When Wicked finally hit the big screen last year, the consensus was that Jon M. Chu nailed it, but he’d have his work cut out for him with Part 2, Wicked: For Good. Although most would agree that Act 1 of the long-running stage musical is superior to Act 2, I never thought the second half was bad. It features some of the story’s best songs, including As Long as You’re Mine and No Good Deed. While Defying Gravity might’ve been the showstopper, For Good is the emotional climax that always triggers the waterworks. Act 2 has multiple tear-jerking moments, as well as a few sure to receive applause.
The same can be said about this screen adaptation, which has all of its stage counterpart’s pros. That said, the issues with Act 2 haven’t been erased from Wicked: For Good. Some elements are improved upon, such as one of the more dated moments involving Nessa (Marissa Bode). Yet, other characters, like Ethan Slater’s Boq, still fall by the wayside in the end. A lot happens in a relatively short amount of time, with some key moments happening off-screen. That’s probably the biggest hurdle to overcome. The first film had breathing room to tell a more self-contained story. Wicked: For Good has to wrap up one story while also coinciding with The Wizard of Oz.
On one hand, this does lead to some fun in-jokes and references that fans of the 1939 classic will appreciate. At the same time, the way these two stories are supposed to line up doesn’t always make sense. Exactly how does Dorothy get home in this version? Chu and company could’ve explained this by making Dorothy more of a presence, but like the stage show, she’s a mostly unseen character. This feels like a missed opportunity to correct some of the show’s plot holes, although it’s understandable why Chu wanted to keep the focus on Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba and Ariana Grande’s Glinda.
That said, Erivo and Grande are where Wicked: For Good soars. They’re great individually, with both getting new solos for this adaptation. Grande’s The Girl in the Bubble, in particular, is poised to be an Oscar clip. Both also work well off of supporting players like Jeff Goldblum’s Wizard, Michelle Yeoh’s Madame Morrible, and Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero. Bailey’s steamy scenes with Erivo push the film as far as you can go with a PG rating. While it’s another strong ensemble piece, Wicked: For Good is at its best when Erivo and Grande share the screen.
Like Act 2 of the stage version, Wicked: For Good sticks the landing where it matters most: the friendship between Glinda and Elphaba. By the time we get to the film’s titular song, as well as the bittersweet final image, my heart was puddy in Jon M. Chu’s hands. You can call me a Wicked sentimentalist. I’m also one of “those people” who said the first film’s cinematography was fine. As someone who’s been listening to the Broadway soundtrack for almost two decades, though, Chu’s two-part epic is almost everything I could’ve realistically hoped for. Part 1 may be better than Part 2, but with lively visuals, moving songs, and a couple of career-best performances, it’s far from bad. In fact, it’s good. More than good even.