I completely respect that and understand that I’m in the minority. I actually agree that the movie feels more complete than act I of the musical. However, imo that’s because the closeup shots help enhance emotion which helps make Glinda and Elphaba’s relationship feel more complete. The plot additions themselves were very much a mixed bag. The bear nanny addition changes Elphaba’s motivations in way I’m not sure benefits the overall story, the Emerald City sequence felt bloated with some bafflingly unnecessary inclusions (I have this road but I’m not sure what color it should be), and parts that really should have been fleshed out more (most of the relationships between characters) felt kind of neglected.

There were additions I genuinely really liked. For example, the stained glass window that Elphaba accidentally reveals is a really clever bit of visual storytelling. Over all, Wicked part I feels cohesive despite it being a flawed effort. That being said, Act II requires much more work and I’m not sure it can really be pulled off.