When I went to see Wicked: For Good, my knowledge of the first movie consisted of seeing TikTok clips, reading the Wikipedia article, and my very enthusiastic friend explaining the plot. SAC had offered free tickets so we figured it would be a fun evening activity to pass the time.
The movie was not what I expected, in some ways better but in some ways worse as well. The best part was 100% Cynthia Erivo’s fantastic acting and singing, as she played Elphaba. Especially when compared to the musical, where Idina Menzel (Broadway’s Elphaba) really set the stage of the character, Erivo’s voice defied gravity in the way it flowed through the movie.
Now for a hot take, I don’t think Ariana Grande performed as strongly as she did in the first movie, or as well as I would have hoped. She felt less like she was playing Glinda and more like she was playing herself with a lean towards that role. Her songs sounded more like her own voice than Glinda, however some preferred her voice that way. I personally was not as invested in the aspects of her story as I was in Elphaba’s story.
Despite this, the real shining beauty in this half of the franchise was how Glinda and Elphaba interacted with each other. They both have fantastic chemistry with each other, and the emotions they convey are powerful. They are truly at their strongest when playing off of each other’s roles, which I think is a blessing and a curse. Their individual scenes do not shine nearly as brightly, but the moments of togetherness are even stronger. My favorite character, however, was definitely the Wizard of Oz. Jeff Goldblum is such a treat, and his charisma oozes through the screen. Despite his age, Goldblum is clearly up to standards on his dancing skills during the dance numbers as well. His singing is also a pleasant surprise to the ears and it left me wanting more from him. (Spoiler section. Proceed with Caution)
Another positive of this movie is the fantastic practical effects. After Boq is turned into the Tin Man, you get to see the incredible prosthetics and makeup done to create his character. It looks incredible, and it genuinely makes you feel like Boq has truly been transformed. Many people, however, think the scarecrow’s prosthetics are not as good. Internet discourse has discussed how Johnathan Bailey post-prosthetics looks like Ryan Reynolds. Personally, I can see the resemblance. In spite of this, I still think that the work done on Bailey is done extremely well, particularly the attention to detail.
The plot itself of the movie is difficult to criticize, since it’s been based off of previous pieces of media. The movie really rides off of musical numbers and acting, instead of the actual script itself.
Many believe that the second movie’s soundtrack is far worse than the first. While I agree to some extent, I think the main reason that this movie’s soundtrack is not as beloved as the original is because of the popularity of many of the songs in the first movie. “Defying Gravity,” “Popular” and “The Wizard and I” are all far more known than the songs in this movie. Personally, I believe that most of the songs in Wicked: For Good are mediocre at worst, and catchy at best. “No Good Deed” was by far my favorite, followed by “Wonderful.”
Now for the real question: is the movie actually good? I’d say yes, but unfortunately that’s it. It’s just good. Not groundbreaking, or revolutionary, or anything incredible, but it’s good. Maybe that’s all it needs to be.
