Movie Review: “Wicked: For Good” Falls Flat Compared To Its Predecessor

Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, and her relationship with Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. The second of a two-part feature film adaptation of the Broadway musical.

Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is determined to expose The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) as a fraud and to fight for animal rights in Oz. She goes into hiding, while Glinda (Ariana Grande) becomes more of a public figure for Oz. Propaganda against Elphaba, aka “The Wicked Witch of the West,” has become widespread, and she has not been able to dispel it.

Most people are aware that the Broadway show has a weaker second act than its first. Unfortunately, this is also the case for this film adaptation.

The pacing, especially in the first half, felt clunky. And the story, trying to connect more with “The Wizard of Oz,” doesn’t help. There are consistent flashbacks to scenes in the first “Wicked” film. On a side note, it always bothers me when Part 2 movies do this. Even with the delay between releases, the filmmaker and/or editor should trust that the audience remembers the events of the previous film.

The songs are nowhere near as strong as in “Wicked: Part 1”. Two new songs were written explicitly for this film, and I thought they were both relatively weak. But by doing so, they pretty much guarantee that they will receive at least one Oscar this upcoming award season.

Honestly, Elphaba felt and was, frankly, shot like a superhero at the beginning of this film, which is something I didn’t care much for. Not that her character isn’t a superhero because of her powers and her advocacy, but it feels out of place in a musical film.

I do think Erivo and Grande’s performances are still strong. Once again, it’s the central friendship that drives the story and that matters here. I do give Grande the edge, performance-wise, though. Her character becomes less naïve as she experiences heartbreak and betrayal. Her arc was the most satisfying, in my opinion.

Something that I’m mixed on is that you never see Dorothy. I understand that role was made famous by Judy Garland, and no one can replicate her performance, but it’s weird to have sneaky glimpses of her. Of course, she is not the protagonist of this film – Elphaba and Glinda are. But both of these characters interact with her in this film, and it would be interesting to see that from their perspective.

And of course, some of my criticisms of the last film remain the same. While I do enjoy the pops of color, I wish they would lean into a more Technicolor feel, which they do not. Often, the actors and sets look washed out due to the cameras and lighting used in modern blockbusters. Green screen feels more overt in this second film. It doesn’t look like there are as many practical sets here.

I will say the film ends on a strong note, which overall left me satisfied. I still like this film – largely thanks to the main performances, but I believe it is weaker than its predecessor.

In Theaters Friday, November 21st