The much-anticipated second part of the Wicked film saga, Wicked: For Good, lands in cinemas with a distinct lack of the enchantment that defined its predecessor. If your primary grievance with the first instalment was Jon M Chu's perplexingly dark cinematography, this aimless sequel offers a new problem: there's simply not much worth looking at.
A Narrative Adrift in Oz
Picking up directly from the first film's climax, Wicked: For Good continues the retelling of Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman's musical, based on Gregory Maguire's novel. Elphaba, portrayed by the formidable Cynthia Erivo, has already declared her rebellion. The sequel is consequently burdened with the bureaucratic task of navigating the drier plot mechanics that lead her to her fateful encounter with Dorothy and that infamous bucket of water.
We rejoin Elphaba out in the wider world of Oz, rallying marginalised animals to fight for their rights. Meanwhile, her former friend Glinda, played by Ariana Grande, remains in the Emerald City with the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), wrestling with the guilt of upholding a corrupt system she knows is wrong.
Missing Spectacle and Emotional Depth
The fundamental issue with Wicked: For Good is its lack of forward momentum. The narrative feels like a foregone conclusion, offering few profound revelations or moments of genuine wonder. The film substitutes grand spectacle for characters processing their emotions through standardised ballads while wandering through dimly lit woods or millennial-pink bedrooms.
Director Jon M Chu still struggles to illuminate his scenes effectively. The film's visual palette is often murky, with key moments like Elphaba's powerful No Good Deed set against flat, anonymous backgrounds of sludge-hued castle walls and gloomy skies. The magic that should be central to Oz is systematically drained away by an excessive need to explain every single element from The Wizard of Oz, from the Scarecrow to the Yellow Brick Road.
Performances in the Shadows
Where the film finds some footing is in its performances, albeit unevenly. Cynthia Erivo is a standout, delivering a new song, No Place Like Home, with breathtaking sincerity and vocal power. She beautifully captures the poignant question of how do I love this place that’s never loved me?, lending a powerful resonance to Elphaba's journey.
Ariana Grande, however, feels less served by the material. While she perfectly embodies Glinda's comedic vanity and lightness, her performance is less convincing when the character hits rock bottom. Her new song, The Girl in the Bubble, fails to provide the same emotional anchor that Erivo's number achieves.
The film's allegorical strength—the fight for change from within versus from outside the system—continually falters under the weight of its own exposition. Wicked: For Good is in cinemas from 21 November with a PG certificate and a runtime of 137 minutes, but this sequel ultimately feels like a missed opportunity, a magical world rendered curiously mundane.
