Wicked: For Good hit the theatres Nov. 21, after a year of waiting, and the vocals and visuals did not disappoint. The story that the main cast produced was a beautiful creation of their version of Wicked. While it wasn’t the exact same as Act II of the Broadway version of Wicked, Wicked: For Good was an amazing movie in so many ways.
Starting with the music, I loved that the opener for the sequel included the same musical themes as the opener from the first movie. “Every Day More Wicked” was a great song that brought the viewers back into the world of Oz and reminded people where the movie left off and where the plot and characters are now.
I loved Glinda’s “Couldn’t Be Happier” and the different emotions that Ariana Grande portrayed in showing that even though everything seemed to be going Glinda’s way, it wasn’t what she expected or even really wanted at this point.
In “As Long as You’re Mine,” Jonathan Bailey and Cynthia Erivo blessed us with their phenomenal vocals and heavenly harmonies and reminded us all why they were cast. Then, in the very next song, Cynthia blew me away with “No Good Deed” with her insane control over her voice and the way she makes breathing sound optional while singing.
And finally, “For Good” was a beautiful duet that brought tears to my eyes. Watching the chemistry between Grande and Erivo in this scene was mesmerizing. Even more emotional was the closet scene that followed the song, and the fact that it was improvised. I think this moment, not being scripted, made the moment and the emotions feel more raw and impactful, further developing the movie’s themes.
Vocals aside, another aspect of the movie I absolutely adored was the makeup work.
From the very first scene, it could be seen that Erivo’s makeup was darker than it was in the first movie. The makeup was only a small change, but it really helped show the maturity of Elphaba’s character.
Another makeup design that was phenomenal was Ethan Slater’s portrayal of the Tin Man. I was blown away by the makeup work done for him and the similarities it had to the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz.
Slater didn’t let his makeup do all the work for him, though. The emotions he portrayed were strong and scary. From the second he broke down the door from Nessa’s office all the way to his vocal delivery and acting in “March of the Witch Hunters,” he brought tons of hatred forward and embodied the heartlessness of the Tin Man.
Something I love about Wicked is how it shows that even those who seem like the “good guys” still do wicked things.
People hated Fiyero for leaving Glinda, but Glinda wasn’t a perfect person either. Not only had she sprung the engagement on Fiyero without asking, but she also suggested to Madame Morrible what brought forth Nessa’s death. And while Nessa meant a lot to Elphaba, she was also wicked in the ways she reacted to the amount of power she gained from being the new mayor.
Even though these terrible and wicked things happened, what was so important between Glinda and Elphaba is that they chose to forgive and love each other despite what had happened between them.
Wicked: For Good was not as full of happy moments as the first movie was, but it had so many important themes and moments that made the movie so emotional.
Between the phenomenal cast and vocals, the visuals, and the acting, Wicked: For Good was an incredibly well-rounded film that reimagined the second act of Wicked in its own unique way.
9/10
