Ariana Grande soars in “Wicked: For Good.”
She gets more to do as Glinda, the good witch, in the second part of the story of two friends. Grande doesn’t waste a second, digging into the more dramatic moments with gusto.
When the sequel begins, Glinda is at the peak of her powers. She’s engaged to Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) and trying to deal with the fallout from her friend, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), leaving Munchkinland abruptly.
Meanwhile, Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh in a so-so performance) tries to target Elphaba as the source of all problems and begins a campaign to smear her.
While “Wicked: For Good” fills in plenty of gaps (it’s more detailed than the stage musical), it can’t stand alone. To understand this film, you need to have seen the first one. For those who know what’s going to happen, director Jon M. Chu also makes connections to “The Wizard of Oz” and lets Dorothy, Toto and their friends check in — ever-so-briefly — once the yellow brick road is built.
Even though “Wicked: For Good” doesn’t have the inventive choreography or massive sets of the first film (this looks like much was shot in front of a green screen), it does offer a fulfilling ending that makes good on the musical’s best song. There, too, Grande towers. While Erivo’s presence is important, it’s often overshadowed. Her best moments are in her hangout, not in the fly-bys at community events.
The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) doesn’t get those spotlight moments, either. He’s often sequestered in his own castle, waiting for others to come to him. Morrible is much more essential. She has a firm hand on the disinformation she spreads and isn’t afraid to destroy others in the process.
Yes, there are contemporary parallels if you look for them.
The film’s sets and costumes are great (“Wicked” and “Wicked: For Good” were shot simultaneously), but there aren’t surprises like there were with the first one. Composer Stephen Schwartz gives Erivo and Grande new songs, but neither is memorable. Putting both films together might have made a masterful experience. Splitting it into two is just a money grab.
Thankfully, Grande — and to some degree Bailey — doesn’t waste the opportunity. She still has some of the spunk from the first film, but here she’s trying to right the Wizard’s wrongs without involving the folks in her community. She also gets closer to Elphaba (even though they’re not as close as they once were) and steps on the pedal of her bubble when it matters most.
How all this squares with Gregory Maguire’s original books depends on how devoted you are to the characters and their journeys. Some moves are meant for good; others are best left where they originated.
Grande, though, was right to pursue her role from the minute she was smitten with the Broadway musical. She’s why some characters are so popular.
