The run time for “Depraved: Half 1″ is 2 hours and 40 minutes. And, you wouldn’t realize it from the advertising and marketing, however that’s solely the primary half of the story of Elphaba and Glinda and their respective journeys to turning into the nice and depraved witches of “The Wizard of Oz.”

It’s solely in latest days that I’ve heard the film referred to with its full title together with “Half 1.” I feel the studio executives should have realized they might be dealing with an viewers revolt if viewers went into the film anticipating to see the complete plot arc and solely bought half.

There’s priority for that rage. I’ll always remember attending to the tip of “The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” and realizing that I’d have to attend two extra motion pictures, and two extra years, for a satisfying conclusion. Within the theater, I yelled, “What do you imply?” at my pal who had learn the books and needed to patiently clarify to me how trilogies work.

Earlier than seeing “Depraved: Half 1,″ which opened at this time, I puzzled if the film producers may nonetheless have an viewers revolt on their fingers even with the “Half 1″ made very clear as a result of 2 hours and 40 minutes is an awfully very long time for one half of a narrative.

When my oldest daughter turned 11, I took her to see “Depraved” on Broadway. The complete runtime was 2 hours and 45 minutes, together with a 15-minute intermission throughout which we paid roughly 1,000,000 {dollars} for a water bottle and field of Junior Mints. We each liked the present and have been swept up within the magic of stay theater however agreed 20 to 40 minutes might be shaved from the present. Not all the songs have been bops, and never all have been crucial.

So I went into “Depraved: Half 1″ curious to see if and the way the film earned its size, on condition that the Broadway present clocked in simply 5 minutes over one half of the film and nonetheless had some fats to chop. I used to be skeptical that it might earn that runtime. And I used to be anticipating to get slightly bored, like I had within the play.

However my goodness: “Depraved: Half 1″ charmed me. I wasn’t bored for a single second.

Even the sleeper songs have been so visually partaking that I didn’t thoughts a number of melancholy melodies right here and there. I ought to have recognized that the movie was in additional than succesful fingers with John M. Chu, who made “Loopy Wealthy Asians,” which is the one film I’ve ever completed after which instantly stated, “I need to watch it once more,” as a result of it was such a blast to look at the primary time.

It seems that not a penny of the $145 million finances was wasted. The set, replete with 9 million tulips, is so detailed, so wealthy and so inviting, I actually felt as if I used to be bodily within the land of Oz.

Each actor offers their all and I really feel horrible for ever doubting Ariana Grande as a performer. Now I feel we have to give her an Oscar. And we have to give one to Cynthia Erivo, as nicely. The entire solid, most likely. If their vocal performances pale compared to the Broadway performances, I didn’t discover. I used to be too distracted by how a lot enjoyable I used to be having.

I might have watched one other hour. Perhaps two. And so might my daughter, who’s now 12, and liked the movie simply as a lot as I did.

I ponder if the powers that be ought to have simply gone forward and added that different hour and alter and made this an additional lengthy movie with the complete story. As a result of all the most effective songs are within the first half. And, if my reminiscence serves from seeing the play, all the nice story is within the first half, too. As soon as my daughter and I had completed the Junior Mints, we have been prepared for issues to wrap up, and the present dragged a music or two too lengthy.

“Depraved” is projected to earn greater than $100 million simply this weekend. So I perceive the enchantment of breaking the story into two. Why earn a whole bunch of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} as soon as, when you could possibly make that a lot twice?

I simply don’t suppose there will likely be a lot left for the second half, and audiences may be disenchanted. There may be a revolt.

However my expectations have been improper for Half 1, so perhaps they’re improper for Half 2. And I’ll be delighted if in a 12 months I’m bewitched and dazzled once more.

If my expectations aren’t improper and Half 2 is simply watchable for the time it takes to eat a field of Junior Mints, a minimum of Half 1 will stand as an exciting and satisfying cinematic expertise. And sure, I need to watch it once more.

“Depraved: Half 1″ is rated PG for “some scary motion, thematic materials and temporary suggestive materials.”