Aaron Ploof
It’s already been a year since the release of Wicked: Part One, and hype is stronger than ever for the conclusion to the mega-hit two act musical. While the novel will sadly never get a direct adaptation (see my upcoming article on book vs. musical to see why), act 2 of the film should be more than enough to tide over Wicked fans. Unfortunately, while it’s a strong film overall, the movie does suffer a few problems. Most of the musical numbers can’t match the instant hit vibes of the first, and the shift in tone makes the whole affair less “witchy fun” and more somber. Then again, the plot of Wicked: For Good is more interesting than the entirety of the first act.
Five Years Later…
That plot begins five years after Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) rebelled against The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum). She now lives in exile, hidden in a tree-like fortress. Throughout the years she’s been attempting to expose The Wizard as a fraud, but his propaganda has painted her as The Wicked Witch of the West. Glinda (Ariana Grande) has adopted a role on the opposing side and is now Glinda the Good. Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) and The Wizard have propped Glinda up as a hero, one that will surely defeat the Wicked Witch, even though Glinda has no magic of her own.
With the political propping comes hero worship, and giving into her need for admiration, Glinda basks in it. Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), who has now become captain of the Emerald Guard, is less comfortable with proceedings. Although it’s his company’s mission to bring Elphaba to justice, he plans to find her first and help her escape capture. Glinda’s inability to resist the attention of the citizens irks him, and he lets her know as much. Although Glinda claims she “couldn’t be happier,” there’s an underlying sadness. She knows she’s betraying her best friend.
Already, the characters are in more interesting places than they were in the first act. Fortunately, these circumstances continue to force Elphaba, Glinda, and Fiyero to make tough life and death choices that will significantly alter their paths. Even supporting characters like Nessarose (Marissa Bode) and Boc (Ethan Slater) have significant roles to play.
The tale that all these characters inhabit is much darker than the first. While this does make for a more intriguing story with higher stakes, it also takes away from the light-hearted bubble gum flavor of the first act. Wicked: Part One is a fun-filled time, but For Good loses some of that fun out of necessity. While telling this story, it also manages to speed up its pacing, which loses some of the drama in its telling.
How Are the Songs?
Minor Spoilers in the next two sections, especially for those who haven’t seen or are unfamiliar with the musical.
Unfortunately, most of the songs in act 2 can’t match the quality of those in Part 1. Their tunes and words don’t stick out as readily, nor do the songs invoke as much emotion. A few stand out though.
My favorite, “No Good Deed,” is tragic and powerful. It rips into the pain at Elphaba’s core and exposes her heartache. All the goodwill she’s done in her life seems to be for naught, so she resigns herself to evil. Cynthia Erivo belts this one out powerfully. “For Good,” matches the previous in quality, with both touching lyrics and a heartfelt exchange between Glinda and Elphaba, as they come to realize just how much influence they’ve had on each other. I’ve found myself humming this one countless times ever since I saw the musical, and it was a treat to see Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo tackle it side by side.
Originals
There are two original songs that were added to the film, “No Place Like Home,” and “The Girl in the Bubble.” Both of the songs speak to Elphaba and Glinda’s character development respectively. The first speaks to Elphaba’s will to protect her homeland of Oz, while the second explores Glinda’s metaphorical popping of her pink privileged bubble. I enjoyed Glinda’s song more so than I did Elphaba’s, and that’s because it adds extra dimension to Glinda’s character. John Chu, the director of the film, has said that Glinda has a much larger character arc than even Elphaba. The imagery used in this song was clever, using the bubble that Glinda is famously known for riding in (from the original 1939 film) as a metaphor for her separation from the common folk of Oz.
Elphaba’s song is less insightful; it’s simply a double down on why she believes Oz is worth fighting for. It is, however, very appropriate given the political turmoil taking place in the states today. Sadly, the overall tune is hardly as memorable as anything in the first act.
The rest of the songs are so-so, but none of them match the pedigree of those from the previous film. Any song that features Michelle Yeoh suffers. She is an excellent actress but can’t hit the notes. Jeff Goldblum is just okay but also plays The Wizard perfectly with a feigned innocence and benevolence, that even Elphaba, given the chance, might fall for.
Dark in Both Theme and Sight
As said before, the film is heavier, darker, and more somber than its initial installment. Whether that is enjoyable to you depends on what you’re expecting and where you find said enjoyment. Given the chance, I wouldn’t mind seeing these films back-to-back, as I think the year long wait to see For Good does the films a disservice. It truly is one 5-hour long movie. If you have the chance, see these two in quick succession.
One last note: IGN noted in their review that the screen was unnaturally dark at times, only illuminated by the lighting around the characters. I found I agreed with this statement, as I had to focus to read the emotion on the actor’s faces. I don’t know for what reason this decision was made, but it definitely held back the score of the movie somewhat.
That said though, Wicked: For Good serves as a mostly solid conclusion to the musical’s first act. The character’s journeys are more interesting as is the plot. It’s only held back by the musical numbers and the aforementioned lack of lighting and pacing.
Score: 7.5/10
