Wicked: For Good hit theaters on Friday, November 21 and is already as huge a success as the first movie. Breathtaking, thrilling, and heartbreaking, the second act of the beloved Broadway musical touches viewers in countless ways.
The movie opens with a considerable time jump from “Defying Gravity” to when the yellow brick road is complete and awaiting Dorothy. While the first movie proceeds her arrival, this one parallels The Wizard of Oz and, like the Broadway musical, does a remarkable job of both staying true to the original story and also explaining it from the Wicked perspective. Everything, from Dorothy’s three famous friends from Oz to Dorothy’s arrival in Munchkinland is strategically shown in a way that will blow audiences’ minds.
Not only did it effectively follow The Wizard of Oz, this movie also stayed true to its roots: the Wicked Broadway musical and book. With the exception of adding two songs, some new verses to old songs, and a few news scenes to extend the length of the movie and add more depth, the concepts have stayed the exact same. The more well-known Act 2 songs: “For Good,” “No Good Deed,” and “As Long As You’re Mine” have still remained entirely intact and Wicked purists can still anticipate the same plot twists and ending as in the original musical.
However, even masterpieces have their flaws. For Wicked: For Good, those are unfortunately in the music. “Girl in the Bubble” is Glinda’s new heartbreaking ballad which is beautiful and adds even more depth to her character. Despite this, it’s too similar to “I’m Not That Girl,” which Glinda sings the reprise to earlier in the film. Also, these additional songs, both “Girl in the Bubble” and “No Place Like Home,” just seem like a desperate attempt to extend the length of the musical without expanding on the plot.
Additionally, while building up Glinda’s story, the producers took out part of the Wizard’s. “Wonderful” in the original musical describes the Wizard’s arrival in Oz and how he became this public figure because he saw citizens of Oz in need of hope. A movie that’s so focused on looking at people in a new perspective shouldn’t have cut the one glimpse into this villain’s background. The majority of the song is still the same as the original, just now including Glinda and some new lyrics, but cutting out this first verse truly harmed the movie.
On the bright side, fans can still anticipate some impressive showstoppers that will lead to both goosebumps and tears. Cynthia Erivo has yet to disappoint with her impressive vocals and her talent really did show in “No Good Deed.” Senior Violet Reimer said “I had chills the whole time” during this particular song. The already spectacular song was complimented perfectly by Erivo’s stunning voice and the raw emotion put into every note. “It was a really powerful one,” Reimer said.
Of course, Ariana Grande’s performance can’t be ignored either. This movie showed a new side of Glinda, going from the pretty, pretentious blonde to a vulnerable, good victim in a bubble and Grande nailed it. Every tear shed felt like a stab in the heart for audience members, especially in the title song “For Good.”
The visual appeals additionally added to the success of the movie. Munchkinland’s scenery shocked the public with it containing an astonishing 9 million tulips of all different colors. Additionally, every costume was designed with such clear intention. Glinda still upheld her princess-like appearance despite all her losses and Fiyero’s uniform had such strong foreshadowing to his character’s fate. Everything, from the sets to costumes, engaged and amazed the audience in a way that can not be ignored when looking at the movie’s successes.
Overall, despite its few flaws, the adaptation of Act 2 of this musical certainly did not disappoint. It’s difficult to release a second movie following such a successful first, especially when the second act of the musical is not typically as highly regarded as the first, but this movie is still commendable in many aspects. Senior Sophie Fromkin commented on the comparison between the two movies and said “it was just as good. It might have even been better.”
