{"id":43111,"date":"2025-12-05T12:43:54","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T17:43:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/?p=43111"},"modified":"2025-12-05T12:44:49","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T17:44:49","slug":"wicked-for-good-depends-who-you-ask","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/tartan-news\/2025\/12\/05\/wicked-for-good-depends-who-you-ask\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Wicked: For Good’? Depends who you ask"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cWicked\u201d has been a beloved musical staple since it first premiered in 2003, making it one of only four Broadway plays ever to hit the 20-year milestone<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now in the show\u2019s ripe old age, the release of the movie adaptation has attracted throngs of new (sometimes unsuspecting) fans. But along with the flood of affection has also come annoyance and mockery toward the franchise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are on the Internet for any amount of time, it\u2019s nearly impossible for your feed to be untouched by \u201cWicked.\u201d Stars Cynthia Erivo (the \u201cwicked witch\u201d Elphaba) and Ariana Grande-Butera (the pink and perky Glinda) have achieved a unique, almost alien presence online. Their dynamic has mystified viewers throughout their trademark hand-holding, tearful interviews, inspiring endless memes<\/a> and parodies<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande reprise their roles as Elphaba and Glinda in “Wicked: For Good”.<\/strong> UNIVERSAL PICTURES<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Because of this, it seems that everyone has a bias going into part two. There are a few distinct camps: lifelong fans of the play who will either love the movie no matter what or <\/em>will <\/em>never have their expectations met; viewers who were introduced through the first film and hope to have their minds blown again; and people who refuse to give it a fair chance. Wherever you fall on the \u201cWicked\u201d spectrum, it\u2019s safe to say the show elicits a strong response<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWicked: For Good\u201d follows the events of the first film an ambiguous amount of time later, believed by fans to be three to five years. However, it\u2019s important to remember that this is Act II of the same play, not a traditional sequel. Therein lies the first issue with how audiences are receiving the second film: its story arc seems to fall flat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thinking of it this way, it\u2019s easy to understand. Act I introduced the characters, developed the world of Oz for modern audiences, and ended on the most literal of high notes as Elphaba soared off into the distance, leaving moviegoers hungry for more. It did nothing but build, build, build\u2013leaving little room for Act II to expand any further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a well-known occurrence on Broadway: the first act of a play is typically longer and more fun, setting the stage for Act II to wrap up all of the storylines introduced. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Director Jon M. Chu works with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande on the set of “Wicked: For Good”. <\/strong>UNIVERSAL PICTURES<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This could be chalked up to \u201cFor Good\u201d being devoutly beholden to the source material, but that doesn\u2019t feel like a satisfying answer. The first film showed no reluctance to linger in moments that lengthened songs and allowed emotion to build. The second seemed to drag in all the wrong places; for example Glinda\u2019s repetitive opening number, \u201cI Couldn\u2019t Be Happier,\u201d went on way too long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another common complaint is that the pacing felt strange, rushed and at times, even lazy. There were moments throughout the movie, particularly whenever Dorothy\u2019s storyline came into play, that left me with a feeling of, \u201cWait, that was it?\u201d The editing skipped major parts of the familiar narrative, disappointing fans who were looking forward to more of the parallels that make the show so compelling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, Dorothy never faces the camera and the audience only hears her voice once or twice. Director Jon M. Chu addressed the vagueness of her character in an interview with Variety magazine<\/a>, saying he \u201cwants everyone\u2019s Dorothy to be whatever Dorothy they want.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At times, one of the central themes was also poorly executed, with characters oscillating between \u201cgood\u201d and \u201cbad\u201d morality instead of delving into the complexity within the two. They appeared to make quick decisions without any remorse, such as when Fiyero and Elphaba ran off together and left a heartbroken Glinda behind. Given that Fiyero and Glinda were about to be married and that we know how much \u201cElphie\u201d loves her friend, I would have expected more conflict about the decision on her part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even when the house is dropped on Elphaba\u2019s sister, there was a lack of emotion aside from a quick kneel before the wreckage. This scene felt, for lack of a better term, weird. It was as if Nessa Rose\u2019s death served only as a detail and gave the two leads one more thing to bicker about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh star as The Wizard and Madame Morrible<\/strong> in “Wicked: For Good”. <\/strong>UNIVERSAL PICTURES<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With all that said, \u201cWicked: For Good\u201d was certainly \u201cchanged for the better\u201d at certain points, mainly thanks to the cast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every one of the actors did an incredible job, down to the details of portraying their characters as older. Not only due to the make-up and costume departments (which deserve rave reviews of their own), the characters truly seemed bogged down and driven to near-madness. They are no longer the wide-eyed, fun-loving innocents we got to know in Act I. This is even more impressive considering the movies were filmed at the same time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Villains Jeff Goldblum (the \u201cwonderful wizard\u201d) and Michelle Yeoh (sorceress Madame Morrible) were unsurprisingly delightful. They both thrived in their roles, with Goldblum wholly embracing the campy conman and Yeoh unleashing her character\u2019s full powers of manipulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erivo\u2019s portrayal of a now fully realized Elphaba was nothing short of spellbinding, and though there are not as many iconic musical numbers as in the first act, she flew to the rescue with \u201cNo Good Deed.\u201d Her vocal control, especially performing a song so emotionally and technically complex, was unforgettable. This explosive cinematic moment was one of just a few that carried a similar tone to the first film.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo hold hands at the “Journey Through Oz” Tour to celebrate the Australian premiere of “Wicked” at State Theatre on Nov. 3, 2024 in Sydney, Australia.<\/strong> GETTY IMAGES<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

It was hard not to get emotional during the movie as well. In an effort to inspire persecuted animals to stay and fight for Oz, Elphaba delivers \u201cNo Place Like Home,\u201d a particularly timely song in a climate of government crackdowns and political arrests. This was a theme the production got right: the propaganda machine against Elphaba was terrifying and felt unbeatable<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grande-Butera got more opportunities to flesh out Glinda\u2019s character in this film and is also an incredibly convincing crier; it was impossible not to feel for her. Her signature improvisations (such as grabbing and stroking Elphaba\u2019s hand during their rendition of \u201cFor Good\u201d) show how immersed she had become in this world, after years of being a fan of the play herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a skillful cast and exquisite set design, \u201cWicked: For Good\u201d is definitely worth seeing. But viewers should take care to remember that it is neither a sequel nor a standalone production: it is the controversial conclusion of an \u201cunlimited\u201d cultural phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hannah Kichline, multimedia editor<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out more posts by the Clarion: <\/p>\n\n\n