“Wicked: For Good” A Visually Stunning Conclusion to the “Wicked” Story

Last year, the highly anticipated musical “Wicked” broke numerous box office records, earned glowing reviews and audiences loved it! The first “Wicked” film was also part of my annual top picks last year. So, roughly one year later, “Wicked” fans can now flock to theaters everywhere (and at the Dietrich) to see the second half of the “Wicked” story on the big screen!

In the sequel “Wicked: For Good,” 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.

“Wicked: For Good” was actually one of the films that I have been eagerly awaiting. Even though I’m not a huge fan of the musical genre, I really enjoyed the 2024 adaptation and was really looking forward to this follow up. Now, after finally seeing “Wicked: For Good,” this continuation of the story delivers a good amount of emotion and more visually spectacular world-building.

Just like the 2024 film, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande really knock it out of the park with not only their acting performances, but also in their musical numbers as well. Their on-screen chemistry is still highly incredible and the depiction of their characters' now complex friendship is a primary draw with a message of loyalty and acceptance.

The character arcs of Elphaba and Glinda are easily one of the many highlights of the film. Elphaba’s journey from a strong-willed, but socially awkward student to the misunderstood outlaw fighting an oppressive regime is an extremely compelling segment of the film. Glinda’s expanded arc of turning into a powerful leader adds a lot of depth to her character and her internal conflict between public perception and loyalty to Elphaba.

Now, while the songs and musical numbers aren’t nearly as incredible as the 2024 film, they are still a major highlight! The musical performances of both “For Good” and “No Good Deed” are easily the best musical numbers in this film and definitely brings a lot

of emotion to the film.

Another thing I really enjoy about this “Wicked” continuation are the reveals of both the Tin Man and Scarecrow because the film provided heartbreaking and emotional backstories for the beloved characters, connecting them directly to Elphaba’s tragic attempts to help. “Wicked: For Good” also has several nods to the Oz universe and we also see how the “Wicked” films connect to the “Wizard of Oz” story, while there are a few slight differences to the Oz story we all know.

Overall, “Wicked: For Good” is a visually impressive and emotionally powerful conclusion to the “Wicked” story. Even though there are a few moments that seem to be a bit rushed here and there, this is still a decent conclusion to the story!

Cast: Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba); Ariana Grande (Glinda); Jeff Goldblum (Wizard of Oz); Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible); Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero); Ethan Slater (Boq); Marissa Bode (Nessarose); Colman Domingo (The Cowardly Lion)

Writer/director: Winnie Holzman (writer) (Wicked); Dana Fox (writer) (Wicked; The Lost City; Cruella); Jon M. Chu (director) (Wicked; In the Heights)

MPA: Rated PG for action/violence, some suggestive material and thematic material   (runtime 137 minutes)

Make sure to keep on checking my Wyoming County Press Examiner reviews page on Facebook to see what upcoming new releases I’ll be checking out plus to see what other holiday movies I’ll be checking out for my holiday review series!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2Xubj7lazE

• Stephen Schwartz has written two brand new musical numbers that will be featured.

• The first trailer received 113 million online views within the first 24 hours.

• Wicked (2024) first announced it would be split into two films in April 2022, with composer Stephen Schwartz explaining: "The truth is we tried for some time to make it one movie (which) required us to cut or omit things we wanted to include that we believe fans of the show and story will appreciate." He added, "We found it very difficult to get past 'Defying Gravity' without a break. That song is written specifically to bring a curtain down, and any scene that follows it without a break just seemed hugely anti-climactic."

• In the original musical, Nessarose was given the ability to walk without her wheelchair when Elphaba enchanted the silver shoes. While the shoes are enchanted in the film adaptation, it was changed to Nessa floating in the air rather than walking to accommodate Marissa Bode's walking disability in real life.

• We do not see Dorothy's face at all during the film. Director John M. Chu was said to have believed that nobody can replace Judy Garland as Dorothy, and that Wicked is Elphaba and Glinda's story.