Grande really gets her moments to shine in this instalment and makes the most of them. She was always ideal in the role, giving Glinda just the right little giggle and hair flip. She has a stronger narrative arc here as Glinda becomes disappointed and disillusioned. When she sings the line “I couldn’t be happier”, the cracks in the happy facade begin to show. Erivo continues to create Elphaba as righteously determined to expose the Wizard’s fakery and also hurt at the way she has been vilified, but that arc is more familiar now.
More like this:
• 10 of the hottest tips for the Oscars race
• 12 of the best films to watch this November
• A radical portrayal of a woman on the edge
At times throughout, Chu closes in on Erivo and Grande’s faces as they sing, and those moments are among the most effective. But there is also a lot of crowded, bustling choreography, sometimes too much. When Glinda contemplates her life and sings The Girl in the Bubble, one of two new songs written for the film, Grande’s poignant delivery is almost overshadowed by the set design and actions as she wanders around her glistening home. And after a while, the film’s big Broadway orchestrations all begin to sound the same.
Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), is now Governor of Munchkinland. Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) meddles with the weather and schemes to make Elphaba look bad. But no other character, not even Fiyero or Jeff Goldblum as the perfectly cast con-man Wizard, really registers next to the leads. Amidst the flying monkeys and spells that go drastically wrong, the Tin Man, Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion appear, as the plot of The Wizard of Oz pops into For Good. Dorothy is seen only from behind or in silhouette, but it is quite amusing to hear Elphaba refer to her as “that farm girl”.
Wicked: For Good
Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh
Release date: 21 November
Elphaba also says, “Goodbye, Nessa. I’m off to see the Wizard.” Subtlety is not in this film’s vocabulary. Neither is thematic depth, despite some feints in that direction. The false images that allow the Wizard to control Oz might seem like social commentary. So might Elphaba’s fight for animal rights. But they are merely ideas dropped in and raced past, never substantial enough to matter.
The film is, in its essence, an ode to eternal friendship. Its heart comes near the end when the witches are about to part once more and Grande and Erivo sing For Good. The camera captures each of them as they face each other, and of course finally swirls around them as they sing, “Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.” This film is as slick and shiny as Glinda’s lip gloss, but it may also be just what its many fans want.
