Star Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande
Director: Jon M Chu
Wicked: For Good Movie Review Synopsis:
WICKED: FOR GOOD is the story of two friends. Five years after the events of the first part, Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo), now known as the Wicked Witch of the West, continues to fight for animal rights and save them from exploitation. Glinda (Ariana Grande) has been assigned by the Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) to spread positivity and goodness as the administration spreads lies that Elphaba is trying to destroy Oz. Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) is now the Captain of the Gale Force and is assigned the duty of hunting down Elphaba. Unknown to Madame Morrible and the Wizard, Glinda and Fiyero are sympathetic to Elphaba. Elphaba’s father passes away and her sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) is now the governor of Munchkinland. She, too, loves Elphaba but has no qualms in taking harsh decisions against her sister, so that no one assumes that she’s sympathetic to her. Elphaba tries to help Nessarose but ends up putting her and her partner, Boq (Ethan Slater), into trouble. The animals, for whom she’s fighting, also decide to leave Oz after they learn that it was she who gave wings to the monkeys in the Wizard Palace. Elphaba decides to head to the Emerald City and that too on the day Glinda is getting engaged to Fiyero. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Wicked: For Good Movie Story Review:
The story is fascinating, but it loses steam in the second half. Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox’s screenplay has its share of riveting and dramatic moments. However, it leaves a lot to be desired, just like the principal plot. The dialogues are in sync with the film’s mood and theme.
Jon M Chu’s direction this time doesn’t entice like it did in WICKED [2024]. To give credit where it’s due, the beginning portions are captivating. He smartly makes a political commentary; several happenings in the film mirror realities of today like fake news being spread for vested interests, the common public is constantly reminded of an enemy from time to time, etc. The humour quotient this time is limited as things get serious in Oz, but it’s still there and it works.
On the flipside, the makers don’t inform viewers that five years have passed since the events of WICKED. Hence, it feels a bit sudden to see Glinda, Fiyero and Nessarose progress so much in life and it’s only after a while that one understands that a lot of time has passed. After a watchable first half, the film falls post-interval. The scene of the tornado is bizarre; no explanation is given why Nessarose is out in the open when everyone is behind closed doors. Similarly, the finale is not properly executed and the developments are difficult to digest. The songs act as roadblocks and it further makes the post-interval portions tedious.
Wicked: For Good Movie Review Performances:
Cynthia Erivo yet again plays her part with ease and especially scores in scenes where she’s angry. Ariana Grande is adorable; she and Cynthis make the second half bearable. Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh lend able support. The dashing Jonathan Bailey makes his presence felt. Marissa Bode and Ethan Slater lend able support.
Wicked: For Good movie music and other technical aspects:
The songs are lovely but some of them don’t make the desired impact as they needlessly lengthen the film’s run time. John Powell and Stephen Schwartz’s background score is much better.
Alice Brooks’s cinemtography is spectacular and it is complimented by top-class VFX, Nathan Crowley’s rich production design and Paul Tazewell’s regal costumes. Myron Kerstein’s editing should have been slicker.
Wicked: For Good Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, WICKED: FOR GOOD fails to impress due to weak direction and an underwhelming second half. It will open with a bang in its home market, but in India, its prospects appear limited, given the low familiarity with the brand and its world.