I have always been honest about my opinions on the stage version of “Wicked”: the show is too top-heavy, making for an anticlimactic second act. The latter half never feels like it reaches the heights of its first act. So when Universal originally announced the “Wicked” films would be split into two parts, I was incredibly worried. While separating them gives the first part (act one) its moment to truly shine, making for debatably the greatest musical adaptation of all time, I was worried it would make the story flaws of the second act stand out all the more. As much as my love for “Wicked: Part One” made me believe they could pull from the book and adjust some of the issues in act two, unfortunately, I found myself, again, thinking the second half was lackluster.
Don’t get me wrong, I still believe and stand by everything I said about “Wicked: Part One.” In many ways, “Wicked: For Good” feels like an extension of everything that worked so well in its predecessor. The vocal performances are fantastic, the production design is, again, breathtaking, and the costumes may be even better than the first. You can tell the creative team not only brought Oz to life but did so in a way that makes both films feel distinct.
The only good thing about the story is gives this über-talented cast more to do, and they kill it. Ariana Grande takes the comedically driven performance in the first film and brings a complicated edge to Glinda in “Wicked: For Good.” Cynthia Erivo plays more of the same as she did in the first, but she’s still great nonetheless. Together, the two elevate the film beyond its structural weaknesses.