Film Review: Flawed, but Wicked sequel still casts a magical spell

Wicked: For Good, in cinemas, Nov 21, cert PG, ****

Wicked, the beloved musical that reimagines the story of the witches from L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz, has evolved into a cultural megalith since its Broadway debut in 2003.

With more than 8,000 performances to its credit, it holds the impressive distinction of being the fourth-longest-running show in the history of Broadway.

The production has amassed a staggering box office gross of over one billion dollars and garnered numerous prestigious awards.

In 2024, Wicked made its cinematic debut as a two-part adaptation directed by Jon M. Chu. The film received ten Oscar nominations, including nominations for its stars, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. It grossed $700 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing movie adaptation of a Broadway musical to date.

For those less Wicked-obsessed than I am (I have seen the stage production three times), a quick reminder might be in order.

The first Wicked film follows the surprising friendship between Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), an outcast with unusual green skin and the potential to become a powerful witch, and Glinda (Ariana Grande), an ambitious socialite who dreams of wielding a magical wand.

The pair attend Shiz University under the gaze of the land of Oz, a place where animals talk and live as equals alongside humans.

Elphaba and Glinda discover that the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) has dark intentions, which cause a dramatic shift in their relationship, resulting in a rousing rendition of the Wicked’s anthem, Defying Gravity.

While the world views Glinda as the esteemed symbol of ‘Good’, Elphaba is feared and branded as ‘wicked’. The friends know the truth: they are both fundamentally good, if only everyone else could see it.

The new film opens some time after the events of the first one. Elphaba, now living on the outskirts of Oz in isolation, has become more defiant than ever, determined to help the animals of Oz, who are slowly being ousted by the Wizard.

Whenever Elphaba performs a good deed, Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), the Wizard of Oz’s right-hand witch, twists her actions to seem wicked.

Meanwhile, Glinda has fully embraced her role as the good witch. Dressed in her usual pink and sparkles, she genuinely wants to make everyone happy.

She is increasingly becoming an ambassador for the Wizard, a role that makes her uncomfortable because of the way he treats Elphaba. Glinda is gradually growing wary of Madame Morrible’s intentions, but if she speaks out, she risks upsetting her comfortable bubble.

In the first film, the handsome prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) was quite taken with Elphaba, which created a dilemma for him since he was Glinda’s beau. Ultimately, he chose to stay on the ‘good side’.

Now, Fiyero has been appointed captain of the guards and given the task of finding Elphaba, a job he deliberately botches. Although he cannot be with Elphaba, he is determined to keep her safe and free.

Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), is ashamed of having a wicked witch in the family and has resorted to extreme measures in her role as governor. She has placed sanctions on the Munchkins, including her beau, Boq (Ethan Slater).

As Glinda and Fiyero’s wedding day approaches, circumstances reunite Elphaba and Glinda, and a glimmer of hope emerges that they can reconcile the differences between good and wicked. However, things take a dark turn, creating a division between them.

Fiyero must choose between the good and wicked, but can he make that choice? If good and wicked can’t find a way to work together, will the land of Oz change forever?

Wicked: For Good, like the first film, suffers from being overly long. Some scenes feel repetitive. There are a few minor continuity errors.

Like its predecessor, it is visually stunning. The costumes and elaborate sets make the film a visual delight. New songs have been written specifically for it, and Fiyero fans will be pleased to see him in a beefed-up role.

Erivo and Grande are once again a brilliant duo, their voices better than ever, reflecting the higher stakes their characters face and the more intense situations they find themselves in.

By the time they sing the stunning duet For Good, any issues with the film seem to fade away. All is forgiven. Wicked: For Good becomes Wicked: The Spectacular.

If you were to take away the issues from both films and combine all the good elements into one epic, we would have had something mesmerising, but we Wicked fans will settle for what we have - something imperfect, but at times wonderful.

I guess that is the point of the story after all.