Last year’s blockbuster film “Wicked” dazzled viewers with its big screen adaptation of a beloved Broadway musical. “Wicked: For Good,” which premiered in theaters Nov. 21, concludes the story with gripping songs, gorgeous scenery and the finale of an enduring tale of friendship, redemption and love.
For those keeping score at home, the “Wicked” films are adaptations of the play “Wicked,” which is a musical loosely based on the novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” by Gregory Maguire, which takes its inspiration from the 1900 children’s book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum, which was famously made into a musical film starring Judy Garland in 1939. Despite numerous retellings over the past century, the stories of Oz still delight.
At the end of the first Wicked movie, Glinda (played by Ariana Grande) decides to try and reform the Wizard of Oz’s corrupt government from the inside. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) opts to expose the Wizard’s lies. But instead of igniting a revolution, the people believe the propaganda campaign of Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) and blame Oz’s woes on Elphaba, or as she becomes known, the Wicked Witch of the West. Even the talking, anthropomorphic animals that Elphaba is trying to save from the Wizard’s mistreatment find it difficult to trust her. She dramatically opens the movie with an aerial broomstick attack of workers forcing animals to build the iconic yellow brick road.
Meanwhile, the glamorous Glinda sports one fabulous confection of a dress after another as she floats throughout Oz in her poppin’ pink bubble, propping up the Wizard’s rule while secretly rooting for Elphaba. As Captain of the Wizard’s Guard, Prince Fiyero (played by Jonathan Bailey) is tasked with finding Elphaba, though he actually hopes to protect her from harm. Fiyero unwittingly becomes engaged to Glinda, which provides a welcome distraction for a country reeling from mayhem. Actor Jeff Goldblum convincingly brings the charming yet underhanded Wizard of Oz to life.
Through betrayal and grief, Elphaba and Glinda maintain a deep love for one another, culminating in the showstopping song “For Good,” a powerful reflection on friendship. Erivo and Grande’s vocals shimmer and shine throughout the film. Two new songs were written for the movie by original composer Stephen Schwartz — “Girl in the Bubble” for Glinda and “No Place Like Home” for Elphaba, which is a lovely nod to the heel-clicking Dorothy of old. The scene also showcases some adorable CGI critters.
Director Jon M. Chu’s work, which includes “Crazy Rich Asians” and “In the Heights,” is always over the top and visually stunning. The sparkling, metropolitan Oz and the colorful, provincial Munchkinland are cheery contrasts to Elphaba’s woodland hideaway and later the dark castle where she imprisons Dorothy. The few dance numbers are pops of joy in an altogether more serious sequel.
Lovers of the musical will thoroughly enjoy that the story and songs from the play are fantastically brought to life onscreen. The uninitiated may be slightly taken aback by Wicked: For Good’s twisting of the well-known Wizard of Oz tale when Dorothy and her companions finally arrive. But defy any disbelief and accept the topsy-turvy world of “Wicked.” Fly alongside Elphaba and Glinda as they work in tandem to save the home they love.
The film runs 2 hours and 17 minutes and is rated PG for “action/violence, some suggestive material and thematic material.” Though appropriate for most viewers, parents should be aware of an implied premarital sex scene, the use of witchcraft, and, of course, flying monkeys.
Maraist is a freelancer from Reston.
