Shadows on the Wall | Wicked: For Good

Wicked: For Good

Review by Rich Cline | MUST SEE

dir Jon M Chu
scr Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox
prd Marc Platt, David Stone
with Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande-Butera, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Adam James, Scarlett Spears, Colman Domingo
release US/UK 21.Nov.25
25/UK Universal 2h18

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After setting up the story in the lighthearted Part I, things get much darker for these characters as their story intersects with the events of The Wizard of Oz. This is a gripping dramatic epic that features a compelling depiction of friendship and an intriguing exploration of the good and evil inside all of us. And the heavier narrative offers strongly haunting moments as the big finale approaches.

Separating herself from the hypocrisy she sees in the Wizard (Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Yeoh), Elphaba (Erivo) is tarnished by propaganda painting her as a villain. But Glinda (Grande) knows the truth about the good work Elphaba wants to do. As Glinda's very public marriage to the heroic Fiyero (Bailey) approaches, he is doing his own soul-searching, struggling with surging feelings for Elphaba. So when the wedding is interrupted, he makes his escape. Meanwhile, Madame Morrible and the Wizard are using the appearance of this girl from Kansas to further cement Elphaba's bad public image.

Chu shot these two films as one epic, so both have the same inventive, lavishly designed sets and costumes. And this time there are new songs for both Elphaba and Glinda that reveal their hidden emotions. Indeed, these roles get deeper and grittier for Erivo and Grande, exploring internal yearnings and complex motivations. Even more compelling is the depiction of their messy friendship, which is packed with nuance that builds to give the film a powerfully moving climactic scene.

While Erivo and Grande do a lot of heavy lifting acting-wise, there are some punchy scenes for the supporting cast as well. Yeoh tips over into full-on villain mode, relishing every megalomaniacal moment, while Goldblum's Wizard works to keep up with her before his nicely played reckoning later on. Slater's Boq and Bode's Nessarose have their own edgy journeys, while Bailey's Fiyero has perhaps the biggest character arc, although it feels like it gets unnecessarily blurred along the way to a terrific payoff.

After the humorous first film, this more serious and plot-heavy conclusion feels almost unnervingly intense. So we latch onto the glimpses of real-life connections between the characters, which become the entire point of the overall story. Along with pointed comments about how leaders strain to control their own narratives, this is a beautiful exploration of a friendship that is challenged from the start and blossoms under cultural pressure, pushing these two women to become much more than either expected to be. Watching their odyssey is exhilarating.

themes, language, violence 10.Nov.25

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