Wicked: For Good Review: Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande Still Rule Despite the Act Two’s Padded-Out Narrative

A year ago, the first half of the two-part Wicked emerged as one of the best stage-to-screen adaptations ever made, showcasing Jon M. Chu’s impressive directorial flair in mounting an emotionally resonant, yet spellbinding movie musical worthy of a big screen experience. Not to mention top-notch acting all around, notably Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, and memorable songs from “No One Mourns the Wicked” to the soaring “Defying Gravity”, capping off the first movie’s cliffhanger on a high note.

Now that the wait is over for the second half, I was eager to see if Wicked: For Good can live up to its huge expectations, even though there’s a part of me worrying it may fall prey to what I like to call splitting film syndrome. It happened in The Matrix sequels, started promisingly in The Matrix Reloaded, only to be disappointed by the underwhelming Matrix Revolutions. The same also goes for the two-part finale of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, boasting a thrilling buildup in the first half, but somehow losing its magic with the strangely anticlimactic payoff in Part 2.

So, the last time we saw the climax in Wicked, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) was disappointed to learn the truth about the Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), culminating in her best friend, Glinda (Ariana Grande), deciding not to side with her rebellion. It ended with the disheartening Elphaba flying off west and escaping the Emerald City.

Now branded as the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba has since living in exile, but she never gives up in finding a way to expose the truth about the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Glinda has since risen through the ranks as Glinda the Good, symbolising hope and positivity for Ozians, and she is also engaged to her love, Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), where the latter is now the head of the Gale Force. The movie also includes the subplot about Nessarose (Marissa Bode), who has since taken over her late father’s role as governor of Munchkinland.

Wicked: For Good clocked at nearly 140 minutes, twenty minutes shorter than the first half. And yet, it feels surprisingly twice as long, especially with the padded-out narrative that could have some serious trimming. This is, after all, the second half of Wicked, where the stakes should be higher, and the same goes for all the underlying tension and conflict. Gone is the bubbly nature of the first half in favour of a darker and sombre route, which is understandable, given everything that’s been going on after the events of last year’s Wicked.

That’s not to say the added levity is entirely missing here, since Jon M. Chu and screenwriters Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox still include them every now and then. I can see Chu tries to ramp up the emotional and dramatic cores in Wicked: For Good, tackling everything from Elphaba and Glinda’s estranged friendship to Elphaba’s pursuit of justice against the conniving Oz and Madame Morrible.

Try as hard as he may, I just can’t help but feel the result lacks the palpable weight that I’m expecting a lot here. The songs are adequate, save for Cynthia Erivo’s power ballad “No Good Deed” — personally, the only musical number in Wicked: For Good that resonates the most with her soaring vocal prowess as she truly sings her heart out. The performances, this time around, are a mixed bag, but Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande — credited as Ariana Grande-Butera — still dominate with their respective roles as Elphaba and Glinda.

The supporting actors, like the recurring ones from Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh and Jonathan Bailey, don’t leave much of an impression here, unlike what I’ve seen them do better in the first half of Wicked. Wicked: For Good remains a triumph in the technical department, notably on the lush costume and production designs, even though some CGI effects are questionable.

The movie also emphasises heavily on Dorothy’s inevitable appearance, but the way Chu chooses not to significantly highlight her to avoid overshadowing the main story of Elphaba and Glinda ends up looking more strangely intrusive. Although the second half of Wicked still has its worthwhile moments, it was noticeably a step-down effort from the superior first half.