Wicked: For Good

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Wicked: For Good is the sequel to Wicked (2024) and an adaptation of the final act of the Broadway musical of the same name. This feature is set years after Elphaba spirited away with the Grimmerie, and she is still fighting for the rights of the animals of Oz. Glinda has become a voice and puppet of the Wizard and Morrible's propaganda machine. There is considerable discord in Oz, and tensions are poised to boil over...

The second act of Wicked delves deeper into the themes of this take on the world of Oz. One of the big ones is how Elphaba is a force for good and justice. Within the very opening minutes of the film, we see our protagonist witch comes to the defence of some of the animals of Oz. Elphaba has been ostracised from her homeland in her efforts to do the right thing, and it's a very isolating struggle. Yet, across the film, she strives to do the right thing by Oz, making efforts to see it change for the better. At the same time, it's interesting to see this take on the Wizard and his main supporter, Madame Morrible, and how they govern Oz. It is a world where those in charge maintain control thinly, through lies and turning people against one another. Watching Glinda be placed as a puppet for this purpose is interesting, and the effect it has on the friendship between Glinda and Elphaba is quite tragic as well. Watching this strong bond from the first film be tested and strained is what I found most compelling in this sequel. The culmination in our leading protagonists eventually having to diverge from one another as they sing 'For Good' is quite a decent emotional beat.

Jon M. Chu is a director whom I often enjoy; one key reason being that the man knows how to capture a vivid colour palette. This film can pop with colour in one scene, swirl with firelight in another and dance in the shadows at other times. Chu showcases the point of musical film adaptation and takes the show to a new visual frontier with confidence. The special effects we see don't feel misused (except for that de-aged Goldblum shot). I loved the flight sequences with Elphaba, Glinda's bubble and the CGI animal creatures. While I don't think this film held songs that will stay with me afterwards, they carried strong weight for the moments they were performed. I also loved 'For Good' as I previously mentioned, but 'No Good Deed' is an easy crowd favourite.

Cynthia Erivo, who played Elphaba, is an incredible lead who plays the struggle of a land against her well; Erivo is so righteous and hurt across For Good which is a darker edge that serves well. Jeff Goldblum, who played The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, is a bit more whimsical and comedic in this one; I think you get a good chance to see how he schemes and tries to manipulate others here. Michelle Yeoh, who played Madame Morrible, might struggle with the singing, but she dominates with her performance; Yeoh is a fearsome antagonist. Jonathan Bailey, who played Fiyero, is rather conflicted and brooding here; I enjoyed seeing Bailey choose to fight for his values over his status. Bowen Yang, who played Pfannee, clearly gets to adlib in his short time a bit more; Yang being allowed to flex his comedy makes an impact this time around.

However, the best performance came from Ariana Grande, who played Glinda. I feel like watching the Wicked films is like watching a surprising transformation when it comes to Grande. Already in the first film, I found she challenged my expectations quite a bit. But in the sequel, I would say she commands the screen for most of the feature. Here, Glinda plays to the crowd; she is a bright, charismatic force used to keep the Wizard in power. I often found myself impressed with the little breaks in the facade that Grande delivered, those vulnerable moments of regret Glinda carried with her. It has to be said that Grande and Erivo together are wonderful; the dynamic they share only serves to lift this movie up at every turn. I also loved the moments of heartbreak for Glinda, Grande plays Fiyero abandoning her and parting ways with Elphaba forever in such a tragic way. I found some serious satisfaction and elation at the ending. Grande's Glinda becomes a sort of symbol for hope and change for the better. This role has been phenomenal for Ariana Grande, and I don't think I could possibly underestimate her as an actress going forward.

This film never really stops feeling quite busy, and even downright scattered at times. In all honesty, a lot of the issues in the second act of the show are blown up larger than ever here. The way this story tries to dart around The Wizard of Oz and weave it all together actually serves to make the whole thing confusing. There are whole scenes that just don't really work because of this. Time jumps around in this movie quite a bit, between the two films and across this movie too. The result is a film that just doesn't always have pacing working for it. I really struggled with some of the major romance storylines in this feature; putting Elphaba, Glinda and Fiyero into a love triangle just infantilised the quality of the story. I also think the Boq, Nessarose and Glinda thing got a bit long in the tooth and is a subplot that struggles at the best of times.

The music as a whole works, as I mentioned previously, but the songs won't stay with you for long after the film, beyond a couple of major players. What I really couldn't stand were the two new original songs developed for this film. Both come off as quite out of place and only serve to push out the film longer than it needs to be.

Ethan Slater, who played Boq, is a performer who just feels like an afterthought; I didn't much care for Slater's transition into the Tin Man at all. Marissa Bode, who played Nessarose, really lets herself down in this sequel; Bode's role had no harder edge to it, which is the one thing that really feels lacking. Colman Domingo, who voiced The Cowardly Lion, isn't really a role we needed to serve time as a character; Domingo is entirely unimpressionable as the Lion. Bronwyn James, who played Shenshen, is still stuck in the background; the need for her to play entourage has been and gone by this point. Scarlett Spears, who played Young Galinda, just doesn't quite have the range to land an emotional beat yet; Spears' younger take is a pretty shallow take on our leading role.

It might not be as strong as the first film, but it is an ending that hits most of the right notes. I would give Wicked: For Good a 7.5/10.