Not all aspects are handled well. However, the beating center of the Wicked for Good remains ever-present, moving, and dynamic.
Wicked for Good is the sequel and finale to Wicked. Overall, it’s an amazing sequel that drives home the heart of the film—Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship. The more time it spends there, the more it comes to vibrant life. Not all aspects are handled well. However, the beating center of the Wicked for Good remains ever-present, moving, and dynamic.
Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In The Heights) returns to direct the sequel. Based on the musical by Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz, adapted from the books by Gregory Maguire, the sequel features the return of Cynthia Erivo (Fast Times at the El Royale, Drift) as the “Wicked Witch,” Elphaba. On the opposite side is her unforeseen bestie, Glinda the Good, played by Ariana Grande (Wicked, Don’t Look Up). Also returning is Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic World: Dominion, Hotel Artemis) as the villainous Wizard of Oz, who does not possess an ounce of magic.
Wicked for Good Maintains Focus on Friendship
What stood out the most from the previous film, aside from the stellar singing, was the humor and chemistry between Elphaba and Glinda. Fortunately, Wicked for Good maintains that focus. Crafting an emotional landscape with hills and valleys is no mean feat. However, the two actresses and the director are more than up to the task. Still, the movie should have increased the flashbacks to happier moments at Shiz University between them and their friends and family. CynthiaErivo and Ariana Grande are a wonder. In fact, their performances surpass the first film.
Laughs After Brutality Is Disturbing
The movie captures the same fantastical wonder the first possessed. However, it veers into dark moments but seems too reticent to hold them. So the shifts between tears and laughter sometimes feel too sharp. This is especially true regarding a tragic scene. One moment there’s loss, the next laughs or attempts at laughs. It undercuts the emotional weight of the tragedy. Given how off-putting it is, it lingers once you fully register the supersonic tonal shift.
Rushed Character Progression
Two characters in particular lack a through line to their final personality. Fiyero, played by Jonathan Bailey (Up the Catalogue, Jurassic World: Rebirth), and Nessa, played by Marissa Bode (Wicked). Plus, the swiftness of Nessa is a more harried version of Daenerys from Game of Thrones. The implication of a selfish, spoiled character is there. However, the dark shift leaves audiences reeling.
Meanwhile, the chemistry between Fiyero and Elphaba—something palpable and sweet in the first film—feels rushed to its conclusion here. Within the previous film, all viewers saw between Elphaba and Fiyero was a brief connection when they set the lion cub free. So the transition and degrees of affection in Wicked for Good feel too fast without any of the tension or chemistry built in the first.
Wicked for Good Captures Shades of Evil
Wicked for Good captures the reversal of good and evil, but also the spectrum. Evil is Oz and Madame Morrible, played by Michelle Yeoh (Ne Zha 2, Everything Everywhere All at Once), as they seek power and control by giving Ozians villains. Next is Nessa, who, though rushed, is the gradual villain who lets her emotions, resentments, and fear of comparison to her sister dictate her decisions. Here’s someone who never learned to take accountability for her choices.
Finally, there’s Glinda, and yes, she is a degree of evil. Evil through complicity or willful ignorance of what’s happening is still evil. Refusing to acknowledge harm until it’s in one’s face is evil tied to reasonable denial. It feels so similar to what’soccurring in society, where firmly established symbols of hate and prejudices are no longer deemed harmful, but calling them out is.
While it does not surpass the first film, it’s a solid follow-up. Wicked for Good is one of the few long films that needed at least another half hour to build up the past, sit in the tragedy, and foster the romance between Elphaba and Fiyero. Despite its runtime, the movie feels rushed to its conclusion. It’s still amazing with some captivating songs, breathtaking emotional beats, and outstanding performances all around. Wicked for Good ties everything together with tearful joy, even though it feels incomplete and rushed.
