After a year long intermission, Wicked: For Good flies in with more action in this highly anticipated second act. Wicked part two pulls back the emerald curtain, and all of The Wizard’s machinations are on display. Thankfully, most of the silliness of part one was left behind at Shiz. The action filled opening does a great job reorienting to director Jon M. Chu’s vivid vision of Oz which remains sparse on CGI and well designed.
All is not well in the land of Oz though; the Animals have lost all standing in society, eerie propaganda seems to run like one of the Wizards magical machines. Elphaba is mostly alone-outcast as the Wicked Witch, fighting for the Animals and to prove that The Wizard is a fraud. Glinda is in a bubble of what looks like happiness, but even her power of making the best of things isn’t enough to make it true.
Wicked: For Good feels like a seamless continuation, thanks to relatively consecutive filming. The mood is darker, and part two is less high school teen dramedy than part one, making it-for me- the better of the two. It’s not perfect. I appreciate Wicked as two separate films, allowing time to develop the characters and deepen the story. But, too little of that extra time was given to develop the villains at the heart of so much conflict. Madame Morrible (played by Michelle Yeoh) is even more loath able, but I’m left wondering her reasons. Morrible is good at her bad acts, but the manipulative mentor seems to lack a deeper purpose than cruelty. If we’re taking some liberties in the movie to deepen character arc and back stories, Morrible didn’t get enough.
The Wizard (played by Jeff Goldblum) also falls a bit flat. The Wizard is dapper, and casually cruel, but could have more swagger. The connection between his paternalistic ideas and his motives isn’t very clear. He seems to be just an old lonely drunk afraid of Morrible. Goldblum didn’t muster much more than that after a playful performance of the song “Wonderful” until the very end. Both villains felt a bit under baked.
The rest of Wicked: For Good is mostly Golden.
The bright and visually stimulating landscape of Emerald City and Munchkinland, colorful fields of tulips, excellent costumes and elaborate set design help make for an immersive experience. Good choreography continues to support the storytelling, notably the soldiers on the steps of the castle in “Every Day More Wicked”. As with the first installment, the songs are excellent, revealing Elphaba (played by Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda’s (played by Ariana Grande) challenges with the consequences of their actions, especially “Thank Goodness” and “No Good Deed”. The magical fantasy’s conclusion is thorough and doesn’t ignore the stage play in terms of music and overall plot.
Much of Elphaba’s transformations took place in part one, but in part two, she begins to believe in herself more, and still chooses to be true to herself. She gets a chic costume upgrade, too, reflecting her as a warrior and no longer a kid. Prince Fiyero (played by Jonathan Bailey) learns that life isn’t just a dance, choosing to follow his heart and fights for love. Glinda finally sees that what looks perfect on the outside may be the veneer of something wicked. She accepts that her bubble of happiness is a lie; the wankified suite in the castle and the actual bubble carriage are more of a cage. Like her Glinda the Good facade, there’s manipulation behind her relationship with Fiyero. It takes time and pain before she decides to
live her truth, but you know it when you see it. It’s a triumphant, roseate moment where Glinda changes the rules. You know that Emerald City will soon be in the pink.
Truth and honesty are what sets these characters free. Some don’t learn the lesson in time, like Nessarose (played by Marissa Bode) whose abandonment issues get the better of her, and Boq (played by Ethan Slater) who struggles to take a stand.
Love triangle aside, Glinda and Elphaba are both that girl. They still love and fight for each other showing that their friendship is the strongest bond. Wicked and Wicked: For Good acknowledges the classic Wizard of Oz story, while doing what this adaptation does so well-giving interesting backstories to classic characters and imagining them through a different perspective. Wicked: For Good also lightly reflects on some parallels that are easy to spot in the real world-belonging and harsh treatment of those who don’t fit; Pitfalls of authoritarianism, lessons on being genuine and knowing that goodness and beauty are beyond skin deep. It’s a wickedly good conclusion that has been worth that wait.
I rate this film a (3.5/4) 🍿 In theaters November 21st….
