Wicked: For Good

by Mike McGranaghan

In 1989, Back to the Future Part II ended with a cliffhanger and the words “to be continued…” on the screen. I vividly recall the audience at my theater loudly groaning in frustration. These days, movies are split into two parts all the time. Whether or not the practice has improved since then is up for debate. According to the filmmakers’ rationale, Wicked got split in half because the showstopping song “Defying Gravity” was designed to be a curtain closer – a powerful break between acts. I still think the hit Broadway musical could have been made into just one film, but Wicked: For Good is so satisfying that it makes the idea of a two-parter seem like less of a gimmick than it probably is.

The story picks up right where the previous installment left off. Elphaba (the extraordinary Cynthia Erivo) is the subject of propaganda designed to portray her as evil to the citizens of Oz. Glinda (Ariana Grande), meanwhile, is trumpeted as a beacon of decency. They secretly remain friends, although that friendship is put to the test as Elphaba continues her fight against the scheming Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and his cohort, corrupt university dean Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). Glinda’s betrothed, the prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), is stuck in the middle.

The experience of watching Wicked: For Good is quite different from the experience of watching Wicked: Part One. The prior movie had common storytelling peaks and valleys as it established the characters, their relationships, and the conflicts bubbling up among them. Multiple plot elements were being built, one yellow brick at a time. Pleasure came from seeing the pieces assembled and recognizing their great potential.

Since the set-up is already in place, this sequel is nothing but peaks. Almost every scene is designed to thrill you with action, captivate you with dramatic revelations, or hit you right in the feels with emotional content. It’s 100% payoff, with no filler. In many cases, that could be considered a liability, given that stories thrive on the rhythms those peaks and valleys provide. The first entry constructed the framework so strongly that For Good feels natural. The sensation is similar to coming back from a theatre intermission to watch Act 2.

Director Jon M. Chu stages important events inventively, occasionally intercutting between Elphaba and Glinda to create a sense of how opposed their paths are. A musical number featuring the witches and the wizard is a marvel of gradually shifting tone. Visual references to The Wizard of Oz are incorporated with relative subtlety, allowing them to serve this story, as opposed to distracting from it. Action scenes have the requisite visual flash without sacrificing substance.

Wicked: For Good carries over everything that was enjoyable about Part One. The performances are terrific, the songs are beautiful, and the visuals are breathtaking. Erivo and Grande remain perfectly cast as the witches; the bond they build together allows the tale’s meaning to have resonance, particularly during the actresses’ final song together. Keep tissues handy.

Taken as a whole, the Wicked pictures prove that big-budget, IP-based fare doesn’t have to be empty or soulless. These are movies to treasure.

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