Reaching a 'Good' Conclusion
Jon M. Chu’s Wicked: For Good is the epic conclusion to the acclaimed Broadway musical adaptation of Wicked. The film follows Elphaba and Glinda four years after the events of the first film, both coming to terms with the choices they have made. The film has many highlights, but it does not live up to the spectacle of its predecessor.
A Grim Beginning
The first film left off when Elphaba is dubbed the “Wicked Witch of the West,” and the film begins with Glinda becoming known as “Glinda the Good.” This is where the film sets the ground because this film is more of a character study in juxtaposition to its predecessor. Both of the leads in the film go on their own journeys throughout, and it’s only in the middle of the film that they meet again. Elphaba’s story is set up from the first film, and while it does pick up where the story left off, it doesn’t have the same impact as it did in Wicked. While the Elphaba that the audience knows from Wicked is there, it feels tonally different this time around. Everything that is known about Elphaba does not change in any way or add to what has been showcased before. This sets the film back because the second half of Wicked has always been known to be darker and a lot more emotionally dialed in, and this is not fully the case until the end (which has its flaws as well). As for Glinda, there is so much screen time and presence. The way she shows up in the film comes off a bit overdone at times. Glinda’s character arc comes off as performative in this film, sometimes to make her struggles bigger than they are. The singularity between the lead characters in this film led to the film losing its emotional perspective. Unfortunately, it’s easy to forget why these two are friends, and in this film, we needed a reminder. There should have been more flashbacks of their friendship or even present moments in the film that reignite the spark from the previous film. This being excluded ruined a rushed ending that was meant to move the audience to tears.
Wicked Performances
The acting in this film is one of the highlights. This is partly because the film remains faithful to the Broadway source material. The acting in the film wasn’t a problem, but there wasn’t much added that could have been, and it didn’t leave anything new that hadn’t already been seen on stage. The direction this time around struggled because the beat of the first film wasn’t matched in this film, and the rushing of some scenes took away from the great acting of this cast.
Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba was the best part of the film. While there wasn’t much added to her arc from the first film, her presence in this was staggering. The moment where she sings “No Place Like Home” is one of the only moments where she can give something new to the narrative. Aside from that, the rendition of “No Good Deed” is momentous; the vocal work and musicality that she puts into this number rival her performance of “Defying Gravity” to a varying degree. Aside from that moment, much isn’t left because “For Good” is rushed. The moment that number begins goes in without a much-needed emotional follow-up. While this isn’t Erivo’s fault, it does diminish her impact.
Ariana Grande’s Glinda is catered to heavily in this film, and while it is a bit overdone, she handles it well. The moment she shows up on screen during “Everyday More Wicked,” she has only grown into the role even more, though there is more perspective needed for her to elevate it. In “Thank Goodness,” Grande is brought down by Michelle Yeoh’s horrendous singing, but saves the second half of the number due to her heavily focused solo, where she shines the brightest. Just like Erivo in “No Place Like Home,” Grande can showcase focus as to what she is struggling with in “Girl in the Bubble,” which was another great moment for her. But the perspective is lacking because there isn’t anything that warrants the timing of the song in that specific moment.
Though “For Good” was a rushed number once the singing has concluded, the film heavily relies on Grande; while there isn’t anything groundbreaking happening at this point, she concludes the film well enough that it’s a good conclusion.
As for the rest of the cast, Michelle Yeoh is miscast completely in this film, but it is even more apparent in this film. There is a level of grandeur that is needed for the role of Madam Morrible, aside from vocal ability, that was missing from the film entirely. Jeff Goldblum was solid as the wizard. There wasn’t much from him outside of the musical number in “Wonderful” and the end of the film. Still, his performance was solid. Marissa Bode’s continuation of Nessarose was done extremely well; seeing her step into her villain arc was handled with so much care, and it made for one of the best parts of the film. Alongside her was Ethan Slater’s Boq, who was just as poised, especially in their scenes together. His transformation during “The Wicked Witch of the East” is crafted extremely well. Lastly, Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero was given a lot more in this film than what may be expected. Unlike the first film, he is more serious this time around, and his on-screen presence with Erivo during “As Long as You’re Mine” is crafted nicely for what their relationship holds for the remainder of the film.
While Jon M. Chu’s direction in Wicked was an amazing spectacle, the same cannot be said for Wicked: For Good. The film has a huge pacing problem; because of this, the film would have benefited if it were either longer or combined with Wicked altogether. While the film begins in the middle of the story, it feels like it begins in the middle with no actual beginning, which sets an unstable tone for the film. The unstable tone is even more obvious when the wizard tie-ins come into play. Those moments cheapen the film and add nothing significant to the plot, as they should. The lack of emotional perspective and spectacle that the first film had is barely showcased in this film, and that is the film’s biggest problem. There are key moments in a friendship, and there was barely a showcase or memorable moment of that in this film. This would have helped the musical number in Wicked: For Good immensely, aside from it being rushed with no room to be sentimental about what is about to transpire. While there are many flaws in Wicked: For Good due to Jon M. Chu’s direction, the conclusion is safe and honors the Broadway adaptation.
Bubbly Visuals
When it comes to the technical aspect of Wicked: For Good, these tools are not utilized to the same standard as in Wicked. The lighting isn’t as practical as it was in the first film, and the effects feel a bit VFX-heavy this time around. This was also demonstrated during the lighting in some scenes, as there were moments that felt mundane and could have used a bit of contrast to offset the unpleasant backdrops. While the songs from the second half aren’t as notable as the first, the addition of lines and the talking instead of singing in some moments weakens them. This is a huge point of contention because, at the same time, the sound mixing was off. It is obvious when Grande begins to sing “Thank Goodness,” and the sound is louder than she is singing. This happens throughout the film at some points, and it takes away from the Broadway adaptation’s original musical choices. While there were effects that deterred the film, the editing was not one of them; the editing choices were well done and even more beautifully done towards the end of the film.
A Good Conclusion
In conclusion, while Wicked: For Good is not a grand closing to the Broadway adaptation, it is a safe one. Though the film is a step down from its predecessor, the hardcore Wicked fans will more than likely still appreciate the film, and those who weren’t so big on the first film will more than likely not enjoy this conclusion. The amazing performances from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande carry the film, though there is much emotional depth to be desired from their friendship.
See Wicked: For Good in theaters now.
Wicked: For Good (2025) Official Universal Pictures Trailer
Source: Dead Talk Live
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Author
Elke Simmons' writing portfolio includes contributions to The Laredo Morning Times, Walt Disney World Eyes and Ears, Extinction Rebellion (XR) News/Blog, and Dead Talk News.