WICKED: FOR GOOD Review – You’ll be Changed For the Better

Here’s my Wicked: For Good review which stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande and directed by Jon M. Chu!

Elphaba and Glinda’s story continue in the second part of the Wicked film franchise where we see “A” take on the life of the “Wicked Witch of the West” and her ongoing war with the Wizard of Oz and its citizens with her friendship with Glinda being put to the test. The film is based on the novel by Gregory Maguire as well as a musical by Stephen Schwartz.

Wicked: For Good is set some time after the ending of the first movie with Glinda and Elphaba’s roles now in full bloom. Elphaba has been Public Enemy # 1 for some time now while Glinda has pretty much become an influencer and a PR mouthpiece for her bosses the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) with her main goal is the continuous destruction of the “Wicked Witch of the West”‘s reputation. Meanwhile Prince Fiero (Jonathan Bailey) has risen to the ranks of captain in Oz’s Gale Force and tasked with hunting Elphaba.

Visuals

One of the great things about shooting two movies back to back is that the flow and the design is consistent and this is the case with the film. Everything is coloful and cheerful and yet hides a darker side which also reflects in some of the set pieces like Elphaba’s “castle” at the third act of the movie. Even the happy looking places like Muchinkin Land is also subject to pain, misery that’s translated well in the film. And there are also set pieces that change from light and fun to dark at the drop of a hat like the Wizard’s chambers where our two leads perform the song “Wonderful” together with Goldblum’s Oz; that one went from colorful and fun and quickly turns ten shades dark when the song fades out and the movie continues, with a big reveal that forever shatters Elphaba’s trust in the authorities.

Songs

Being that the only one big familiar song I have with Wicked is “Defying Gravity”, I’m hearing all these songs for the first time and I am hooked. And that’s going to be the case with you too when you see the film. Obviously we’re all going to like “For Good” but there are other songs that’s memorable like “No Good Deed” and “As Long As You’re Mine”. Even better is that as a film, we get a better and closer look at the characters as they belt out the song which gives the songs more impact. Like I almost choked at the finale with the two singing “For Good” complete with their longing looks and impassioned rendition. So basically if you were moved by “Defying Gravity”, you’ll get more of that vibe with Wicked: For Good.

Casting

Just like the first Wicked, everybody’s got their A-Game on. Jeff Goldblum gets more screen time here and also flexes his acting chops while Ariana Grande as Glinda brings us on a rollercoaster of emotions as we get equal time for both her and Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba. But the real star of the film is Cynthia Erivo’s performance as Elphaba. We already saw how much emotion she can stir from us in the first film but for “For Good”, her performance strapped us on her flying broom during her wild and wicked performance at the end of the first film. It’s soo good.

Obviously I don’t want to spoil the movie but I will say that if you’re new just like me, we will see Dorothy to some extent but they purposefully covered her up or tried to actively hide her because this isn’t the Wizard of Oz and secondly suddenly showing Dorothy will take away the impact and the attention from Elfie and Glinda and as we reach the finale we really don’t want that so stop whinning why Dorothy didn’t get screentime.

There were a lot of plot holes too but when you read the book, you’ll get a better understanding. Also probably a second viewing could also help answer your questions. And yes I recommend you see the film more than once because it’s good; good music, great visuals and it’s got an OK plot. Wicked: For Good is also an OK movie to bring the whole family. It blows my mind of how much dark tones and sexual overtones that was picked from both the book and the play that’s been distilled to make it a family-friendly movie. Overall, is a great film to watch that’s part introspection and a satirical look at the power of press and media in shaping people’s opinions and ultimately its about one’s acceptance of who they are and what they can do

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