Wicked: For Good is a darker, emotionally charged conclusion to the Oz saga

Ladies and gentlemen, if you could please return to your seats. The intermission is ending shortly.

In terms of the big-screen version of Wicked, an adaptation of the beloved stage musical, that intermission has been a full year long. Off the bat, you may want to revisit Wicked: Part 1 (you can stream it on Showmax) before returning to the Land of Oz in Part 2, because the second instalment, Wicked: For Good, picks up almost directly where the first film ended.

Director Jon M Chu shot the two Wicked movies together, and broke them at the exact point dividing Act One and Act Two of Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s theatre production. Which is a roundabout way of saying that Wicked: For Good offers zero entry point for newcomers. You need to have seen Part 1 to understand the characters and plot.

The latter takes place before, alongside and after the events of L Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and loosely uses Gregory Maguire’s spin-off novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West as its basis.

In Wicked: For Good, outcast Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) has been redubbed The Wicked Witch of the West as part of a propaganda campaign by the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) and his press secretary Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh).

Dipping in and out of hiding, Elphaba strives to liberate Oz’s oppressed animal population and expose the Wizard as a despotic charlatan. Her actions pit her against charismatic golden girl Glinda Upland (Ariana Grande), who, despite lacking any magical ability, has been positioned as Oz’s much-loved protector, Glinda the Good – setting up a high-stakes confrontation between the former best friends.

Barring a couple of scenes, Wicked: For Good isn’t as boisterous and upbeat as Wicked: Part 1. This is a darker, tighter chapter – reflected especially in the character evolution of playboy prince Fiyero Tigelaar (Jonathan Bailey) – and it makes for a more engaging and emotionally powerful experience.

One of the complaints about Part 1 was that it felt padded, especially in its second half, with show-off musical numbers and fan service moments that did nothing to advance the plot, simply pushing the film towards the three-hour mark. That’s not the case at all with Wicked: For Good, which doesn’t flag at all during its 137 minutes.

Adding to the interest is that Wicked has really sharpened in relevance over the course of a year, even though For Good doesn’t deviate narratively from the 22-year-old show at all. The Wizard’s Guard and flying monkey squadron act with impunity as they hunt Elphaba and animals who have gone literally underground to avoid being caged in horrific conditions.

The Wizard’s big musical number, Wonderful, is a cynical tribute to power based on lies that the public want to believe. Meanwhile, the Munchkins experience first-hand how tolerated discrimination spreads to other minority groups, just as Glinda enjoys the meatiest individual arc.

On the surface, everything is perfect, with all her dreams coming true, but she’s well aware that it hinges on deceit; that she’s actually as much of a grifter as the Wizard, going along with fear-powered fabrications to ensure her elevated status and sought-after adoration.

Goldblum does good work, ensuring the Wizard is more than just a copy-paste of his usual laid-back on-screen persona. Not malicious, the character instead comes across like that favourite uncle who, over Christmas dinner, will cheerfully drop a comment like, “Oh, you know you can’t ever trust them”. There are few better depictions of unthinking discrimination and casual cruelty.

But forget Goldblum and the rest of the supporting cast. Wicked: For Good is a two-woman show, and Erivo and Grande take their work in Part 1 to the next level on both the singing and acting front. If the emotional spark was previously lit, it’s fanned to full strength in Wicked: For Good.

Wicked: For Good has its moments of levity, along with more wit, but if you’re looking forward to a relentlessly colourful, cheerful musical, you’ll find yourself facing graver material. That said, the film is stronger for toning down the glee. Unusual for play acts and move sequels alike, For Good surpasses its predecessor. DM

Wicked: For Good is in cinemas, including IMAX. This review was first published on Pfangirl.