The running time for ‘Wicked: Part 1’ is 2 hours and 40 minutes. And you wouldn’t know it from the marketing, but that’s just the first half of the story of Elphaba and Glinda and their respective journeys to become the good and evil witches of “The Wizard of Oz.”

Only in the last few days have I heard the film being mentioned by its full title, including ‘Part 1’. I think the studio executives must have realized that they would face an audience uprising if viewers went to the movie expecting to see the entire storyline and only got half of it.

There is priority for that anger. I will never forget getting to the end of “The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” and realizing that I would have to wait two more films and two more years for a satisfying conclusion. In the theater I shouted, ‘What do you mean?’ to my friend who had read the books and had to patiently explain to me how trilogies work.

Before I saw “Wicked: Part 1,” which premiered today, I wondered if the film’s producers might still be in for an audience uprising even if “Part 1” was made very clear, because 2 hours and 40 minutes is very long for one half of a story.

When my oldest daughter turned eleven, I took her to see “Wicked” on Broadway. The entire running time was 2 hours and 45 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission during which we paid about a million dollars for a water bottle and a box of Junior Mints. We both loved the show and were swept up in the magic of live theater, but agreed that a good 20 to 40 minutes could be shaved off the show. Not all the songs were bops, and not all of them were necessary.

So I went to see ‘Wicked: Part 1’, curious to see if and how the film earned its length, considering that the Broadway show clocked in at just five minutes over half the film and still had some fat to trim was. I was skeptical that it would earn that runtime. And I expected to be a little bored, like in the play.

But my goodness, “Wicked: Part 1” charmed me. I wasn’t bored for a second.

Even the sleep songs were so visually appealing that I didn’t mind a few melancholic melodies here and there. I should have known that the film was in more than capable hands with John M. Chu, who made “Crazy Rich Asians,” the only film I ever finished, and then immediately said, “I want to watch it again.” ‘Because it was so amazing to see the first time.

It appears that not a cent of the $145 million budget has been wasted. The set, filled with nine million tulips, is so detailed, so rich and so inviting that I really felt like I was physically in the land of Oz.

Every actor gives their all and I feel terrible if I ever doubt Ariana Grande as a performer. Now I think we should give her an Oscar. And we have to give one to Cynthia Erivo too. Probably the entire cast. If their vocal performances pale in comparison to the Broadway performances, I didn’t notice. I was too distracted by how much fun I was having.

I could have watched another hour. Maybe two. And so did my daughter, who is now twelve and loved the movie as much as I did.

I wonder if the powers that be should have just gone ahead and added that other hour and change and made it an extra long movie with the full story. Because the best songs are in the first half. And when I’ve seen the play, all the good story is in the first half. When my daughter and I finished the Junior Mints, we were ready to wrap things up, and the show went on a few songs too long.

“Wicked” is expected to earn more than $100 million this weekend. So I understand the appeal of splitting the story in half. Why make hundreds of millions of dollars once when you could make that much twice?

I just don’t think there will be much left for the second half, and the audience may be disappointed. An uprising could break out.

But my expectations for Part 1 were wrong, so maybe they’ll be wrong for Part 2, too. And I’ll be happy when I’m enchanted and dazzled again in a year.

If my expectations aren’t wrong and Part 2 is only watchable for the time it takes to eat a box of Junior Mints, Part 1 will at least be an exciting and satisfying cinematic experience. And yes, I want to watch it again.

‘Wicked: Part 1’ is rated PG for “some scary action, thematic material and brief suggestive material.”