Wicked: For Good Is Less Thrillifying Than Wicked, But It Still Delivers Shining Moments

Wicked: For Good has stellar performances and shining moments in an otherwise grim Act II, and it is far less thrillifying than Wicked.

In April 2022, director Jon M. Chu announced that Wicked would be split into two movies. He stated that “it became increasingly clear that it would be impossible to wrestle the story of Wicked into a single film without doing some real damage to it.”

Ironically, after seeing the final product of Wicked: For Good, I think splitting the movie into two films actually did more damage than keeping it one movie would have.

Wicked has the climactic reveal that Wicked: For Good picks up from. It isn’t technically a sequel; it’s a continuation. That’s why the second film feels so flat. Elphaba defying the Wizard and going her own way is the electrifying part of Wicked.

The rest of the story is…the rest of the story.

Wicked: For Good doesn’t live up to the hype that Wicked left us with. The opening sequence sets the tone for the entire film, playing catch-up and showing us what the characters have been up to, and leading to a finale that is far less grand than what the end of Act I was.

Each scene feels like the audience is following its own yellow brick road. It is long and winding, often surrounded by vast nothingness, with key scenes that bring a bit of life to the story but are followed by even longer roads, leading us to the end.

Splitting Wicked into two films makes it a less compelling, compact story. In the original Broadway show, Acts 1 and 2 were divided by a brief intermission. Wicked and Wicked: For Good were divided by one year.

While Wicked: For Good doesn’t feel as exciting as Wicked, it still has shining moments and performances from the cast.

Wicked’s main focus was on Elphaba and her story. Wicked: For Good places us inside Glinda’s bubble and takes us on her journey. If it wasn’t already written in the stars that Ariana Grande was made to play this role, Wicked: For Good is the shining proof.

She’s funny, sensible, kind, and a bit sassy. Glinda’s journey teaches us that just because you get everything you’ve ever wanted, it doesn’t mean you get what you need—and achieving what may be perceived as your dreams may not fill a void inside.

Glinda’s void was the lack of feeling understood and the earnestness to do good. However, she’s managed to find herself involved in a corrupt system, and the one person who does understand her is being ostracized by the system she’s “gladly” a part of.

Grande shines—or, sparkles—as Glinda from the emotion she evokes in her acting to the emotion she brings when she sings.

Elphaba is even firmer in her stance in Act II, and Cynthia Erivo’s strong vocals match her strong presence on screen.

When Grande and Erivo are opposite each other in certain scenes, the story of Wicked feels more complete. Their scenes together are too few and far between, but at least they enable us to explore other relationships in the film.

Ethan Slater transforms from an understanding Boq to an angry Tin Man, and we witness Nessarose’s misguided anger cost her two important relationships, and ultimately, her life.

Jeff Goldblum is a perfect Wizard of Oz, playing his nonchalance perfectly.

Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero is nothing short of dashing and swoon-worthy, especially when he follows Elphaba into the woods.

My issue with Fiyero’s journey is that when Elphaba sings “No Good Deed,” we don’t get a good look at his transformation into the Scarecrow.

Not only that, but he’s missing during an important scene where Boq and the Cowardly Lion are facing Ozians, yelling about the Wicked Witch.

We don’t see his Scarecrow until the end, when he lets Elphaba out of the basement. It feels like a waste of his presence. As an audience, I think we deserved to see how he would react to the hatred Elphaba receives as the Scarecrow and not as Fiyero.

Wicked: For Good may not live up to the expectations set in Wicked, but the performances from the cast make up for the slow pacing and overall lackluster story.

At least now the franchise is concluded, maybe not for the better, but for good.

—

Have you seen Wicked: For Good yet? Let us know your thoughts on the film in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!

 

Wicked: For Good is currently playing in theaters.

Follow us on X and on Instagram!
Like us on Facebook!