Elphaba and Glinda are now the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good in this continuation of the musical.
Many fans questioned Jon M. Chu’s decision to split his movie adaptation of the Wicked musical into two parts, noting that the most memorable songs and storylines take place in the first act of the stage show.
However, he proves the cynics wrong with Wicked: For Good, in which he uses that extra time and space to deepen the friendship between Elphaba and Glinda, maximise the central conflict and make the musical numbers stand out more.
This second part picks up several years after the events of Wicked. Elphaba is now a fugitive and considered the Wicked Witch of the West throughout Oz, thanks to lies perpetuated by the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and Madam Morrible (Michelle Yeoh).
Meanwhile, her friend Glinda has now been promoted by the Wizard to Glinda the Good, an ambassador for the Emerald City who travels around the villages of Oz. However, she is conflicted, as she likes her new life but disapproves of the anti-Elphaba propaganda.
Their friendship is tested by their positions on either side of the divide and their shared love of Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey). Things get worse when a young woman named Dorothy lands in Oz!
While many expected For Good to be the weaker of the two parts, it is actually more impactful than the first. It’s more serious and sombre compared to the fun, light and often comedic first part, but it’s still enjoyable, moving and beautiful.
The second half doesn’t contain a major showstopper like Defying Gravity, but Chu makes numbers like No Good Deed and For Good much more memorable than their stage show versions. They are so well-staged and performed that they make you want to cheer.
However, the two new songs – No Place Like Home and The Girl in the Bubble – are quite weak in comparison. Erivo’s solo, No Place Like Home, is the better of the two, as a powerful call to action, while Grande’s number is underwhelming and unnecessary.
Like the first film, both lead performances are terrific here, and they do a fantastic job of playing evolved versions of their part one characters.
Grande is the most impressive as Glinda, who has grown so much from the shallow hair-tossing girl of the first film. She has deeper, conflicted feelings and is much more serious and emotional, although she still has the occasional light-hearted moment.
Alongside a highly likely Oscar nomination for Grande, expect this film to do well in the technical categories such as production design, costume design, cinematography and hair and make-up. This is a beautiful technical achievement on an epic scale.
Wicked: For Good is a joyous, glorious and spectacular film that reminds us of the magic of cinema. Don’t miss it!
In cinemas from Friday 21st November.
By Hannah Wales.
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