‘Wicked: For Good’ Review

By Nadia Dalimonte

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in Wicked: For Good

​When director Jon M. Chu lived up to expectations and delivered a “thrillifying” Wicked: Part One, he also set the bar incredibly high for audiences, not to mention himself. Chu partly succeeded in adapting a long-running musical phenomenon into a cinematic phenomenon. He told a beautiful love story about a female friendship, one with the power to change Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) for good. Wicked: Part One took the world by storm, winning two Academy Awards and outshining Mamma Mia! to become the highest-grossing Broadway musical film adaptation. The film’s cultural impact embedded the pink and green color palette into our consciousness. Most notably, the film showcased spectacular performances by Erivo and Grande, each of whom brought deep respect, passion, and understanding to the material. Together, they built the foundation for us to feel emotionally invested in a second act, eager to follow Elphaba and Glinda down the yellow brick road. When reunited in Wicked: For Good, the best friends are divided. They fight against all odds, reckoning with the reality of their shared world melting away. This journey poses challenges for the beloved characters, and for Chu, who attempts to balance a clumsily written screenplay with new original songs and an old Kansas tale. While part two lands with an emotional goodbye that will win hearts, certain narrative and visual choices put up several roadblocks along the way.

Wicked: For Good returns to Oz on a bleaker note. The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) is no longer an emblem of endless possibilities, but rather of limiting views and manipulative rhetoric. The stakes are higher, the tone is darker, and the political elements are more deeply woven. And the film excels at setting a shadowy mood for a changed Oz. The illusionary bubble of this world has been popped. Elphaba and Glinda are on opposing sides of public perception; the former leans into an antagonized Wicked Witch of the West after failed attempts to expose The Wizard’s lies, and the latter can’t resist waving the wand of goodness until realizing that with great power comes great responsibility. The dynamic duo have several moments to shine throughout, and they shine bright. But overall, there isn’t enough compelling material to justify this second part as a full-length feature. Co-writing duo Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox can’t quite find a consistent rhythm as they deepen some elements and gloss over others, stumbling through connections to The Wizard ofOz along the way. And Chu’s oddly distant direction feels as though he’s waving a nostalgic wand, hoping to recreate magic and not finding a spell that works. 

Wicked: For Good picks up twelve tide turns after Elphaba defied gravity and left Glinda behind. Shiz headmistress Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) continues to tarnish Elphaba’s name, and The Wizard continues to let it happen. In an abuse of power, they label Elphaba as The Wicked Witch of the West, and the Ozians live in that bubble of hate-filled propaganda while she remains ostracized. Elphaba finds solace alone in the Enchanted Forest, where many of the animals have gone into hiding, and makes it her mission to expose The Wizard’s lies. Meanwhile in the Emerald City, Glinda has half-heartedly embraced the role of the Good Witch. She’s conflicted about her position; echoed in the lyrics of ‘Thank Goodness,’ she knows that change is necessary, but she’s not ready to defy the powers that be. Glinda can’t resist seeking validation from her fellow Ozians as they look to her for goodness, nor can she contain her excitement about getting her own bubble, designed with a secret button that charms everyone into believing she has powers. Glinda also charms her way to Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), catching him off guard by announcing their engagement. But Fiyero has stepped into a new role of his own, as the newly appointed captain of the Gale Force, and he intends to use his power for good. 
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Glinda and Elphaba’s internal conflicts drive this story to a tearful conclusion, once again speaking to the casting of Erivo and Grande as the beating hearts of this adaptation. However, the two-act structure around them doesn’t feel fully formed in the hands of Chu and writers Holzman and Fox. Several story developments, namely the dynamic between Nessarose (Marissa Bode) and Boq (Ethan Slater), feel rushed and riddled with plot holes. The underlying tensity in their relationship is given no room to breathe and take shape, which leads to an underwhelming transformation into the Tin Man, whose impressive makeup is diminished by subpar cinematography. Awkward character interactions, like Glinda and Elphaba’s post-tornado fight, disrupt the momentum with strange tonal shifts. The love triangle that emerges between Elphaba, Fiyero, and Glinda also causes a ripple effect of underwhelming storytelling. Erivo and Bailey sadly lack the chemistry to convey their characters’s romance in full bloom, though they still soar in their duet, ‘As Long as You’re Mine.’ Fiyero’s love for Elphaba creates an internal conflict in Glinda, and Grande plays this penny drop moment of realization brilliantly. Out of hurt, Glinda makes a decision that leads to a whirlwind of consequences. When Elphaba gets lured to Munchkinland, the film inexplicably rushes through two pivotal moments: one involving Nessarose’s fate, and the other an introduction to beloved characters from The Wizard of Oz.

Part one’s introductory buildup to ‘No One Mourns the Wicked’ gave us teensy glimpses of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion on their way to see The Wizard. With a single image, we knew their place in the story. In part two, Chu attempts a similar level of subtlety with the clear intention of not wanting to distract from the film’s central story. However, Chu reserves that elusiveness only for Dorothy and the Scarecrow, while indulging in more backstory for the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion’s connections to Elphaba. The film wants it both ways, and as a consequence, the inclusion of The Wizard of Oz characters feels like an experimental workshop. Chu’s noticeable uncertainty around who, when, and how much to show creates a mishmash of confusing camerawork. Some characters are forced into frame (like the Tin Man transformation), while others are forced out of frame (most egregiously, Dorothy), seemingly without rhyme or reason. While it’s an entirely understandable decision not to reveal Dorothy’s face, Chu keeps such a dramatic distance from this reimagined character that her presence becomes a distraction.
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Additionally, part two is inherently at a disadvantage on the musical number front, as the majority of Wicked’s most rousing songs (‘Defying Gravity’; ‘Popular’; ‘No One Mourns the Wicked’) originate in part one. While Wicked: For Good includes gems like the poignant ‘Thank Goodness / I Couldn’t Be Happier’, the vulnerable ‘No Good Deed,’ the lovely reprise of ‘I’m Not That Girl,’ and the titular tearjerker ‘For Good,’ these numbers resonate far more as vocal showcases than as inspired visual achievements. The exception is ‘For Good,’ a stunning duet that makes excellent use of split-screen techniques to heighten the emotional parallels between Elphaba and Glinda. The new songs, ‘No Place Like Home’ and ‘The Girl in the Bubble’ have a far more subdued impact in how they are incorporated into the film. Despite carrying some thematic resonance, both numbers feel tacked on rather than thoughtfully intertwined into the story. In any case, Erivo and Grande rise above pedestrian direction and inconsistent camerawork to convey the emotional depths of their character arcs. 

‘The Girl in the Bubble’’s childhood flashback reinforces Glinda as the anchor of Wicked: For Good, in the way that Elphaba anchored part one. The screenplay works best when expanding on Glinda’s motivations, and Grande soars with the added material. She conveys a powerhouse emotional arc as we watch Glinda experience difficulty in facing herself, and gradually accept that she’s been changed for the better. She bursts the bubble of people-pleasing, allowing her to clearly address childhood insecurities and connect with Elphaba on a much deeper level. Erivo also reaches incredible new depths as Elphaba. She has so lovingly crafted the definitive version of this character, and her nuanced performance resonates across several registers, from the soul-stirring energy of ‘No Good Deed’ to the melancholy of ‘For Good.’ She delivers absolutely show stopping moments that will invite several rounds of audience applause. 

Together, Erivo and Grande vocalize a powerful friendship that knows no limits, and a vulnerable journey in which they both feel truly seen by each other, in a world that has become increasingly cruel. Much of what makes part one soar — from the heart-swelling central performances to the gorgeously immersive crafts (including Academy Award winning costume design by Paul Tazewell and production design by Nathan Crowley) continues in part two. And the emotional goodbye to Elphaba and Glinda’s characters finds a smooth landing. Though, while there’s still magic to be found in spite of the film’s flaws, Wicked: For Good fails to take flight as a whole.