Last year, pop culture media exploded in pink and green following the release of global phenomenon Wicked. This November, millions awaited the release of its much anticipated sequel Wicked: For Good. Wicked: For Good was a sufficient close to the storyline, taking on a darker tone than the first movie; however, it fell flat compared to the first.
It is important to note that Wicked: For Good is a sequel to a piece that is usually told in one part. Thus, it is judged as more of a continuation to the story than its own separate piece. This fact worried fans of the musical as the second act of Wicked is notably weaker than the first. Additionally, the iconic first movie took the world by storm, leaving Wicked: For Good to go up against an impossibly high bar. While it was highly anticipated, not many expected it to beat the first.
Featuring stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, the first Wicked movie boasted an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes with critics highlighting its “faithfulness to the broadway show, dazzling choreography, and emotional depth.” Many fell in love with the modern rendition of a long-beloved musical, which well-reflected the original storyline while adding impressive vocal performances and complex visuals.
Hrithik Sitharaman, junior and loyal Wicked fan, states that, “Wicked is one of my favorite musicals of all time! My favorite part of the movie was definitely the songs and the characters. They all felt really fleshed out and well rounded.”
However, one of the films’ main critiques surrounded its pacing, and many were unsure about the decision to split the storyline into two movies. The original movie ended on a cliffhanger, with a “To be Continued” screen following Elphaba singing “Defying Gravity”, closing out act one. The sequel, which came out Nov. 21, picked up at the same spot, completing the story with its original cast while exploring darker themes and new musical numbers.
Sitharaman highly anticipates the sequel saying, “I think it’ll only add to the storyline. Sometimes sequels flop, so I’m nervous, but I’m hoping this movie will enhance it.”
One way in which the sequel enhanced the first is through its music. Many praised the cast’s performances, especially with beloved songs “For Good” and “No Good Deed”.
“No Good Deed is one of my favorite Wicked songs, and Cynthia Erivo’s version might trump the other recordings,” mentioned sophomore Elaina Jacob, who saw the movie on its opening night.
The acting also received praise, with Ethan Slater proving to be an incredibly terrifying Tin-Man, and Jonathan Bailey and Cynthia Erivo pulling off a heartwarming on-screen romance.
However, in terms of pacing, the new release proved that the original critique still holds true. Similar to the first, Wicked: For Good seemed to pack in so many different elements without fully fleshing out any of them. Despite its over two hour run time, the plot seemed to move by incredibly fast, not leaving the audience to sit with the emotions presented.
Many of the themes, arcs, and relationships that were incredibly well set up in the first movie, were barely touched on in the second. While the themes of oppression and parallels to real-life racism were still present, it did not have its anticipated impact.
Jacobs shared similar sentiments, “I thought the first movie was better by a long shot. So much and so little happened at the same time, and it seemed rushed at times. Even though the second movie was darker than the first, a lot of the really interesting political themes weren’t as expanded on. However, I still enjoyed it!”
Sitharaman, however, said the fun of watching the movie trumped the pitfalls. “The first movie was definitely better, but I still really liked the second movie. I had a great time watching it.”
Overall, Wicked: For Good had some shortcomings, but still proved to be an enjoyable experience for fans of the first movie.
