Having never seen the stage play, the “to be continued” title card at the end of Wicked (the first one) was truly new territory for me as a viewer. Sure, there’s some plot points and details that make their way through the zeitgeist; but as I sat down to watch Wicked: For Good (Wicked: Part Two?), I had the feeling that I may have missed something and I just can’t wave my wand on what it could be.

 

The story picks up some time after the final events of the first movie. Elphaba is still at large and the animals of Oz are either on the run or enslaved into building a path of yellow painted bricks. Glinda is the public hero, trying to keep up a very skilled ruse working under the Wizard and Madame Morrible. Everyone’s paths begin to cross once again and chaos ensues when a storm rolls in and some unexpected visitors enter Oz. 

 

For being a darker and grittier second half, I still found the performances to be fun. The producers seem to have taken some notes since the release of Wicked- that is, the first one. Side note: Universal seems pretty confused on what we’re supposed to call these movies, so I’ll refer to them as “part one” and “part two”. Even the color grading has leveled up quite a bit in part two. Much of this film takes place in the evening/nighttime so we don’t get the harsh sun wash outs that drove me crazy in part one.

 

I was familiar enough with the original songs from the musical, but I really liked the new ones too. Elphaba’s “No Place Like Home” and Glinda’s “Girl in the Bubble” were standout moments for each character, but I wonder if that screen time could have been used for better character development without sacrificing the fun.

 

In part one, everything happened very organically to the characters. Part two was like watching the characters wait for part two to happen. The pacing was so off that I was having a hard time distinguishing how much time had passed between certain events in the timeline. While part one was 2 hours and 40 minutes, part two came in at a shorter 2 hours and 17 minutes, which is odd considering part two clearly had more ground to cover. Many of the major story beats happened too quickly and didn’t totally feel earned. That quick pace sadly evokes the feeling of a daytime soap opera.

 

Part one stood so strong on its own that I myself have rewatched it a handful of times. Sadly, I’m not confident that Wicked: For Good is a strong standalone rewatch, but rather might be enjoyed as a double feature if you’re up for a 5 hour adventure.

 

Overall, there’s plenty of fun to be had. And if you enjoy goofy, eccentric, over the top musicals, then you already know this is for you. It’s a pure form of escapism to be in this world and see these characters cover new ground, even if it felt rushed at times.

Wicked: For Good is in theaters now!