‘Wicked: Part Two’ Soars with Grande, Offers a Darker Take on Oz
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 21 – “Wicked: for Good,” the highly anticipated sequel to the 2024 film “Wicked: Part One,” arrives in theaters today, delivering a more complex and politically charged exploration of the Oz narrative. Starring Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba,the film expands upon the story of the witches,offering a fresh outlook on L. Frank BaumS classic tale.
The film features a new song, “The Girl in the Bubble,” staged in a single, enterprising tracking shot. While the CG is described as synthetic, the cinematography, by Alice Brooks, aims for visual spectacle, though sometimes at the expense of emotional connection. Static shots,such as a scene of Glinda and Elphaba singing on opposite sides of a wall,are highlighted for thier impact. Another standout is a long take focusing on Glinda’s face as the Wizard and Morrible plot a scheme involving a twister unfolds behind her.
“Wicked: For Good” adjusts elements of the original story, softening certain outcomes for a PG audience. Deaths and disfigurements are presented with a muted impact, and the scarecrow and Tin Man sequences are noted for their unconventional tone-the latter likened to a spoof of Jack Nicholson in “The Shining.”
A new song, “No Place Like Home,” transforms Judy Garland’s iconic line into a ”radicalized political anthem,” with Erivo’s Elphaba singing to a group of animals fleeing Oz via a “Yellow Brick Underground Railroad.”
The film presents a notably diffrent portrayal of Dorothy,depicted as a political pawn and,at times,a morally ambiguous character. The review notes Dorothy is described by characters as “exasperating” and “moronic,” and even suggests she embodies traits of a “heedless sociopath” who commits multiple acts of violence.
“Wicked: For Good” runs 2 hours and 17 minutes and is rated PG for action/violence, some suggestive material and thematic material. The film’s additions and reworked duets are considered to justify its length, despite the first film’s already significant runtime.
