The long awaited second act to the “Wicked” film series “Wicked: For Good” finally hit theaters over Thanksgiving break. Fans filled theaters across the country in green and pink outfits ready to hop on their broomsticks or into their bubble to transport back to the whimsical world of Oz. Thankfully, for the devoted fans, the wait was worth it as this second film delivered all the magic and drama that the audience was left craving from the first film.
In last year’s review, we explored the casting choices, musical talents, practical effects and dance numbers of the film. This time around, I wanted to compare and contrast the original 2003 musical and this film’s creative storytelling choices, as this half of the story takes a turn away from the fun dance filled numbers and more toward serious themes. With that being said, here is the spoiler alert for the rest of this column as I will be discussing how this film tackles the ending of this story in comparison to the Broadway musical.
Before diving into the pros of this film, I wanted to give my thoughts on the use of adored “Wizard of Oz” characters within our “Wicked” universe. One of the biggest qualms fans had with the movie was how little they featured the beloved Dorothy Gale from Kansas. In fact, the audience never even sees her face in this rendition, but only her back, side profile, silhouette or shadow. In total she gets just shy of five minutes of screen time within the entire two hour and 18 minute film. For me, this was a wonderful choice by director Jon M. Chu. This wasn’t her story, this was the tale of Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo). At this point we all should know the “Wizard of Oz” story. Had Chu chosen to add more Dorothy into this film, I likely would have felt disappointed – as if he was using the classic movie as a crutch in his rendition.
As for the rest of the original Ozian characters, the audience does get to see Jonathan Bailey return as Prince Fiyero and Ethan Slater as Boq. However, those weren’t the only characters we got to see each actor embody this time around. As assumed by the Easter Egg clues in the first half of the series, the audience does get to see Bailey transform into the Scarecrow and Slater into a rather terrifying Tin Man.
Chu’s practical effects choice for the costuming of these two harkened back to a pro from the first film. Paul Tazewell, the costume designer, and Mark Coulier, the makeup artist, create movie magic with their abilities to bring these two characters to life. Neither character was edited or embellished post-filming to amplify their costuming. Instead, Bailey’s prosthetic involved a real burlap sack to create the authentic texture of the scarecrow, his wig was made with real wheat, and the seams of his clothes were stuffed with straw. Slater, as the Tin Man, sat through four hours of makeup, and his prosthetic was specially designed to allow him a full range of facial emotion but with slight details added like a real tea spout for his nose and a more angular jaw, used to sell the illusion that he was truly made of tin.
These details were really part of what gave this entire series its magic. Using as many practical effects as possible made not only the Emerald City feel real, but also the entire Ozian Universe. Immersing the audience entirely into the story, likely created a similar sensation to what it would be like to see the story live on Broadway.
The final moment that I feel really stuck with the audience, differing from the original musical, is the closing scene of the film. In the original play we see Elphaba finally get her forever-after, running off with the now Scarecrow’d version of Prince Fiyero. Glinda, in her grief over Elphaba’s death, becomes Glinda the Good in hopes of being the leader Elphaba wanted her to be. She gains the ability to read the Grimmerie and frees the animals restoring their rights within society. In the film, all of the same motions take place, however we get a final shot of Elphaba from the depths of the outside realm of Oz. We see her pause and turn around, dreamily gesturing to the sky in a way to allude that she has given the power of being able to read the Grimmerie to Glinda. They exchange “I love yous” from afar, and the audience is left feeling hopeful that Glinda is aware Elphaba did survive and has escaped. This was a far more wholesome and heartwarming ending that, for me, really worked. It reminded and reinforced the idea that despite the separate paths of Glinda and Elphaba, the story was really always about the evolution of their intimate friendship.
All in all “Wicked: For Good,” much like its first act, receives a splendiferous spicy score of 5 out of 5. Regardless of if you were a fan of the musical before it hit the big screen or just waited patiently for part two all year, this one is a must see in theaters. My best advice, rewatch the first half at home before taking your transportation bubble to a theater near you.