“And now whatever way our stories end, I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend…”
And in that one line of lyricism, songwriter Stephen Schwartz perfectly encapsulates the bittersweet mentality of Wicked: For Good, the suitably thrillifying conclusion to last year’s cultural phenomenon, Wicked.
With a large subsect of audiences somewhat uninitiated in the ways of Wicked, last year it came as a surprise to many that Wicked was, in fact, a two-parter production, with the Jon M. Chu-directed musical fantasy laying out its grand intentions from the opening credits. At 160 minutes, many questioned if the story needed to be divided into two separate films (the stage show itself ran for less in its entirety), and though the jury would be out in the interim, with the arrival of Wicked: For Good, it can be wholeheartedly agreed upon that, yes, such a story – at least as it’s being told by Chu – needed both films in order to let it breathe and cocoon wholly.
Wasting no time in picking itself up from the action and drama of its predecessor, Wicked: For Good assumes audiences are versed in all things Oz, with the Winnie Holzman–Dana Fox-penned script dropping us right back into proceedings, where Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo, once again sublime), now demonized as The Wicked Witch of the West, lives in exile, hidden with the Ozian forest, fighting for the freedom of Oz’s silenced animals and desperately trying to expose the truth she knows about The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and his faux position as a worshipped figure of hope.
Whilst the first film had its share of dramatic inclinations, Wicked: For Good is, overall, a far more emotional effort, with the levity of Elphaba’s playful tango with nemesis-turned-sisterly Glinda (Ariana Grande, possibly even more phenomenal here than she was in the original) largely subdued; there are fleeting moments of gaiety between the two, but much of their interaction is enriched in a sense of mounting devastation. Much of that devastation comes from the fact that Elphaba, in spite of how good she truly is, can’t escape being labelled as wicked, with the manipulative Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh, sadly a little miscast, as she’s playing everything far more seriously than the slight theatricality the rest of the cast adhere to) pulling all the strings she can in secret to keep the townspeople frightened.
And it’s Glinda’s relationship under the instruction of Morrible that serves as one of the strongest catalysts for the tension between herself and Elphaba. That, and that her supposed beloved, Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey, less utilised here than some may expect), harbors feelings for Elphaba that he can no longer ignore. It’s all quite melodramatic when you look at it, but Erivo, Grande, and Bailey all play such so earnestly that it never feels as overdone as it could.
Erivo and Grande are truly the heart of Wicked: For Good, and whilst there are certain narrative beats that all feel too telegraphed (which is to be expected given both the stage show and its connection to The Wizard of Oz), both actresses so completely embody their characters that we still can’t help but be utterly swept away in the magic of it all; their penultimate duet, “For Good”, is truly soaring. On the mention of The Wizard of Oz, this is perhaps the only ingredient in the overall Wicked recipe that slightly sours. Whilst it’s a respectful decision on Chu’s part to not attempt a re-casting of Judy Garland’s Dorothy (or even, god forbid, a digital rendering of some sort) or to recreate any of that film’s iconic moments, it is quite jarring that Wicked: For Good omits so heavily any of The Wizard of Oz‘s footprints.
The cowardly lion (voiced by Colman Domingo), the inclusion of how the Tin Man and Scarecrow came to be, and Elphaba’s sister, Nessa Rose (Marissa Bode), and her fatal fate are all given their respective due, but many of the pieces of their story are removed. Essentially, Wicked: For Good treats these narrative chunks purely as “this is where that moment or this song from The Wizard of Oz fits”, and it hopes you’re familiar with such. It’s a minor gripe, but it’s one I suspect some may take issue with – especially considering how much The Wizard of Oz has informed Wicked.
All that aside, like Part One, Wicked: For Good is an enveloping experience in spite of its darker tones and less playful temperament. Fans of the stage show are sure to be prepared for such, but for any new Wicked watchers who first came in with the 2024 feature, be prepared for more stirring musical numbers and a deeper sense of poignancy. But in tune with that first film, Wicked: For Good celebrates the beauty of one’s differences and the unbroken bond of female friendship, where an act of quiet courage serves as a reminder of the world we wished we lived in – where people act with bravery and put aside personal desire for something greater; that love and selflessness can truly lead the way “for good.”
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Wicked: For Good is screening in Australian theatres from November 20th, before opening in the United States on November 21st.
