After a year's wait, the second half of the movie musical “Wicked” has been released. “Wicked: For Good” has a title paying homage to the most famous song in the second part of the musical, and unfortunately, this song might be one of the only memorable songs from the second act of “Wicked.”
The plot picks up right after the end of the first film, and concerns Elphaba, the “Wicked Witch of The West” as she attempts to lead a pro-animal revolution while evading the dictatorship of the “Wonderful” Wizard of Oz. Meanwhile, her old school friend Glinda “The Good” has become a pawn in the wizard’s regime.
For people who haven’t already seen any production of “Wicked,” the most interesting part of this film may be the origin stories of several characters from “The Wizard of Oz” and some potential plot twists. This adaptation provides even more lore about characters like The Cowardly Lion, and more glimpses of Dorothy than are available in stage productions of “Wicked.”
Yet, for those familiar with the musical, it’s hard to anticipate exciting points in the film knowing that there are only one or two big showstopping songs or moments in this second act.
It is also difficult to pinpoint the main idea of this film; is it Elphaba’s attempt to bring justice to Oz, her potential romance with Fiyero or her complicated friendship with Glinda? It feels like the plot jumps around from point to point, and not in the most compelling way.
While the opening of the first “Wicked” film is thrilling and features an exciting musical number, the start of “Wicked: For Good” isn’t as fascinating, setting an unfortunate tone for the rest of the film.
Some standout musical numbers include the titular show closer “For Good,” “Wonderful” and “As Long as You’re Mine.” The latter from that list provides a surprisingly mature scene in the film, and brings some sexy intrigue to an otherwise family friendly musical.
Overall, though, the film features an exhausting number of reprises from the first act, and two new songs written by Stephen Schwartz, the same man behind the original songs, that don’t add much to the story aside from character development. Additionally, if a viewer is expecting to see the acrobatic group choreography present in the first film, they will likely be surprised to see this film has about none of that; no “Dancing Through Life” here.
The film’s biggest issue is trying to fit enough plot into 137 minutes, considering that the original musical’s second act is closer to 60 minutes. Scenes concerning animal rights, a wedding and the intense friendship between the two main characters are all added in to expand the film’s runtime. Added scenes made sense in the first part, which had eleven songs and not as much runtime to fill, but considering that this act has slightly fewer songs with shorter lengths, there is too much exposition padding out “Wicked: For Good.”
Of course, the film has several highlights. The costumes are just as fun as any viewer would expect, and each character is dressed as whimsically and elaborately as possible. Scenes set in the emerald city and Elphaba’s forest hideout are enchanting to view, and make for wonderful world building.
There are even humorous bits sprinkled throughout, and characters like Jeff Goldblum’s corrupt yet bizarre Wizard add in extra laughs. And, as anticipated, there are definitely moments where Cynthia Erivo’s vocal prowess shines, as does Ariana Grande’s.
As many could’ve guessed from their two year press tour, the onscreen chemistry between the two leads is palpable. This is another one of the highlights of this film, and the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda gives the franchise a sweet and inspiring female-centered feel. Whether the two are singing, fighting or holding hands, the bond between the two of them is the beating heart of the story. This also makes the final number a tear jerker, and while the end of the film is drawn out, it’s ultimately a worthy conclusion to an epic two-part film.
Nadia Brach is the senior features editor and can be reached at nadia.brach@ubspectrum.com
