With the release of Wicked: For Good, the adaptation of the popular Broadway musical is now complete. Photo: Universal Pictures.
It is quite obvious that Wicked is a phenomenon.
Millions have seen the Broadway musical, and the first part of the film adaptation has grossed more than $750 million worldwide.
Despite all its ‘popularity’ (excuse the pun), one thing is well known by fans of the musical: the second half is not as strong as the first.
So, even with the first film brilliantly covering the first half of the musical, there were still concerns about whether part 2, Wicked: For Good, could continue the magic.
The answer to that question is, kinda …
Straight out of the gate, it’s obvious that Wicked: For Good won’t be as whimsical as the first film. It picks up directly from part one, which left off in a rather depressing spot with Elphaba, the Wicked Witch, on the run from the Wizard and Galinda serving as part of a propaganda machine to hide his wrongdoings.
Throughout the remainder of the run time, the film, much like the musical it’s adapting, runs through the lead-up to the events of The Wizard of Oz before ultimately telling the story of the popular tale through the two witches’ perspectives.
From a narrative point of view, the film is quite brilliant.
Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo and Galinda, played by Ariana Grande, are just as great as they were in the first film. Their chemistry is clear to see, and their voices are incredible.
The supporting cast, excluding a miscast Michelle Yeoh, is also very tight.
The sets and production should also be applauded. In some scenes, it truly felt like I had been teleported back to 1939’s The Wizard of Oz.
Despite all these positives, several factors truly drag the experience down and leave a slight feeling of disappointment, and it’s purely a result of not accurately adapting the musical.
First, and most obviously, are the songs.
No musical number in Wicked: For Good touches the brilliance of what was in the first. While part one had the likes of Popular, Dancing Through Life, The Wizard and I and Defy Gravity, Wicked: For Good boasts nothing of that calibre, aside from No Good Deed.
This is no different in the musical either.
The pacing is also all over the place. It takes quite a while to get back into the swing of the narrative. While the joy of being back in this world carries excitement for a while, it becomes quite tedious. Even an hour in, with an entire first movie, the film is still setting pieces in place.
This causes the middle act to drag dramatically. Meanwhile, when we do reach the endgame, the film flies through it like it’s sprinting to the credits.
The way the film handles the events of The Wizard of Oz is also quite distracting.
Instead of putting Dorothy, Toto and the gang front and centre, they’re treated like a chore.
Aside from a musical number with the Lion and the Tin Man, only the back of their heads is ever shown. It was quite annoying to watch and took me out of the film every time.
What’s even more confusing about this decision is that in the original story, the Wicked Witch and Galinda both share scenes with these characters, so it was clearly an intentional decision to draw away from them.
Ultimately, Wicked: For Good wasn’t as good as its predecessor, but it was still an enjoyable time at the movies.
The production carries the entire thing, and the film’s two leads are both fantastic, even in spite of their strange press tour antics.
Wicked: For Good is showing in cinemas across the country.
