As a newbie to the wizarding world of Wicked, what I loved about that dreamy quasi-prequel and Broadway musical adaptation was that it felt unshackled by the weight of The Wizard of Oz. Free to do its own thing with pizazz, it tapdanced joyfully around the world established by author Frank L. Baum. Truly, Oz has never felt more great and powerful than when Elphaba and Glinda were defying gravity. Director Jon M. Chu doesn’t quite drop the ball with Wicked: For Good. How could he with immense talents like Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande casting such magical spells, especially when sharing the screen. But the second chapter in this yellow-bricked epic is constrained by its need to dovetail neatly with the familiar ‘Oz’ arc. It’s a film that still soars, just not as high off the ground.
Erivo brings her powerful singing voice, along with new levels of ferocity and vulnerability, to the role of Elphaba the Wicked. She’s locked in a love triangle of sorts with her best frenemy, Glinda the Good, played with more complexity by Ariana Grande, and Prince Fiyero, played by Jonathan Bailey in a more dramatic performance than last time. There’s also the matter of the Wizard, with Jeff Goldblum’s take on the oily slickster becoming more villain-like as the film goes along. Along with Michelle Yeoh’s Madame Morrible, they have launched a massive smear campaign against Elphaba, turning the gullible citizens of Oz against her and the frightened animals she champions.
But there’s redemption to be found in the friendship between Elphaba and Glinda, and that is truly the film’s rainbow-colored beating heart. A decidedly more grim, serious film, Wicked: For Good still booms with thunderous musical numbers and dazzling production design. Emerald City has never looked more like a confectionery dreamscape that one never wants to wake up from. Simple terms like “good” and “evil” get tossed around a lot, but in truth it’s more fluid than that. The “Wicked Witch of the West” is fighting for a just cause and the protection of others against the charlatan Wizard, but she’s also sick of being demonized for her green skin. Glinda looks like the perfect bubble gum pink princess, but she’s spiteful, petty, and power hungry. Their bond goes beyond friendship and into something more, and while not made overt, there’s clearly a lot of romantic love between them, too. Elphaba and Glinda’s story remains as rich as ever, which makes the rushed, haphazard final act even more disappointing.
Unfortunately, Wicked: For Good must account for the arrival of Dorothy, who fatefully crashes into Oz in her Kansas shack. Her companions, the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion, are all given half-assed origins that never truly feel part of this beautiful tapestry. But they are necessary for a final act that must twist and bend itself into knots to explain Elphaba’s supposedly wicked turn and Glinda’s undeniable sweetness in The Wizard of Oz. It all comes out a bit sloppy and confusing, leading to an unsatisfying happily ever after moment. Erivo is deserving of so much more. While she is best when paired with Grande, Erivo’s full-throated portrayal is pure magic and could finally lead her to the Oscar she was previously denied.
Wicked: For Good opens November 21st from Universal Pictures.
