The new “Wicked: For Good” movie made its historical premier this month and it already has millions of fans on the edge of their seats.
This time, the film offers more action and a plot thicker than ever with a lot more saucy romance. Director Jon M. Chu and his creative team have invested many months of hard work on this film, crafting a wonderful masterpiece, with its own special imperfections, that finally provides us with a story unlike anything we have seen before.
Right off the broom, the opening scene portrays a world very different from the one we left off in the previous “Wicked” movie. The film begins the storyline with showcasing the extreme hostility throughout much of Oz towards the Wicked Witch of the West, who we know as Elphaba, a girl cursedly born green with special abilities. Shortly afterwards in a later scene, strange creatures from the World of Oz, almost resembling our earthly rhinos, are struggling to pull along a heavy machine. Soldiers from the Emerald City of Oz chop down trees to make way for some kind of construction. As we notice later on, piles of golden bricks are scattered along the worksite, while a golden road peaks its way through the landscape. We understand now that the Wizard’s dream in the last movie came to fruition: the talking animals have been tamed and a path for a new Oz is being paved.
However, the scene suddenly shifts and introduces more action from Elphaba than what we have seen from her in the previous movie. On a broomstick, she swoops down on the soldiers of Oz, picking one up whom she hilariously uses to knock out the rest of the soldiers. Next, she frees the abused animals from their chains and it seems the construction of the road has halted, for now at least. As she descends on the golden path feeling triumphant, she looks over at the Emerald City of Oz and reminisces about the times when it used to be much more different.
From just a couple of beginning scenes, the storyline has been cleverly introduced in a way that boldly declares “the old World of Oz has changed.” With it, we see the beginnings of a thoroughly thought-out plot, emotion filled drama, and of course, more wickedness. Before you know it, Elphaba undertakes a journey with Glinda, her close friend, to clear her name, bring justice to the animals of Oz, and finally expose the truth about the Wizard. By the end of the film, you begin sharing a feeling with the characters more complex than anything you have felt in other movies. With their successes, you feel joy and happiness. With their failures, you sorrow with them.
On another note, much of the film, as the last “Wicked” movie revealed, focuses on Elphaba’s final character development. Inasmuch as you desperately want things to work out for Elphaba, you come to understand she is highly misunderstood. Except by her close friends who know the truth, everyone else only uses her as fueling propaganda. It seems like forever she is destined to live a hard life that started when she was born green. Carrying the hate that she has known from her earlier years, Prince Fiyero offers a stark contrast to the theme. He does not see her as everyone else does. In his move to catch her heart, he holds steadfast in her innocence. Later on, we catch more chemistry between them than what we could have ever anticipated. Truly, a love story that prevails over all differences.
As the movie progresses, the portrayal of the villain in this film crosses all boundaries. Although you want to forgive the Wizard, who is the main antagonist, you grow more irritated with his slick foolery. Over the course of the movie, you want to see him meet his well-deserved end more than ever. Unfortunately, Elphaba does not have the capacity to use her magic against him: she is not wicked all along. In a complex web of manipulation and lies, the Wizard drives the narrative with calculated malice and unsettling charisma.
Beneath the scene build-up and elaborate plot work, the visual artistry of this film demands praise; but, it does not come without its scrutiny. The CGI throughout the film was obviously crafted with skill, delivering a flawless viewer experience, and the costume designs further immersed the audience into the fantastical reality of the World of Oz. That said, while the first “Wicked” film featured musical scenes that enticed you to sing along, this film instead has not produced a notable musical score with which fans could resonate with. Unlike the catchy phrases of “Defying Gravity,” the songs in the “Wicked: For Good” movie are hard to sing to and do not offer much musical distinction. With all of its achievements, there is always something better to wish for.
At the end of the yellow brick road, the “Wicked: For Good” movie balances a unique, yet parallel storyline to the original “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” fairytale. The new film has very much accomplished everything, and at the same time, much more. How will the Wicked Witch of the West eventually meet her end?
You will have to watch the masterpiece yourself to find out!
