Wicked: For Good Casts a Much Darker but Emotionally Resonant Final Spell
Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures
By Luis Zonenberg
The Broadway stage musical Wicked cast an enchanted spell on audiences of all ages, providing a humorous but also thought-provoking story which made it a runaway hit! It made sense to not only do a film adaptation of the musical, but a two-parter that covers both acts in full. Wicked: Part One garnered heavy acclaim from critics and audiences alike, earning over $750 million and a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars. Part Two has finally arrived in theaters and since I covered the first one last year, it only made sense to finish it off by covering this one as well.
The story picks up one year after the first film, with Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo), now being branded as the Wicked Witch of the West, continuing to battle for animal rights amidst the growing propaganda campaign from Emerald City. Meanwhile, Prince Fiyero (Johnathan Bailey) has been promoted to Captain of the Gale Force and leads a search party for Elphaba. His secret love for her forces him to rethink where his loyalties lie, especially for Glinda (Ariana Grande) who not only serves as the spokesperson for the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) but is also Fiyero’s fiancée!
The story is much more emotional and darker than its predecessor, doing its best to tie up as many loose threads as possible. The movie has difficulty trying to successfully conclude the story while simultaneously setting the stage for the events in The Wizard of Oz to unfold. The film also feels weirdly rushed, dashing through some really complex and interesting scenes far too quickly, leaving little breathing room for the audience.
Thankfully, the film’s focus on the widespread propaganda and scapegoating of the Wicked Witch more than makes up for the rushed pacing. These timely themes are very prevalent, showing a unique perspective on how stories can be twisted for one’s own gain. This truly feeds off of what the previous film set up, with the ending solidifying how propaganda can generate such a powerful force that its story can never truly die, thus forcing the harsh reality to remain in the shadows.
The cast also works really well here, with Ariana Grande showing impressive dramatic chops! She continues to work well off of Erivo and Bailey, with her playful attitude slowly fading as her character matures into the one audiences are more familiar with. Erivo also shines bright as Elphaba Thropp, with her blunt demeanor and charming performance working well off of Grande and the rest of her co-stars. Johnathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Marissa Bode, and Ethan Slater also anchor the film with their supporting roles.
The production is just as grand and elegant as its predecessor, probably since both were filmed back-to-back. The cinematography makes it look especially large in scale on the big screen, especially when some of the more bombastic musical numbers begin to play. The overall color palette and visual aesthetic felt slightly more vibrant, despite the film’s darker story. It strays from the first film’s more muted color palette, possibly in an attempt to imitate some of the original Wizard of Oz’s visual aesthetic.
The makeup and hair design is just as good as its predecessor, though I felt the VFX weren’t as strong. Some of the CGI on the animals and backgrounds felt more softer this time around, making it not feel as smooth and lush as in the previous film. Oftentimes, the practical set pieces blended in nicely with the CGI characters and backdrops. In fact, the amount of expression and emotion displayed in the animals was quite breathtaking and made it feel more realistic, or at least as realistic as the world of Oz can be.
The film was based off of Act II of the Broadway musical, with some minor changes added in such as the two new songs, “No Place Like Home” and “The Girl in the Bubble.” The former does little to add anything truly substantial to the story, though the latter song felt like a good showcase for Glinda’s character. It showed her struggling with her self-obsession and finally abandoning the focus on her growing popularity, truly changing for the better.
Overall, the film seems to struggle under its own weight and does its best to accomplish as much as possible in its fairly short runtime. The movie is shorter than the previous film by almost half an hour and I feel this one could have benefitted from some extra time to allow for a better transition for each scene. As it is though, the film still offers plenty of emotional stakes and visual splendor for fans of all ages to enjoy. Its darker approach and rushed storyline may leave some wanting more, but fans of Wicked should find that the film’s stunning visuals and emotional performances will certainly change them For Good.
Wicked: For Good is now playing in theaters.
Rating: ★★★ ½ of five
