Wicked: For Good Review - A less-than-perfect albeit epic conclusion
- Chase Gifford
- 4 hours ago
- 5 min read
“In real life, the hardest aspect of the battle between good and evil is determining which is which.” - George R. R. Martin
Sequels are notoriously difficult to pull off. The first film is an establishment of what’s to come. It introduces characters, settings, plot points, and themes. It gives you a visual introduction that will hopefully inspire and carry throughout. Everything about the second chapter in a franchise hinges on the success and reception of the first. This is its own unique obstacle. Should the first work well enough then comes the issues only a sequel encounters. If the first is well received then the challenge becomes how to preserve that into the next addition. It needs to honor what happened in part one while taking the characters into uncharted territory. They must change and grow without losing who they are in a way that feels like a betrayal to what came before. It’s a highwire act and there’s no net below. Succeed or perish.
A story like Wicked is of a rarer origin. Normally a part two is never promised from the beginning. It usually has to be earned at the box office. There are exceptions of course – The Lord of the Rings all filmed back to back to back, The Hobbit ten years later, Back to the Future parts II & III, the final two Avenger films in the Infinity Saga. It’s a gamble for studios to bet on an IP without proof of validity and financial promise.
Wicked was greenlit for both parts to be filmed simultaneously because of the established fanbase for the stageplay of the same name. Thanksgiving 2024, Part 1 was released and shocked the world. Not only was it good, it was one of the best films of the year. It featured outstanding musical numbers with incredible set designs, glorious CGI, and most importantly, the characters were true to their origins with perfect casting and precise direction from Jon M. Chu. It made believers of the doubters like myself converting us into genuine fans. When the credits began I experienced something unexpected; a desire to see the epic conclusion. And here we are.
Even rarer than the good sequel is the sequel that surpasses the first. We saw this last year with Dune: Part Two. I’ll just get this out of the way now – Part 2 of the Wicked epic is not as good as the first. I wish I could say that we have a burgeoning masterpiece but it’s just not the case. However short it may fall of the first’s glory, it still sticks the landing convincingly and completely. I genuinely enjoyed part 2 but it’s never able to rise above the shadow of the first. The first features the best music, the most inspirational moments, the best character arcs, and is far more joyous. Part 2 is still a tremendous achievement with moments of brilliance, epic music sequences and an award worthy performance from Ariana Grande. If part 1 is Elphaba’s chapter, For Good is unquestionably Glinda's shining triumph. And the ending is more than satisfying leaving these beloved characters to live on in the imaginations of fans the world over.
What For Good does best is to preserve the spirit of the first while introducing conflict with a fascinating climax and unexpected dramatic power that is complimentary to what makes this all work so well. The first leaves you wanting more. You have to know what happens to them all. We need to see the results of their choices and experience their journey with them successes and failures alike. Part 2 honors all of this.
For Good sees our favorite witches in very different places since we saw them last. Elphaba is all powerful and in total control of her abilities. She is also on the run from the lies of the Wizard and his evil cohort, Madame Morrible. She tries to preserve what makes Oz so beautiful and beloved by destroying the invasive yellow brick road and protecting the animals. They fear for their lives and Elphaba is losing the propaganda battle at every turn. She may have the powers, they have the louder voice. In the eyes of the Ozians she is the Wicked Witch of the West.
Glinda the Good, as she is now known, is the designated defender of Oz against the alleged attacks of Elphaba. Glinda is a mirror image of Emerald City with its gloss and shine when beneath the surface is a morally complex organism where prejudice and ego have infected everything. Glinda is the spirit of what Ozians want to see. Behind the scenes she is sad and scared for her friend as well as the sanctity of Oz as its worst inhabitants continue their stranglehold on what makes it all a place worth living. She fears for the future of Oz and what will happen to it if someone as amazing as Elphaba is labeled a villain.
This is the conclusion of their journey from strangers to friends, friends to sisters to enemies. Even though they know the truth, the Wizard and Madame are formidable and experienced, often infecting what Elphaba and Glinda know to be true. For them both, Oz is worth the fight and so is the chance of finding one another for the better. The stakes are high and the outcome will be For Good.
Part 2 can feel clunky. It loses its momentum when it tries to repeatedly connect itself to The Wizard of Oz when it should focus entirely on the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda. That is where the epic shines, when they are the focus. When the musical numbers happen in part 1, it makes you feel something. They are grand and epic. They inspire. Part 2’s musical numbers, while still entertaining, pale in comparison. Plainly put, most of the best music is in part 1. Still, a standout number is the titular track, “For Good” which features the two main characters dueting, proclaiming their love and affection for one another while also mourning what is to come. It’s a profoundly poignant and powerful moment.
I think part 1 is better but For Good is still a tremendous conclusion. The music is great, the performances are extraordinary, the imagery explodes with color and scale. It uses every inch of the massive screen, demanding attention and earning nearly every second of it. Whatever shortcomings it has are overwhelmed by what it does incredibly. There is so much to love here and as a recently acquainted fan of the Wicked mythos, I’m fully satisfied by what can only be described as an epic conclusion to this fascinating and extraordinary, larger-than-life musical journey. As a whole, Wicked is a resounding achievement. It may not be the stage version but it still earns a standing ovation. Bravo!
Rated PG For: action/violence, some suggestive material and thematic material
Runtime: 138 minutes
After Credits Scene: No
Genre: Musical, Fantasy, Adventure
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh
Directed By: Jon M. Chu
Out of 10
Story: 8/ Acting: 10/ Directing: 8.5/ Visuals: 10
OVERALL: 8/10
Buy to Own: Yes.
Check out the trailer below: