about Oz’s animal residents – once treated as equals to humans, but now increasingly muzzled and caged. She thinks taking her worries to the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) could help fix the animals’ marginalization, but when Elphaba makes her way to Oz, she discovers all that’s emerald does not glitter.

That’s the baseline, but there’s a lot more going on. “Wicked” clocks in at two hours and 40 minutes, after all, which is almost as long as the stage show – and this is just part one! The second half of the story is expected to hit theaters next November. Fans of the stage show are likely to rejoice at the expanded beats, with increased time devoted to Elphaba’s childhood and the show’s entertaining side characters. There’s even a few new Ozians and additional verses added to the popular showtunes, including a cameo-laden “One Short Day.” For those unfamiliar, the pace is such that the length is not overly felt – yes, the movie is longwinded, but its energy and opulence never bore.

The character work by Erivo and Grande is awards-worthy, with Grande easily entering the Oscar race as the Supporting Actress frontrunner. Jonathan Bailey plays the love interest Fiyero and proves in his first frame that he should be leading every possible romantic comedy in perpetuity. He’s as if Hugh Grant and Cary Grant had a love child, except even more charming and he can dance, so somehow he’s also a mold of Hugh Jackman and Gene Kelly.

In many ways, “Wicked” is a testament to old-fashioned filmmaking. While CGI is utilized to fill in some frames and animate the talking animals, practical effects and humongous sets were deployed for this $150 million production, and it is a constant feast for the eyes (and ears). It looks expensive, and while not quite as saturated as the Oz of Judy Garland, the pops of pink and, especially, green are doled out to effectively punctuate some of the most impactful numbers. In fact, as “Wicked” progresses, the color grading seems to get more saturated, more contrasted, darker. Whereas the skies are a near-cloudless light blue at the start, a stark crimson provides the backdrop of the Earth-shattering “Defying Gravity” closer – leaving the audience with a sense of foreboding wonder. The film literally loses its innocence as its progresses.

Elphaba’s disillusionment is the realization that the world is not what it seemed. While it is the hope that the strength can be summoned to “look toward the Western sky” and grab a broomstick, the appropriate rally song to accompany America’s current plight seems less assured.

The message of “Wicked” has been around for decades, but while some seemed to have gotten it after the first read, the first listen to the cast album or the first time seeing the show, others will – again – walk away from the film without the parallels so much as registering. I implore any viewer to imagine the world through another’s skin, and to take this openness with them through the movie.

The uncertainty of the future – perhaps the only certainty of life – requires a relentless optimism, even in the face of doom. When Erivo conjures up her full force, casting her expansive cape as an imposing shadow across Oz, the willpower absent for so many warriors – weary from a decade of sign-making and marching – is conjured anew.

“Wicked” may not have been made with the knowledge it would be released in the current global environment, but it certainly meets the moment.

Ariana Grande shines as Galinda in “Wicked.” (photo courtesy of Universal)