WHAT’S IT ABOUT

Now demonized as the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba lives in exile in the Ozian forest, while Glinda resides at the palace in Emerald City, reveling in the perks of fame and popularity. As an angry mob rises against the Wicked Witch, she’ll need to reunite with Glinda to transform herself, and all of Oz, for good.

MOVIESinMO REVIEW

As you exit the original “Wicked” movie, you are still exhilarated from the magnificent “Defying Gravity” performance. You are humming, you’re elated, and, truth be told, you’re wondering how they can follow that. “Wicked For Good” doesn’t try to exceed the first film, but tells a totally different, sadder, darker, and more complicated story. Let me be real with you: this movie is a straight-up sequel. You absolutely need to watch the first one before sitting down for this. Both movies were filmed back-to-back, so this second half picks up the story like you never left Oz. And that’s exactly what you want from a good two-part film. It is clear that Director Jon M. Chu is well aware of what he is doing by reuniting every character that you loved and expanding upon a story that could have been very simple and basic. We start with Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo, who is living in the world as a fugitive, now known as the “Wicked Witch of the West,” with the Wizard of Oz and his people consistently trying to find her and killing people every chance they get. This is especially prevalent when they are constructing the yellow brick road. Glinda, played by Ariana Grande, has now become the source of goodness in Oz, with her fancy dresses and her pink bubble carrying her around, as such a large number of people actually love her. This complicates things, as Glinda cares about Elphaba, even if everyone thinks she is evil. She’s caught between two worlds, and you can see it eating her alive. The heart of this whole story is the friendship between these two women. In the first movie, we watched them meet and bond. Now we’re watching that bond break apart in the worst possible way. They want different things. Elphaba wants to tell everyone that the Wizard is a fraud and free the animals he’s been keeping as slaves. Glinda believes in reforming social realities from within, believing she can affect change while still existing in the safety of in-group privilege. This is a collision that feels authentic and a collision that matters, particularly while watching two women of color carry such burdening histories. In that same vein, all I can say is that Cynthia Erivo is, no question, going to win all the awards. She portrays Elphaba’s suffering, her rage, her moment of perplexity, all of it. When she sings “No Good Deed,” your chest constricts. When she realizes she’s losing everything in her fight against the Wizard, including her best friend, you feel that loss. Erivo makes you believe that Elphaba is not wicked at all; she is just trying to do the right thing in a world that won’t allow her to. Ariana Grande also shines, especially when Glinda starts figuring out that the person she’s been following might be running a scam. She’s brighter in the funny moments, but when things get heavy, she brings the drama. The movie looks incredible. Nathan Crawley’s production design, Alice Brooks’ cinematography, and Paul Tazewell’s costumes all come together to create a world of Oz that, while magical, also feels real: the colors are bright without being too fake. Oz is not simply a beautiful setting; the characters inhabit it. It feels real all around you, especially when you see the darkness of Oz, the factories, and the enslaved creatures building the yellow brick road. And now the music. Stephen Schwartz wrote two new songs for this film, which are fine. They’re perfectly fine. But they’re just not “Defying Gravity.” And that’s the problem. The first film had songs that grabbed you immediately; they were catchy, they meant something, and they stuck with you. In “Wicked For Good,” the music works okay for the story, but sometimes it gets in the way of things moving forward. The climactic duet “For Good,” where Elphaba and Glinda finally sing together again, is probably the strongest number. It hits home because it encompasses everything that these two characters have experienced together. The supporting ensemble is also worth mentioning. Jeff Goldblum’s Wizard receives significantly more screen time this time and portrays the character with the appropriate amount of charm and creepiness. Michelle Yeoh also steals all of her moments as Madame Morrible, the puppetmaster behind it all. Jonathan Bailey returns as Fiyero, though his character gets more serious this time, which makes him less fun than he was in the first film. His big moment happens too late and doesn’t land the way it should. Still, he and Erivo share some powerful scenes together. Here’s something I appreciated: the film doesn’t forget about the original “Wizard of Oz” story. Dorothy appears, but we never actually see her face. The camera practically refuses to capture her in focus. The flying monkeys, the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man— they arrive, and the sight of them stirring into action like this is really thrilling. The movie honors the classic while flipping everything upside down. The breathless pacing is consistently breathless. Once things start moving quickly, they simply don’t stop. The film knows when to slow down for emotional moments and when to push forward with action. There’s a scene in particular where the camera moves through Glinda’s room and mirrors, and it’s one of the most creative shots Chu has done in either film. These little touches show that he’s thinking carefully about how to tell this story visually. But here’s my main complaint: the second act of the original stage musical has always been considered weaker than the first act. Fewer memorable songs, less energy, a feeling that things are winding down. The movie adaptation deals with that as best as it can, but the problem still exists. “Wicked For Good” gives us a good ending, but it’s not the showstopper we got when the first film ended. Some people will find that disappointing. Still, if you loved “Wicked,” you need to see this. The story of these two women and how their friendship handles betrayal, politics, and good versus evil—that matters. The film also carries a message about fascism, propaganda, and standing up for what’s right, even when it costs you everything. That’s not a small thing. “Wicked For Good” wraps up a two-part story that probably won’t be matched anytime soon. It doesn’t carry quite as heavy an emotional punch as the first film, but it is deserving of merit. Erivo and Grande act as a reminder that we should continue to show up for these large musicals. The world of Oz that has been created with all of its color, darkness, and magic lingers after the credits roll. This is a movie that elicits emotions, and that’s becoming increasingly uncommon. But if you have a nice movie theater in your proximity, go see it on a large screen! Don’t watch it at home on a small television. There are some kinds of movies that simply need to be viewed the way the filmmakers intended: huge, colorful, and inside a packed audience where everyone around you cares about the story in the same way you do.

OUR RATING – A HEARTFELT 8