Wicked Bids Farewell At A 'Good' Place (Wicked For Good review)

 

The Wicked musical has been a Broadway staple for almost 22 years now. Since the adaptation that graced our screens, Wicked is now a global phenomenon, satisfying fans of the original show as well as introducing the origin of these characters to an all-new audience. The cast members were already famous before the movie was released, but they will be remembered for their portrayal of these characters for a very long time. 

The time has arrived for the awaited sequel, Wicked For Good. With the first movie covering the story of the first act of the play, this sequel covers, you would have guessed, the second act. As someone who has seen the original show once, and I think a fair number of people share this opinion, is that the second act isn't as strong as the first. It was a surprise to hear that Jon M. Chu was going to split the musical into two movies, and we couldn't help but think it could be a bad idea. When the movie came out last year, M. Chu managed to tell a very multifaceted story, and we were starting to see his reasons behind the split. Or at least most of us did. 

It is safe to say that Wicked For Good is not as exciting as the first movie, which was what I was expecting. You do notice the pacing is a little off, but it is very much being distracted by the colorful world of Oz and by your appealing leads. This has nothing to do with the runtime. They managed to stretch enough to make it a worthy, cinematic version of the famous play. However, this is a very sad movie as reality starts to shift the escapism we grew to love. 

One of the reasons why the second act is weak to begin with is that it has less to say. A lot of the songs in the second act are very much filled with reprisals and aren't as memorable. .'No Good Deed' and 'For Good' are the main reasons why the second act is appealing. Those bogged-down expectations still make themselves relevant. It would have been commendable if M.Chu could have somehow figured it out to make it more appealing, but I would say he definitely tries his best, especially with knowing how talented Erivo and Grande are and how much of their performances are going to carry this sequel than anything else. 

Maybe you can consider this a spoiler, but it is common knowledge, in my opinion, to know that this 'second act' also has to line up with the events of the original Wizard of Oz. In that sense, this part of the play provides a different perspective on the classic story, which is something a lot of retellings either succeed or fail to do. I wouldn't say the sequel is failing in any regard. The arcs of these characters are more compelling than characters in Disney remakes in recent years. It is a low bar to rise upon. 

There are new songs added to not only balance out the amount of reprisals from the first movie, but also have Oscar chances for the upcoming awards season. Both songs have their merit to the character journeys and are well placed in the plot so that they do not stick out like sore thumbs. They fit well with the flow. However, these songs are unfortunately not sheer bangers. 'No Place Like Home', performed by Erivo, has its message and starts us in a place that supercharges the main underlying theme that Wicked is trying to make a thesis statement out of. It is, unfortunately, not Erivo's best performance. Her voice soared better in 'No Good Deed' as well as 'As Long As You're Mine', the latter of which has not left my brain since I got out of the theater. I cannot say the same for 'The Girl in the Bubble', for it was more effective than 'No Place Like Home'. A more morose acknowledgment of what Glinda is going through, it is Grande's antithesis of 'Popular', almost a complete 180 of how her beliefs had developed and changed. 

Grande continues to be the MVP of the Wicked movies, showcasing that this woman is a triple threat. What people may not realize is that a majority of the film does focus on Glinda's point of view this time around, which was something that could seem fresh for those who know the Broadway show by heart. Despite the heightened sense of Glinda, there was not enough time to flesh out some things with her character, the same way the previous movie did with Elphaba. With that said, this is the best performance Ariana Grande has ever put on. There is a specific scene that pans on her face for a good five minutes as her expression turns from despair to anger. A live-action representation of how Disney animators drew the scene in Beauty and the Beast where Beast's face shifts from anger to surrender (for those who know what I'm talking about, you get it). 

There has been talk lately that audiences are not looking to watch movies that have an explicit message reflecting real-world problems. Fans know that Wicked uses the animal cruelty storyline as an allegory for prejudice and racism. They double down here on how that transforms into fascism. Another comparison to the previous movie is that it was much subtler. Wicked For Good lays it all on the table, without sugar coating it with the fantasy of it all. Parents, taking their kids to watch this is a good thing, but some people will conclude it as just being 'too woke'.  

I, personally, think it has the right amount of message, but I am saying this as someone who might think it is better to watch Wicked IN ITS ENTIRETY. I mean that as watching the two movies as a whole. The darker themes add up to the stakes being introduced from the first film, as well as how they affect the characters that you grow to love. This is why the play worked so well and captured the hearts of the many people who still watch it at the Gershwin Theater. Moviegoers are not going to perceive the same sentiment. I can only imagine if someone made a direct adaptation of the Gregory Maguire book, the critics and moviegoers would have a field day with what is too political. 

But the sequel does not shy away from being a tear-jerker. As I said before, this movie is sad. The emotions are high towards the final 30 minutes, the height of that being the "For Good' sequence, which was as breathtaking as I thought it would be. The bold swing of the Wicked musical is how it ends, and it is not only still satisfying but reminds audiences of the awe of what a fairytale reimagining should feel like, something Disney had in the bag for a time. 

I don't doubt that everyone will be watching this for the next few weeks with repeat viewing. Wicked has become a successful IP, so they have that going for them this holiday season. Ariana Grande could win that Oscar next year, but she has formidable competition. I do not think the new songs are going to be nominated, let alone win. But I could change my mind once the soundtrack finally drops at the end of the week, and I do the double feature that I got tickets for.