Wicked: For Good is not a big, flashy movie musical like its predecessor, Wicked. But that’s a good thing — no pun intended. Director Jon M. Chu has said time and time again that Wicked: For Good is about consequences, and that is absolutely correct.
The Ozians we got to know and love in Wicked: Part 1 each face new, difficult challenges in the second Wicked film. And it’s brought to life by emotional performances from an outstanding cast. Ultimately, this epic conclusion may have brought us to tears and broken us in unexpected ways. But we couldn’t be happier Wicked: For Good is finally here!
WARNING: This review contains spoilers for Wicked: For Good.
MORE: How does the Wicked the Musical end? We break it all down!
Wicked: For Good Tackles Tough Themes
While both Wicked movies share similarities in the themes they address, Wicked: For Good is, without a doubt, more serious. The narrative is darker, and the realities the characters face are harsh. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is in full-on activist mode and lives a solitary life in the enchanted forest. The movie opens with her attacking Emerald City officials who are supervising the construction of the Yellow Brick Road, which involves animal labor and cruelty.
The action-packed opening scene centers on standing up for an oppressed group. And it sets the stage and tone for Wicked: For Good as a whole. This helps the second film stand out and demonstrates the growth and maturity every character is being forced to face.
MORE: Why the ‘Wicked’ Musical and Book Are Bad Excuses For Sharing ‘Wicked: For Good’ Spoilers
Ariana Grande’s Glinda Changed Us for Good
Wicked, at its core, may tell the tale of Glinda and Elphaba’s friendship — but Wicked: For Good is truly Glinda’s (Ariana Grande) story of becoming Glinda the Good. Along the way, we see Erivo bring a new vulnerability and fierceness to Elphaba. That’s especially true as she lives a lonely life in her fight for the animals and attempts to bring the Wizard’s (Jeff Goldblum) true colors to light. And in true Glinda fashion, Grande’s Glinda ultimately shines the brightest. (But we definitely foresee award nominations for both witches!)
Of all the characters in Wicked: For Good, Glinda has the biggest arc of them all — even if it’s not a drastic physical transformation like others experience. Seeing Glinda go from a self-obsessed, shallow, naive girl to an empowered, self-realized, committed leader is one of the most rewarding parts of the second Wicked film. Though those changes begin in Wicked when she befriends Elphaba, the bulk of the work happens in Wicked: For Good.
Glinda truly comes to terms with and realizes she is not living up to the name the Wizard — or Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) probably — gave her. It’s evident Grande put her entire heart and soul into becoming Glinda. She quite literally put herself in the witch’s shoes. Every little nuance and emotion Glinda feels is clearly seen and felt. Grande’s Glinda is the performance of a lifetime, and it’s simultaneously heartbreaking and inspiring.
Fantastical Features
Dare we say every performance from the seven main cast members is award-worthy? Though their screen time is minimal in Wicked: For Good, Marissa Bode and Ethan Slater were both phenomenal as Nessarose and Boq, respectively. Nessa goes from a sweet, innocent girl who just wants a fresh start at Shiz to the sinister and selfish governess of Munchkinland who becomes the Wicked Witch of the East. It’s a complete 180, and Bode handles it flawlessly.
Boq was a hopeless and spineless Munchkin who was head over heels for Galinda. He was — despite some poor decision-making — ultimately harmless. In Wicked: For Good, we see the Munchkin finally unleash his true feelings and go from a hopeless and willing follower to an enraged leader on the hunt for the Wicked Witch of the West as the Tin Man. Slater not only gets a chance to shine more through his singing but also through the range of dark emotions his character portrays.
And there’s no way we could even discuss Wicked: For Good without bringing up Jonathan Bailey and his Ozmazing Fiyero! The Winkie Prince may still be unhappy, but he has a purpose and mission this time: to find Elphaba. There’s an extra focus on Fiyero’s eyes in this second Wicked film. And Bailey is able to convey such strong emotions through them. Whether making the difficult decision to leave Glinda, finally embracing Elphaba, or apologizing to Glinda before turning into the Scarecrow, Bailey does an incredible job of emoting with even the subtlest expressions. He also sounds outstanding in “As Long As You’re Mine” alongside Erivo, which is no easy feat!
They aren’t part of the cast, but the makeup team on Wicked: For Good deserves a big shoutout! As if greenifying Erivo into Elphaba every day wasn’t tough enough, they had even more to do in the second Wicked film. Tin Man looked so incredible and seamlessly metallic that it was honestly a little hard to tell it was Ethan Slater. And Scarecrow? That burlap skin and straw hair are incredibly detailed!
‘Wicked: For Good’ Changes the Story of ‘Wicked the Musical’ for the Better
Even for those who’ve seen Wicked the Musical countless times, Wicked: For Good had plenty of surprises in store. And that was a heartbreaking delight. One of the biggest changes from the musical was the addition of two new songs. One was for Elphaba, cleverly titled “No Place Like Home.” And the other one was for Glinda, called “The Girl in the Bubble.” Each song provided a valuable perspective that’s missing from the musical. That’s a great thing about adapting a stage musical into a movie. There’s more time and space to do more.
Another major departure from the stage musical was actually doing something with the animal plot.
In the musical, we never really see Elphaba fighting for animals’ rights. She sees Dr. Dillamond caged up in the Wizard’s palace and gets angry about it, but that’s pretty much where it ends. On the other hand, Wicked: For Good shows it loud and clear. Considering the animal storyline is the catalyst for the plot of Wicked and Elphaba’s arc, we couldn’t be happier to see Elphaba keep the fight alive in the film.
Last, but not least, is Glinda the Good. Wicked the Musical ends with Fiyero and Elphaba running — or walking rather — out of Oz, and there’s next to no resolution with Glinda and Oz post-Wicked Witch of the West. Wicked: For Good surprises musical fans by not ending exactly where Wicked started.
Instead, we see Glinda proclaim to the Munchkins that she wants to truly be Glinda the Good and do good for Oz. One way she begins to do that is by welcoming back the animals of Oz and embracing them as citizens of Oz. Dr. Dillamond even returns to Shiz! By adding more to Glinda’s arc, we get a more satisfying and complete ending to the untold story of the witches of Oz.
Wicked: For Good is now in theaters.
