Defying Gravity? Not this time

By Staff Writer Megha Vashisht

After a year of eager anticipation, Wicked: For Good, sequel to Wicked (2024), returns the audience to the emotional storm between Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda Upland’s (Ariana Grande) complex relationship as their convictions pull them closer, and tear them apart. While Elphaba is actively trying to fight for animal rights and expose the Wizard, Glinda is embracing her role as the Wizard’s spokesperson, using her influence for political gain. Withdrawing from Wicked’s cheerful, magical tone, the sequel dives headfirst into political conflicts regarding Ozian animals. Corruption, betrayal, and authoritarian leadership dominate the narrative, leaving little to no room for the charismatic plot that made the first movie so gratifying to watch. 

As an adaptation of the musical Wicked, Wicked: For Good had the opportunity to address the original musical’s disorienting pacing issues. Unfortunately, the film repeats the musical’s issue by mirroring its flow, overwhelming the audience with constant unfolding of political events without the breathing space necessary for the audience to fully process them. From beginning to end, the film’s plot points feel forced and lack proper continuity, weighing down the narrative and forcing the film into making drastic tone changes to create an unpleasant watch. 

Despite the pacing, the cinematography is breathtaking. The film balances action-packed shots and somber moments well, and enhances emotional appeal through thoughtful framing and expressive lighting. From Glinda’s dress train to the cherry blossom flowers decorating the ceiling, Glinda and Fiyero’s wedding scene replicates the elegance and magic from the first film, temporarily contrasting the dark and negative aspects of the sequel. Moreover, the movie’s production surrounding flying monkeys like Chistery demonstrates unique awareness to CGI character performance. Wicked: For Good humanizes Chistery through CGI and captures visuals that support the narrative, displaying emotional clarity and creating viewer connection. 

Despite the success of the first film, the sequel suffers a significantly weaker music score in addition to a poorly written script. In the heat of political discourse, Wicked: For Good is unable to live up to the previous film’s pop score. The soundtrack is largely adapted from the Broadway musical, and most songs are easily forgettable and unnecessarily slow the film down. However, Wicked: For Good also features two original musical numbers — “No Place Like Home” by Cynthia Erivo and “The Girl in the Bubble” by Ariana Grande. Despite being composed by original Wicked lyricist Stephen Schwartz, these songs are bland and lyrically weak, coming off as janky and out of place. Though they are meant to further develop each of the character’s motivations, neither adds any meaningful aspect to the movie, ultimately serving no purpose. On the other hand, weak vocals from Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) work in her favor despite lacking prior singing experience. Her grating vocals add to her character’s insufferable villainy and amplify the audience’s dislike for Madame Morrible. Highlights of the soundtrack include the songs “For Good,” “No Good Deed,” and “Wonderful,” which mirror the energy of the standout songs from Wicked, and serve to progress the plot rather than slow it down. 

The ending of Wicked: For Good is anti-climactic, featuring unresolved plotlines and no proper closure, leaving the audience to interpret the fate of several characters. Although there are many films that execute open endings successfully, Wicked: For Good fails to do so. They lack direction in executing a specific line of interpretation, relying instead on plot holes and underdevelopment to compensate for the lack of proper closure. Overall, despite Wicked: For Good’s visual appeal and global anticipation, the plot and music ultimately fail to live up to the legacy of the Wicked franchise, and with a disappointing conclusion, the pink-and-green, glittery embodiment of the movie loses its charm. 

Grade: C