Wicked: For Good is Imperfect, But Go See It in Theatres Anyway

Wicked: For Good has been one of my most anticipated movies of this year. The first half of John Chu’s ambitious broadway adaptation was one of the best blockbusters of 2024 so I had high expectations for the second half. While the second half is weaker than the first, the final product is shockingly good and this musical epic will surely go down as one of the best stage to screen adaptations in history.

The Story

Following up on Wicked’s cliffhanger ending, Wicked: For Good picks up after a brief timeskip where Glinda has become the beloved good witch of Oz and Elphaba is demonized by Ozians as the Wicked Witch. The film works to tie in the Wicked interpretations of characters with their Wizard of Oz counterparts. This has mixed results and oscillates between successful to altogether nonsensical. While some character motivations fit with their Wizard of Oz counterparts, others don’t make much sense and actively detract from the previously built character arcs.

Despite this, the themes and portrayals in Wicked: For Good hit with the intended narrative weight. Much of Wicked explores abuses of power, propaganda, and even touchier topics like ethnic cleansing. While some of these allegories are simple (after all this is the children’s story, not the darker book), they’re still strong and timely. 

The emotional factor can also not be overstated. While the plot isn’t perfect, character moments especially between Elphaba, Glinda, and Fiyero hit hard.

Overall while the story has its weaknesses, I do think it hits more than it misses. Even the tie-ins to The Wizard of Oz have their moments and are sure to be entertaining, if not completely consistent.

The Acting

Most of the cast is truly on their A game. Cynthia Erivo delivers a fantastic, as expected, performance that both nails the emotional weight and the musical performances. The surprise standout for me was Ariana Grande. Her character in the first act is mostly comedic relief, which she nailed, but Glinda is given further emotional weight which she handles effortlessly. It was a very surprising performance from a less established actor so I am curious if she will take on more film roles in the future.

Unfortunately not every cast member is up to this high standard. The miscasting present in the first film is even more prevalent here. Chu cast Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible out of respect for her career and a desire to put Asian representation on screen. While this desire is admirable, Yeoh gives a more than disappointing performance. The malice of her character is never truly felt and her singing voice is jarring when placed next to more talented singers. 

The rest of the supporting cast is all around well cast so it’s easy to overlook the weaker spots. Johnathan Bailey is brilliant as a more serious and grounded Fiyero, really selling the character’s arc. Another highlight was Ethan Slater as Boq who does a lot of work with his very limited screen time. Overall, you won’t be disappointed by the performances since the vast majority of the cast has done stage work as well. There are no performances as rough as Russel Crowe in Les Miserables so overall for a broadway adaptation we’re doing pretty good.

The Music

Everyone with even a passing knowledge of Wicked knows that the second act has fewer and weaker songs than the first. There are no hits on the level of “Defying Gravity” here and it’s clear that the filmmakers know this. They try to make up for this by bringing original Wicked writer Stephen Schwartz on to write two brand new songs for the film. These are both… not great. Elphaba is given “No Place Like Home” which is more a cheesy reference to The Wizard of Oz than a real song. It’s weak lyrically and I wouldn’t be able to hum a single note. Glinda’s new song “The Girl in the Bubble” has even worse lyrics such as, “It’s hard to unsee what you’ve seen.” Yes Stephen Schwartz, it sure is.

Despite this, the returning song sequences soar and made for one of my favorite theater experiences of the year. Wonderful was a really fun time and the number made fantastic use of the practical set. “For Good” will reliably tug on your heartstrings, as is expected, and makes for a unique and softer finale for the film which is interesting when contrasted with the showstopper that is “Defying Gravity.” The highlight is the “No Good Deed” sequence which combines Cynthia Erivo’s powerful vocals with a truly magical setting. Speaking of the setting…

Production Design and VFX

Wicked took home the well deserved production design Oscar at this year’s ceremony so I was very excited to see if this film would top those heights. Unfortunately it doesn’t quite live up to the impressive feat of the first movie. There’s no moments where the set design feels as melded with the rest of the film like, for example, “Dancing Through Life” in part one. The big moments like “No Good Deed” rely more on, admittedly impressive, VFX than the lived-in practical sets that Shiz University had in the first film. While the VFX are cool, a lot of the charm of the first film came from the practical effects mixing with creative choreography that I feel is missing from this film.

The VFX are also generally pretty solid which is impressive for a film on this scale. CGI animals have a huge role in the story but their inclusion never dips far into the uncanny valley. Even entire CG cities like parts of the Emerald City aren’t too distracting. There is one notable exception but to say what would be a spoiler. You’ll know it when you see it though.

Conclusion

Is Wicked: For Good a perfect film? By no means. It’s flawed just the same as its source material. Should you watch it in theaters? If you enjoyed the first one definitely. The movie’s scale is perfect for the big screen and musicals are always better on a nice sound system. While I have my gripes and nitpicks this really was a great movie. Splitting into two films was the perfect choice to let the story breathe. While I might be negative about it, I really couldn’t recommend seeing it enough. Besides, it appears Universal is reducing the number of screens as time goes on. See it before you miss your chance.