Let’s not bury the lede. Toto’s back!
“Wicked for Good,” the second of the two-part musical adaptation, brings the prequel in line with Frank Baum’s “The Wizard of Oz,” down to the Yellow Brick Road.
The “Wicked” sequel shares the first film’s rich storytelling, bold performances and visual opulence. It’s the best kind of follow-up, one that keeps the original’s momentum and wraps the yarn in a satisfying style.
Oh, and Jeff Goldblum leans so hard into his curious line readings that he threatens to steal the saga. That’s some pretty heavy lifting.
The story picks up where 2024’s “Wicked” left us. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is now known as the Wicked Witch, and Glinda (Ariana Grande) has reluctantly joined forces with the farcical Wizard (Goldblum) and co.
Glinda’s loyalties are torn, but an arranged marriage with the hunky Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), a captain in the Wizard’s army, suggests she’s willing to embrace the status quo.
Just do what you’re told, and life will be, well, good.
Except she still feels a bond with Elphaba, and an attempt to mend the Wizard/Elphaba chasm may not be enough to save her dear friend.
Meanwhile, Oz has fallen into a quasi-dictatorship. Both Munchkins and animals alike feel the political squeeze despite the Wizard’s aw, shucks pose. The Left will gleefully read parallels into a certain Orange Man, but as a storytelling backdrop, it gets the job done.
And then there’s Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), another Oz power player who boasts abilities that come and go as the story dictates.
Yeah, this is a musical, so more than a few elements leave unanswered questions. Plus, Yeoh may be an Oscar winner, but she lacks the snarl to sell her character’s cruelty.
“Wicked: For Good” overlaps, but never overwhelms, the classic “Wizard of Oz” saga. That means we get glimpses of Dorothy and her faithful canine companion, but the “Wicked” story stays in sharp focus.
We’re also told how the Scarecrow and the Tin Man came to be, origin stories that flirt with body horror tropes.
Goldblum’s Oz is so much better this time around, in part because he isn’t asked to carry a musical number of consequence. He’s also given some of the film’s best laugh lines – this story can be oppressively dark, and any levity is welcome.
Director John Chu marshals everything a Hollywood studio can deliver from a production design standpoint. It somehow doesn’t overwhelm us, a minor miracle, and the world in play is both inviting and odd. That’s keeping in line with the story’s dystopian underpinnings.
Never mind the downtrodden! What about that Elphaba/Glinda frenemy bond?
None of the songs can match the majesty of “Defying Gravity,” and a few are neither enchanting or necessary. Still, the musical numbers in toto give the sequel its sense of joy, and Chu choreographs them for maximum impact.
Once again, both Erivo and Grande turn in superlative work. Their voices are different but equally strong, and their on-screen bond is palpable.
This is ultimately a story about friendship enduring through the very worst of times. “Wicked: For Good” never lets us forget that.
Nor should it.
Now, “Oz” purists will never accept how the “Wicked” saga contorts the “Oz” tale that dazzled generations of movie lovers. The big third-act twist alone may give some the vapors.
Still, by gently weaving elements of the classic story into “Wicked: For Good” (and Toto, too!), the sequel satisfies.
HiT or Miss: “Wicked: For Good” delivers the larger-than-life finale we crave for the ultimate villain makeover.