Almost exactly one year has passed since the release of “Wicked,” the Broadway adaptation that astoundified theaters and viewers alike to gross over $700 million at the global box office. Now, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande have reprised their roles as Elphaba and Glinda to tell the second half of the story, which opened in theaters Nov. 21. Though its tonal anomalies and pacing confusions make it difficult to truly match the excellence of the first film, “Wicked: For Good” is nonetheless a spectacular theatergoing experience and a satisfying conclusion to the epic tale.
“Wicked: For Good” opens with Erivo’s Elphaba on the run, desperate to expose the true nature of the Wizard and set free the animal population of Oz, who are rapidly losing their autonomy and ability to speak. Meanwhile, Grande’s Glinda has been placed on a pedestal as the champion of good to Elphaba’s manifestation of wickedness and is set to marry Jonathan Bailey’s Prince Fiyero.
Here it is important to note that Act II of “Wicked” on Broadway has long had a contentious reputation. The plotline is often criticized for feeling rushed or emotionally taxing, escalating from a story of two roommates at boarding school into a full-blown political drama with deep ties to the “Wizard of Oz” mythology. Concurrently, the musical numbers of the show's second act are less flashy than Act I’s snappy exposition, offering emotional resonance rather than production spectacle and prompting questions about the success of a standalone second film.
But where Act II of “Wicked” on Broadway lasts only an hour, “Wicked: For Good” has a runtime of 2 hours and 18 minutes, leading to director John M. Chu’s choice to incorporate new elements into the film including two new original songs. Whether the film’s expanded runtime remedies Act II’s pacing problems is partly a matter of taste, as some viewers will welcome the new material while others will find it diluting. At the same time, the film’s expanded approach also introduces new confusion, choosing to utilize time jumps and draw out sequences of action and song, rather than providing clarity on the moments in between.
The first example of this arrives early in an extended introductory interlude, “Every Day More Wicked,” which establishes context on events since the first film. While the moments of “Thank Goodness” –– the opening number of Act II on Broadway –– that are incorporated into this track hit just the same, there are also new solos for Glinda and for Elphaba. These numbers exist as additional individual showcases for Elphaba and Glinda, but while enjoyable, their placement ultimately ends up taking viewers out of the plot.
“Wicked: For Good” has a tendency to lean into such yearning for its exposition when it perhaps would have been better served by a more accurate establishment of the darker tone that the second half of the movie brings. Elphaba’s “No Place Like Home,” one of the two new songs written for the film, demonstrates this problem in addition to feeling quite out of place in its optimism and callbacks to “The Wizard and I,” her “I want” number from Act I.
"No Place Like Home" is performed quite early in the film, as Elphaba attempts to rally the animals of Oz to fight rather than flee. While it ultimately builds to a stirring payoff, the number's plaintive, yearning tone undercuts the harder, angrier Elphaba that Act II demands. That is not to diminish the performance of Erivo, whose vocals are undeniably extraordinary. However, it is worth noting that where Act I of “Wicked” is more centered around Elphaba’s journey and quest for belonging, Act II belongs to Glinda, and Grande’s performance is truly remarkable.
In “Thank Goodness,” Glinda’s most significant song, Grande does a fantastic job of selling the character’s public bliss while simultaneously allowing viewers to see the cracks in her facade of perfection. The choices she makes, both with vocal opt-ups and physical expressions, are incredibly original and well done, a remarkable embodiment of the character and her internal turmoil.
This turmoil is only expounded on as the plot progresses, coming to a head in Elphaba’s final return to the Emerald City and Glinda’s –– and the Wizard’s –– final chance to convince her to unite forces. With their subsequent performance of “Wonderful” comes one of the film’s most audacious adaptation choices, as Chu incorporates Glinda into a number typically performed solely by the Wizard. This change is one of the few that truly succeeds, strengthening a song often discounted as a dud, while simultaneously making the manipulation at its core all the more transparent.
The showdown in the Emerald City also fires the starting pistol for the plot to take off at a rapid pace, as Elphaba finds an unexpected ally and Glinda’s moral dilemma deepens. Grande gives another fantastic emotional performance with “I’m Not That Girl (Reprise),” though many fans of the Broadway show will be heartbroken to learn that the film stretches out the iconic transition from that number into “As Long As You’re Mine.” A steamy duet between Elphaba and Fiyero, both sets of vocals in this song are astounding and fold together in glorious harmony –– Bailey’s performance is particularly, expectedly, swoonworthy.
But the standout song from the film is undoubtedly “No Good Deed,” Elphaba’s 'all is lost’ anthem in which she declares that since the world has deemed her wicked, then wicked she must be. Erivo is truly a powerhouse, and her choices within the song a phenomenal showcase thereof, as she levitates against the backdrop of towering cliffs and crashing waves. Without spoiling too much, this number also makes a bold choice in interspersing the visuals of Elphaba with heartbreakingly visceral depictions of the action about which she is singing.
The second original song written specifically for “Wicked: For Good” comes closer to the conclusion of the film, a quiet piece embodying Glinda's internal conflict between appearance and authenticity. While the lyrics to “Girl in the Bubble” are not particularly memorable, Grande’s performance makes it a touching and nostalgic moment that helps establish the resolution of her character arc and bridge to the finale.
This finale is, of course, “For Good.” Equal parts tragic and tender, the song ends the story just as it started –– as one of the beauty of friendship and the quest for belonging. “For Good,” and the “Finale” that follows it, gives the action a chance to slow down and the audience a chance to breathe. The final shot of the film is particularly notable, a touching tribute to the friendship between Elphaba and Glinda, between Erivo and Grande, and between Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth who two decades previously made these characters into who they are.
Ultimately, “Wicked: For Good” is a showcase for extraordinary talent and, despite its missteps, a delightful theatergoing experience. Who can say if audiences will be changed for the better, but they will certainly be changed for good.
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