Written by Sam Clark
Certificate: PG
Running time: 138 minutes
Director: Jon M. Chu
Cultural moments within cinema are always a special moment, and in some cases, any flaws that may exist don't even matter. Something that means nothing to you or something you have no interest, may and can mean the world to someone else. You have to recognize things for what they are. As for me, I have never liked musicals as they simply are not my cup of tea, but I completely understand how much it can mean. Right from the get go, my stance on Wicked puts me in a tricky position immediately. The reason being, for starters, is that musicals don't work for me. The second is that I have never (shockingly) seen The Wizard of Oz, so my knowledge of the mythology and lore is virtually non-existent. And finally is the fact that I hated Wicked when I first saw it, not because of the songs (surprisingly), but because of I found the story and characters insufferable.
Regardless to say, we aren't off to a good start here. And so, I naturally felt on edge about going into Wicked: For Good. Little did I know the experience would be far more rewarding than I had anticipated. There's not much than can be said about the story due to the fact it's universally known and it's $700 million dollars plus worldwide gross demonstrates most will be familiar. But let's do some quick housekeeping anyway. Jon M. Chu returns to direct again as well as screenwriter Dana Fox, although author of the book Winnie Holzman does not. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) first met as students at ''Shiz University'' where they formed their bond. This bond ended with Elphaba being exiled. We pick up after those events and she is now labelled as ''The Wicked Witch of the West'' by everyone in Oz. She continues to fight for the freedom of the magical animals who still remain oppressed after the first film.
Image credit: IMDb/Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures
Elphaba is still on her quest to expose The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) for his lies and corruption, and also returning is the universities main lecturer Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) who was revealed to also be playing a part in his evil plan. Glinda is also preparing to marry Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) after the two formed a connection last time. Glinda's friendship with Elphaba lurks in the back of her mind constantly, and is something that constantly plagues her. As we know, this is the conclusion to the story so the conflict between the two must and will come to an end in some fashion, whatever that may be.
Even though I still maintain my very unpopular stance on part one, I knew how big Wicked: For Good was going to be and so I knew I needed to do this correctly. I saw this as part of a double bill with the first as that's the best possible circumstance and environment I could see this in, as I knew it would be full of the hardcore fans. Regardless of a film's quality or how you feel about it, a great cinematic experience is what I care about most and something I always look to do. The screening for this was the night before the film officially opened, and it was almost sold out,. Not only did a huge applause erupt at the end of both films, but it was what I heard and saw during them that made this so special.
Image credit: IMDb/Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures
I was surrounded by sniffles which I expected, but it was during the end of part two, that I saw a woman sat three seats to my right crying so heavily that her shoulders were shaking. It was at this point exactly that I gave in and tapped out as what I was witnessing was a room full of people who cared so deeply about this film and which means so much to them. Seeing this with the most dedicated audience proved to be what I was missing the first time around, and despite the fact I severely disliked it, an audiences reaction would have provided me with better insight. As an outsider, I thought it was essentially just the same again, although it did not get on my nerves as much this time. I am still not as convinced by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as everyone else is, and the fact the film received ten Oscar nominations last year (including Best Picture and Best Leading and Supporting Actress) still baffles me beyond belief. From what I gather, that won't be the case this time.
For a conclusion, I found it largely and surprisingly underwhelming. But to give the film the benefit of the doubt, I am not aware of how the story should end and what fashion it does so in. When I think of most conclusions in cinema, I do instantly think of the likes of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Avengers: Endgame or Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two. I certainly wasn't expecting anything of that magnitude, but that still doesn't mean I can't be underwhelmed by the final product. Little did I know just how much I needed to manage my expectations. I came away from Wicked: For Good with a far greater realization than I thought I'd have. This film is far bigger than me, and beautifully represents just how much film and cinema can mean to people, even if you don't care for the product itself. That is why the cinema is my favourite place in the world and the power it holds and posses and why it exists, heavy reservations for the film aside.
Wicked: For Good is in cinemas now.
