Wicked: For Good Review
Not as fun, nor as effective, as the first film - this sequel has moments of grandeur but is bogged down by its source material and its length.
After the events of the last film, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is on the run from the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum). She’s busy fighting the good fight for the animals, but her former best friend Glinda (Ariana Grande) is busy as the mouthpiece for the government oppressing them. When Elphaba finds out that her former flame, Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), is on the verge of marrying Glinda, Elphaba returns to make a final stand; kicking off a confrontation that will intersect with a young girl from Oz.
Wicked: For Good continues the sensation of the stage show, and the first movie that was such a hit only a year ago, and brings the world of Oz back to the big screen. It carries on the story very similarly to the second half of the stage show, with a couple of minor additions.
The stage show always has the issue of not having a Defying Gravity level banger in it, and this film too misses its predecessors iconic tune. It also misses a lot of the fun and the energy of the first movie, because here the film really leans into its political overtones but in a way that feels quite disjointed and disconnected (when compared with the first movies linkages).
There are a range of glaring issues. Michelle Yeoh and Goldblum are both significantly miscast, and Yeoh in particular seems to miss all the nuance with the material. Some creative choices are also baffling - the scarecrow’s makeup is abhorrent, and the de-ageing on the Wizard completely unnecessary. The lion, too, feels like a missed opportunity.
But what is most missing is the fun. This movie is a LOT more serious than the original, and while that is consistent with the show, it really makes this long second part quite a slog.
That being said, there are things to love about this movie. If you liked the first, there’s plenty more of the same set design, costuming, visuals and character interactions that will bring you the same feeling. The Tin Man has amazing makeup and character design. And there is a real sense of grandeur to the movie.
And then there are the two standout elements - Erivo and Grande. The casting in the original was impeccable, and it remains iconic here. Both completely and utterly deliver in the roles they have made their own. And watching them sing duets is irresistibly engaging.
At the end of the day, this juggernaut of a film is going to go gangbusters. But one wishes it was a little tighter, and a little better and more focussed.
