Following up on last year’s success of “Wicked,” the conclusion of the popular story was finally released in “Wicked: For Good” on November 21. After generating hype for a year, the film was definitely much anticipated by viewers. However, despite the marketing, it should be noted that the two films are incredibly different.
While “Wicked” was a comedic introduction to the world and characters of Oz, with limited moments of discrimination and stereotypes, “Wicked: For Good” takes on a much darker tone. The film explores government propaganda, abuse of power, death, and magic with intense consequences. The comedic relief is still present, but not to the same extent as in “Wicked.”
For those reasons, among others, there is a widespread opinion in which I share that the films should have been combined and released as one. With both films being over two hours long, this likely seems impossible. However, the second film introduced two original songs that were not present in the Broadway show, which could have been cut in order to combine the movie with the first. The film, as it still would have been quite long, would have benefited from an intermission, like the Broadway show, to help mitigate this issue.
Don’t get me wrong, the film was still extremely impressive and entertaining, but the tonal differences between the two films are extensive, and the more severe elements of the second could have been lessened by the comedy in the first coming directly before. Some theaters created a “double-feature” event for the release of “Wicked: For Good,” and I envy the viewers who were able to watch them in this way, as they were supposed to be watched.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande delivered amazing performances as warring witches with a friendly past, and their rendition of “For Good” brought tears to many eyes. Jonathan Bailey, PEOPLE’s newest Sexiest Man of the Year, also delivered an impressive and emotional performance during the film as Fiyero, and Ethan Slater surprised viewers with his noteworthy depiction of Boq.
Without spoiling too much, the film encompasses a lot, as a portion of it also takes place during the events of the 1939 film, “The Wizard of Oz.” Many parts of the earlier film are “explained” or given more backstory in “Wicked: For Good.” For viewers who are unfamiliar with the storyline of “Wicked” as a book and Broadway show, get ready to be shocked by the origin stories in the film.
Since “Wicked” won many awards after its release a year ago, it will be interesting to see if “Wicked: For Good” will be able to do the same.
Junior Emily Myers is a Staff Writer. Her email is emyers3@fandm.edu