My wife suggested we see the musical Wicked: For Good in early January. It was down to two shows a day in one of the smaller rooms at the Spectrum 8 in Albany. (In fact, the sign outside suggested it was showing Zootopia 2.)
I did see the first film, which I liked well enough. Still, as I wrote, ” I will probably see Wicked For Good, but it will make me cranky.” Yeah, I was feeling a bit manipulated about seeing another film.
So I’m here to report that, much to my surprise, I liked the second film a bit more than the first. Maybe it was my lowered expectations. Perhaps it’s because the film’s first half felt padded. I liked the darker tone and the unhurried pace.
In the sequel, Glinda and Elphaba were estranged and even antagonists for a time. So it was satisfying that their friendship survived the stressors, perhaps how real-life friendships sometimes work.
Even more than the first movie, it had a political subtext. Was Glinda selling out or working through the system? Should the animals rally around Elphaba’s leadership? It’s challenging to change the power of public perception, even when it’s based on lies.
There’s Dorothy!
There were some good songs that I was unfamiliar with. But mostly, I liked how the 1939 Wizard of Oz film timeline was grafted onto this film. Sometimes, it was at arm’s length; you never saw Dorothy in closeup. The storylines for the Tin Man and Scarecrow worked, though the Cowardly Lion, less so. And the movie explained some storylines involving the Wizard, one of which gutted the wondrous one.
The critics were so-so about the movie (67% on Rotten Tomatoes), though the fans were more forgiving (93%). Ultimately, the film lives on the passions of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, which generally carry the day. Unfortunately, Michelle Yeoh’s singing as Madame Morrible was subpar; one is pleased with her character’s fate.
