Wicked... For Good

 

       For everyone who enjoyed "Wicked", the year long wait is over for this conclusion. Picking up where the first film ended, the story gets darker, the relationships become more intense and the bond between Glinda and Elphaba couldn't be any stronger (although, seemingly not at first).

       The entire cast is back with the same wonderful chemistry. The eyepopping visuals are even bigger eye candy and the sets and costumes are still remarkable. Most of the songs are fairly short but "No Good Deed" is a showstopper, much the way "Defying Gravity" was in the first film. There are fewer dance numbers here, sacrificed I imagine, for the sake of the story.

        Ariana Grande has matured as Glinda with stronger acting and vocals. Cynthia Erivo remains marvelous in the stronger role as Elphaba. Jeff Goldblum returns as a terrifically oily "wizard" and Michele Yeoh takes her villainy to another level. Jonathan Bailey has more to do than hang around looking perfect and both Marissa Bode and Ethan Slater's character are more developed.

         Director Jon M. Chu and screenwriters Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox find a fascinating and clever way of incorporating Dorothy, Toto, The Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman, and the cowardly Lion ( our beloved characters from the original Wizard of Oz) into the film. There are obvious changes to the story with the emphasis on the witches and not the aforementioned characters. There are changes from the Broadway show as well, since so much more can be done in a film with a longer running time. For the most part, however, they are subtle and actually enrich the story.

          This film is an example of why we should still go to movie theaters. It is made for the big screen and even better in IMAX. It is a grand entertainment.