Those of us who have seen the play have known this for years (and I say this as a fan), the second half of Wicked has never been as good as the first meaning Wicked: For Good is just alright.
Wicked For Good Review
Movie goers are about to discover what us theater fans have known for years, Wicked's second half is not as strong as its first. Gone is the seriously silly and whimsical feeling. The most popular songs (Popular, Defying Gravity) have been sung and what we are left with is something serious as Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) forms a resistance to the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). Everyone else, like Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), are forced to choose a side. And if you know the Wizard of Oz you know exactly where all this is leading. Being tonally darker and reliant on connecting the dots may feel jarring to some but at least it is slightly shorter than Wicked. (Although the two films together run 297 minutes which is far longer than the play even accounting for intermission.)
For the casual moviegoer, that total runtime is exhausting, and let's face it, For Good works better if you recently have watched Wicked. Still, I know there are people out there who wanted the whole story last year and have been anxiously waiting for the sequel. If you're in that camp then this is likely exactly what you want. The more the better for you and I can get that. I was in that camp for Infinity War and Endgame. But I also know there are plenty of people that weren't completely sold on Wicked and For Good won't change their minds. The talent is there especially with Erivo, but it lacks, ironically, the magic to make it soar. The world is beautifully crafted but it feels like a set and not like a place where we can be transported to while we watch. It looks like a stage production, and again I love live theater, but this is a movie so I expected more blurring of the lines between reality and fiction.
After a time jump, we find that the Wizard (Goldblum) has used Glinda (Grande) to convince the people of Oz that Elphaba (Erivo) is the wicked witch. Exiled to the woods, Elphaba has been plotting to overthrow the Wizard and expose his nefarious and fake ways, while saving the sentient Animals who are forgetting how to talk. A battle will take place, Elphaba's sister will become wicked, characters will transform into cowardly lions and scarecrows, oh and of course Dorothy will make a (distant) appearance. It's a serious story, with very little fun to be found, since everyone makes themselves unhappy as friend turns against friend for the sake of the drama.
Although For Good is darker than Part One, sometimes literally which is frustrating but I digress, director Jon M. Chu clearly had fun with the transformations sequences of the characters who become Dorothy's friends. It veers the film into the realm of body horror making for some exciting moments. Ethan Slater's Boq goes from munchkin to a snarling Tin Man and Bailey's Fiyero morphs into the Scarecrow (which honestly made me laugh but I'm sure is horrifying to some). Other standout moments will be No Good Deed and the lair of Elphaba which looks like something out of Lord of the Rings or Legend of Zelda. Plus amongst the broodiness of it all there is some light, with Chu outdoing the opulence of the wedding in Crazy Rich Asians during Glinda's party.
In keeping with the tradition of its predecessors, For Good also has something political to say about the times it is being presented in. The original 1900 “The Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum was about the Populist movement in America with the 1939 movie sticking to those themes of equality and distrust of those in power. Wicked, the 1995 book by Gregory Maguire, was partly inspired by the Gulf War. And when Wicked was turned into a stage musical in 2003, it reflected on September 11 and the invasion of Iraq. Those previous works seemed to be more daring with their pointed fingers while the film adaptation plays it safe. Sure there are songs about creatures being stripped of their rights (and voices) and the allegorical qualities are obvious, but that's it. The songs and speeches about the animals and people of Oz are lovely but the subjects themselves are simply background characters whose purpose is to fill out the crowd or sing the chorus. Chu scaling back isn't necessarily a bad thing though. Honestly, our world is exhausting enough most days, I want to escape that when I go to the movies.
Erivo and Grande are excellent together, really capturing the contradicting emotions and complicated relationship Glinda and Elphaba have with each other. When they share the screen whether it is as enemies, best friends, or just allies they light it up. Bailey also gets a fair amount of time with them and does his best, although the chemistry is lacking between him and his two love interests. The first film you could feel the tension between him and Elphaba but this time around he's mostly just there. And as much as I adore Michelle Yeoh, her Madame Morrible remains just ok. Colman Domingo is wasted as the Cowardly Lion, which again is a shame because I like both Colman and the Lion from the original Wizard of Oz.
Verdict
Wicked: For Good is just alright my pretties. But again, this should come as no surprise to those who are fans of the beloved stage musical. It's darker (literally and emotionally), with songs that are well composed but nothing to write home about. It's a little too self-serious, especially given that is about a world filled with Munchkins, talking animals, flying monkeys, etc. Dual leads Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are electric together, selling the pain that is finding yourself at odds with the person that means the most to you in the world. Fans of the first movie are likely to still enjoy For Good but anyone who was on the fence or thought Part One was just ok… well this one won't be changing any minds.
Wicked: For Good is now playing in theaters. It is rated PG for action/violence, some suggestive material and thematic material with a runtime of 2 hours and 18 minutes.
Leave a Reply