The first one was a candy-colored slog, but ‘Wicked: For Good’ is pleasantly sour

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Finally, “Wicked: For Good” explains how Glinda travels in her bubble. It’s not actually magic, but a clever invention created by the Wizard himself. He uses it to make the Munchkins believe Glinda has magical powers, even though she’s charming but not very skilled. As his spokesperson put it, the bubble is simply a “vehicle – a spherical globe.”

As the character Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) points out, the visual spectacle is key. And after the somewhat disappointing story of the 2024 film “Wicked,” director Jon M. Chu delivers a more clever and energetic sequel focused on the impressive display of persuasive messaging.

This version of Oz is all about appearances, and the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) is a master of illusion and public relations. He sings a charmingly old-fashioned song explaining that people will cling to whatever story you convince them is true. The song’s playful music and dance style are reminiscent of classic performers like Charlie Chaplin and Joel Grey, who actually played the Wizard on Broadway.

The movie’s story, written by Dana Fox and originally a Broadway play by Winnie Holzman, closely follows the 2003 stage musical, which was itself based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, “Wicked.” Think of the gap between the two films as a long intermission. The first movie spent a lot of time establishing the world and characters, while the second one features much more action and loss of life.

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Cynthia Erivo knows who she is and owns it proudly — as does her ‘Wicked’ character Elphaba

As a quick reminder from the first “Wicked” film, Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) – who later becomes the Wicked Witch – were college roommates. Glinda is naturally popular and well-liked, while Elphaba is an outsider with magical abilities, only truly accepted by her sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode), the charming Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), and eventually, the bubbly Glinda. Now a little older, the two have become leaders on opposite sides: Glinda is a popular figure in the Emerald City, and Elphaba is a passionate advocate for animal rights – essentially, a green-tinted version of an environmental activist.

Cynthia Erivo is an incredibly talented performer with a powerful voice and commanding presence. However, her recent film didn’t quite work because she was too strong and confident to convincingly play a shy, insecure student. On stage, it’s common to see older actresses play roles like Elphaba in ‘Wicked’ – Idina Menzel was 32 when she first played the part. But in a close-up film, it’s simply unbelievable to see Erivo portray a timid character. It’s as unrealistic as asking Diana Ross, a renowned diva, to play a naive and sheltered Dorothy in ‘The Wiz,’ as director Sidney Lumet did.

Cynthia Erivo’s performance benefits from her character’s newfound wisdom and world-weariness, even if seeing her skateboard on a broomstick is still a bit silly. She makes a dramatic entrance, flying over poppy fields to liberate the oxen that are being cruelly forced to construct the Yellow Brick Road. The animals are treated so badly that it’s likely to inspire at least a few viewers to reconsider eating meat.

Later in the film, Erivo’s Elphaba shares a romantic night with Bailey’s Fiyero. Their initial love scene feels a little stiff – the actors don’t quite click, and they’re weighed down by elaborate costumes. However, the director pushes the scene forward, turning it into a surprisingly sensual encounter that unfolds in a tree. As they sing a slightly more suggestive version of “As Long as You’re Mine” – reminiscent of a song from a 90s suspense film – Elphaba begins to undress, and Fiyero removes his military gear. By the next morning, they finally share a passionate kiss.

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The classic 1939 film has been reimagined using artificial intelligence to fill the massive space of a Las Vegas immersive experience. But has the adaptation strayed too far from the original story?

The heart of the story truly lies in the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda. Thankfully, the script portrays their connection as strong but complex – their friendship bends but doesn’t break. They both genuinely want the best for each other and for the land of Oz, but they have very different ideas about how to achieve it – one believes in force, while the other favors kindness.

Elphaba, hardened by a difficult life, is determined to confront the powerful Wizard and reveal him as a fraud who maintains control by oppressing talking animals. Glinda, on the other hand, believes kindness and positivity can solve any problem. The musical “For Good” explores whether it’s better to be honest, even when it’s harsh, or to present a more pleasant version of reality, and ultimately suggests that choosing kindness is the more effective approach.

Ariana Grande fully embraces the artificiality of Glinda, sporting exaggerated eyelashes and a very bright blonde hairstyle. This fits the character perfectly, as Glinda is meant to be the cheerful face of a somewhat deceptive system. Grande has been playing bubbly, somewhat ditzy roles since her early days on Nickelodeon, and it’s hard to imagine her in a different type of part. However, she’s brilliantly funny here, making Glinda both genuinely sweet and hilariously superficial. Her fight scenes with Elphaba are comically clumsy, and even when she’s sad, she manages a touch of playful, almost childlike movement.

The new song and dance number, “The Girl in the Bubble,” is filmed in a single, continuous shot with a moving camera. While the computer-generated effects aren’t entirely convincing, the cinematographer, Alice Brooks, deserves credit for trying to add a lot of visual flair to a movie that already features incredibly elaborate costumes, even for minor characters. However, the camera work is often overly flashy and doesn’t allow the viewer to focus on the details or the actors’ feelings. It feels like the camera should have been kept still instead of constantly swirling and circling.

As a film lover, I was really struck by how powerful some of the still shots were. There’s this one moment with Glinda and Elphaba singing on either side of a wall, and it’s so intimate – you really feel their vulnerability when they think no one’s watching. And then there’s this incredible long take focusing on Glinda’s face, and in the blurry background, you see the Wizard and Morrible plotting something awful with a tornado – it’s chilling and brilliantly done.

Even though you expect a character to meet an unfortunate end, it’s still surprising when it happens, especially considering the filmmakers already changed one character’s storyline to make it more appropriate for a general audience. Director Chu replaced a graphic image with a more respectful moment of sadness. Every death or injury feels abrupt and impactful. Some scary scenes, like those with the scarecrow, are a bit awkward, and the reveal of the Tin Man feels like a parody of Jack Nicholson’s performance in “The Shining.” However, these unexpected, slightly off-kilter moments prevent the movie from becoming overly sentimental.

“For Good” successfully revisits the world of Oz. The added scenes and reworked songs make the length worthwhile, despite the film still being quite long (over two and a half hours, like the original). A new song, “No Place Like Home,” allows Erivo to transform the iconic line into a powerful, politically charged message. She sings about the sadness of leaving everything behind to a group of animals escaping Oz through a secret underground network. I found it touching, though the animal characters didn’t seem to react.

Throughout the film, we don’t see Dorothy’s reactions directly, but other characters often talk about her negatively – either finding her frustrating or foolish. However, if you pay attention to what she does, she appears to be used as a tool in a larger scheme, and even acts recklessly, almost as if she doesn’t consider the consequences of her actions – to the point where one description famously called her someone who quickly resorts to killing.

If kids watch this film before seeing the original 1939 ‘Wizard of Oz,’ they might not be able to appreciate Dorothy’s story the same way. It could change how they view the whole idea of ‘there’s no place like home.’

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2025-11-18 20:32