Wicked: For Good
After a year of (impatiently) waiting, "Wicked: For Good" is finally here and audiences couldn’t be happier
In the second half of this Wicked tale, we fly forward in time to see how the dust has settled in the aftermath of part one’s explosive ending.
The beloved best-friends, Glinda and Elphaba, have remained apart after Elphaba was cemented as public enemy number one. However, things seem to be looking up for Glinda, now known throughout Oz as Glinda the Good, as she prepares for her wedding to Fiyero. Despite their new, positively pink public servant the citizens of Oz remain fearful of the “Wicked Witch”. Although Glinda has secured a measure of political influence, it’s not enough to clear Elphaba’s name.
For her part, Elphaba lives primarily hiding in solitude and has taken to the skies in her fight to liberate the animals of Oz from their ever increasing oppression; orchestrated by the hands of the Wizard and Madam Morrible.
We learn that more and more animals have begun to flee Oz in terror despite Elphaba’s best efforts to persuade them to stay and fight for their freedom. As things begin to reach a boiling point, it appears as though Glinda and Elphaba’s friendship may not survive their circumstances.
“For Good” has a substantially distinct tone departure from “Wicked: Part One”, even though the story remains cohesive and continues the throughline previously established. The events of part one set the stage for Glinda, Elphaba, and Fiyero to confront differences in their personal and societal values in the second half of the story.
Although the themes of “Wicked: For Good” are decidedly darker than those explored in the previous film, the poignant and thought provoking moral questions introduced adds a layer of complexity that ultimately makes the overarching narrative all the more compelling. The clear elevation in stakes is perfectly echoed and underscored by the inclusion of darker, more elaborate sets for new locations and a noticeable increase in the number of emotional power ballads.
Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) and Ariana Grande (Glinda) continue to deliver stellar performances, and successfully bring a new level of depth into their respective characters. As expected, the pair’s vocal performances are nothing short of incredible and their final duet is likely to bring tears to more than a few eyes.
Like so many others, “Wicked” holds a special place in my heart. Which, admittedly, makes me rather biased when it comes to writing a review. However, this also meant I had high expectations for, but very little faith in, seeing one of my favorite stories of all time adapted for the big screen.
Director John Chu had a monumental task ahead of him when choosing to take on a live action adaptation of “Wicked”. After several years of unfulfilled promises, lovers of the original broadway production had all but given up hope of ever seeing the story brought to the big screen satisfactorily. Nevertheless, Chu has managed to exceed expectations where so many before him have failed. The choice of breaking a single narrative into two separate films is often controversial (and for good reason). However, in this particular case, Chu’s decision to dedicate an entire film to each act was a sound one.
The commitment to produce an entire film for each act created space for the most pivotal moments of the plot to shine. The format allowed more time to be spent on rounding out each character arc and bringing more warmth to the story as a whole. This aspect of the film, in conjunction with the gorgeous style of cinematography used, added a layer of gravity to specific scenes that traditional stage productions aren’t able to capture.
Everything audiences loved about Part One is present and expanded upon in “Wicked: For Good. Both films are a clear testament to the immense amount of time, care, effort, and love was dedicated to capturing the essence of what makes this story so special.