The tagline for Wicked: For Good might as well be “this time, it’s war”, because following the pleasantness of its predecessor which had a fun time introducing all the characters, those same characters are now plunged into a film where they are all miserable and driven by hatred, deception and war with each other.
Adapting the second half of the 2003 stage musical, Wicked: For Good takes place sometime after Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) defied the Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) and is now branded by Madame Morrible’s (Michelle Yeoh) propaganda as the Wicked Witch of the West. As Elphaba continues battling for animal rights, Glinda Upland (Ariana Grande) has also been branded as Glinda the Good, serving as the Wizard’s spokesperson.
Given the theatrical source material, which puts its own musical spin on L. Frank Baum’s fantasy literature series, what worked about last year’s Wicked was that it was a prequel that may have given us the origin stories of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good, it was more interested in presenting a different side to the Land of Oz. However, Wicked: For Good coincides with the adventures of Dorothy Gale, who is presented as a faceless figure that serves more as a plot device than an actual character. Although the filmmakers are conscious about making Wicked Elphaba and Glinda’s story, there is a clunkiness in how Dorothy and her Ozian companions are integrated, leading to some of the typical problems you have with prequels.
Whereas the first film succeeded with its school setting that balanced the bubbly fun of its characters with weighty themes of prejudice and oppression, this installment sees the former students learning to be adults in a world where they are turned on each other, not least of which Elphaba, who is seen by everyone as the enemy and thus feels like she might as well turn to the dark side.
As we see a continuation of those weighty themes, with both animals and Munchkins being oppressed, For Good has a darker tone and thus, it doesn’t feel as fun as before, with even with director Jon M. Chu providing plenty of visual noise, juggling CGI animals roaming a visually spectacular rendition of the Land of Oz. While the soundtrack is entertaining, none of the songs reach the catharsis that “Defying Gravity” achieved. The closest this film succeeds at showing a fun side is when Jeff Goldblum steals the show when he sings, dances and talks at his own pace.
However, as before, what ultimately saves the film is the two central performances by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who carry such emotion through their chemistry and solo acts. Whereas the previous film had them comically butting heads to eventually bonding in a friendship that has more meaning than the shallow nature of the other students, the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda goes from love to confrontation throughout the various scenes they are together.
As previously stated, there is no showstopper to rival “Defying Gravity”, but when we get to the titular song “For Good”, it is one of pure heartbreak, but also a proper understanding between two people. There has always been a queer subtext towards the original stage show – and even the Oz franchise in some regards – and this song and its two performers cement that beautifully.
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