Directed by Jon M. Chu, the sequel to Wicked: Part One was released in theaters Nov. 21.
Wicked: For Good is much darker than the bubbly Wicked: Part One. The film begins with Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) fighting soldiers as she tries to free animals who have been enslaved by the wizard. This is a promising start, with Elphaba taking on the role of antifascist rebel and, iconically, Wicked Witch of the West. But the next two-plus hours are quite a disappointment. As fabulous as their voices are, Elphaba and Glinda (Ariana Grande) are still unable to overcome weak dialogue. Wicked: For Good also suffers from bland music when compared to Wicked: Part One.
The most distasteful aspect of Wicked: For Good is its cynical tone. When Elphaba demands that the wizard reveal his deceit to the citizens of Oz, he remarks that they wouldn’t believe him even if he told the truth. For Good’s writers do an unconvincing job proving the wizard wrong. “Truth is irrelevant” is a commonplace sentiment in politics. I would have hoped that pop culture would be less cynical.
The overarching motif of the Wicked films is the friendship between Elphaba and Glinda, a friendship that is profoundly unsatisfying to witness. Elphaba is the morally upstanding friend. Glinda, on the other hand, is an extremely mediocre person who chooses power and popularity over doing the right thing. Glinda’s thirst for power leads her to participate in the wizard’s fascist regime, where she helps enslave the animals of Oz and lies to the public on the wizard’s behalf. Glinda’s only real punishment at the end of the film is to witness her best friend die—a death that she is wholly complicit in. Then, Glinda returns to her life of power after deposing the wizard and his cronies. Newly empowered, Glinda declines to reveal the truth or establish democratic government. Instead, she establishes herself ruler of Oz with only vague promises to become “good,” whatever that means.
Wicked: For Good also included some unpleasant origin stories that no one asked for. The cowardly lion, tin man, and scarecrow who appear in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz are each given their own horrifying backstories. One wonders if it was truly necessary to turn the friendly characters in L. Frank Baum’s fairytale into the victims of heinous crimes who become consumed by bitterness.
Wicked: For Good is overall a disappointing movie, but its creators got a few things right. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo make a stellar duo, and their vocal abilities are almost enough to redeem the movie. The artistic portrayal of Dorothy was also aesthetically enjoyable—Dorothy’s face is never shown. Dorothy also wears silver shoes as specified in L. Frank Baum’s book (unlike the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, which made Dorothy’s shoes red).
On the whole, Wicked: For Good is probably not a worthwhile use of two and a half hours. I left the theater feeling tired and irritable. Wait until the film comes out on streaming platforms, or, better yet, don’t watch it at all.
