Name: Wicked: for good
Director: John M. Chu
Author: Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox (based on Wicked by Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Wicked by Gregory Maguire)
Mould: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Colman Domingo
Rating: 2.5/5
Wicked: For the good plot
The sequel film takes place five years after Elphaba Throop’s big battle against the Wonderful Wizard of Oz in Wicked, in which she gains the upper hand. However, soon after her victory she is branded as the Wicked Witch of the West, and exiled to Oz to live in hiding away from all other creatures. Her presence strikes fear in the hearts of the citizens, and Madame Morrible drives her away whenever she gets the chance. However, Glinda Upland is portrayed as a superior who speaks for the Wizard and must maintain his conduct despite knowing the truth about him.
Glinda and Fierro Tigelaar are ready to get married, but Elphaba has different plans and desires to uncover the truth behind the wonderful wizard who is fooling everyone. Between duty to her land and loyalty to her friend, it remains to be seen what path Glinda will take.
What works for the wicked: for the good
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are fantastic singers, and that can’t be denied. Both of them have time and again proven their worth as the perfect choices for the roles of Glinda and Elphaba, and the same is true for their second halves. The film is beautifully crafted and is a visual treat, especially in 3D, where one can see weapons being thrown on the screen and believe it to be real. The costume department has done its job very well. Every gown worn by Ariana Grande could fit perfectly into any princess-themed Met Gala. Each song sequence, especially in Oz, is supported by well-calculated dance accompaniment and blends with the extravagant nature of the film.
What doesn’t work for the wicked: for the good
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo have more chemistry than Jonathan Bailey. While it’s true that the Bridgerton star can romance a pol, he’s stuck like an odd thumb out between two blossoming stars, except for one saving grace moment at the end, when he sacrifices himself for Elphaba’s safety.
The story doesn’t help the film last long, especially considering all the singing involved. At the end of it, you almost can’t take another song out of some random word they thought would make sense.
Acting Performance in Wicked: For Good
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo have held up their side of the deal pretty well, but all the flying and maybe the green screen has messed with their sense of what can look exaggerated. Jonathan Bailey, unfortunately, doesn’t make his eyes sparkle despite doing more work than anything else. He appears to be disappointed, but at the wrong time, and it doesn’t match up well with the emotion one might be looking for.
Michelle Yeoh is quite the opposite; She takes over whatever scene she appears in and every time she comes into the frame, you can be sure that she will slay!
Last Judgment of the Wicked: For the Good
After the stellar performance with Wicked, a lot of expectations were placed on part two. Like all sequels, it manages to amp up the thrill with a very long runtime, an overzealous cast and extreme exaggeration of the simplest things. The musical portion of the film is lovely, but one can only see a lot of songs about ‘goodness’. The visual aspects of the film are top notch, and there’s no debate about that, but that’s mostly all the film has to offer.
