After a year, director Jon M. Chu’s highly anticipated sequel to his iconic movie Wicked has been released in theaters. Despite my fears that Wicked: For Good wouldn’t be able to top its predecessor, I was surprised by how well the two tied together, creating a cohesive, heartwarming story that changed me for good.
Wicked: For Good follows Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) around five years after the events of Wicked. While Glinda celebrates her fame, Elphaba has been cast out of the Emerald City and essentially Oz itself, making the secluded forest west of Oz her new home. Things are different in the nation now; Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) and the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) have plastered the Emerald City with propaganda against Elphaba, whom they now call the Wicked Witch of the West.
Overall, I was enamored with Chu’s adaptation of the musical of the same title. Grande and Erivo delivered emotional vocal performances that evoked a sense of pain, regret, and joy in their voices. At times, especially during For Good, it felt like I was watching the actresses sing to each other as if they were sisters themselves, rather than Elphaba and Glinda.
One of the most magical things about the film was the press tour, where audiences watched Erivo and Grande form a rare bond. One so rare that many now believe them to be in a secret relationship despite Grande’s romance with Ethan Slater (Boq, the Tin Man, or SpongeBob). Though I’m in full support of these mostly lighthearted jokes about the actresses’ relationship, I find their friendship so pure and heartwarming; their love was palpable in the theater.
I was especially impressed by Jeff Goldblum, who plays the Wizard, and Ethan Slater, the Tin Man. Goldblum does such an amazing job at making the Wizard seem redeemable and true to his word, until we find out about his vault of animals. I would catch myself laughing at one of his jokes, then realize I’m falling for the same facade that the Ozians did, which turned them against the animals and Elphaba.
Sometimes, I struggle to take Ethan Slater seriously after videos of him as SpongeBob resurfaced; his laugh haunts me at night. However, his performance as Boq and the Tin Man shocked me. Slater captures the anger and self-loathing that push the Tin Man to revolt against Elphaba, though he held no hard feelings towards her as Boq. His hate for Elphaba was ironic, given that she was the one who saved him after Nessarose cast a fatal spell on him.
My favorite part of Wicked as a whole may be that the entire story is an allegory for political propaganda and the marginalization of minority groups. The Wizard’s goal is to strip the animals of their voices, preventing them from advocating for themselves and others. The animals have intelligence and understanding that threatens the Wizard’s power, so he silences them to maintain control over Oz.
Moreover, he and Madame Morrible take advantage of Elphaba in Wicked, seeing no real value in her as a person. They instead use her to read the Grimmerie, a spellbook that would help the Wizard uphold his power over Ozians. The duo creates propaganda to turn Oz against an innocent Elphaba, who had been taken advantage of by those she looked up to.
Additionally, Wicked: For Good touches on immigration restrictions when Boq, along with all other Munchkins, is barred from leaving Munchkinland without government approval. Though perhaps not directly inspired by the Trump administration, given that the movies were filmed before his second term, the political disarray in both Oz and the United States bears similar characteristics.
Though a bright and beautiful story about friendship that transcends time, Wicked: For Good touches on so many taboo subjects and highlights our society today. Thoughtful lyrics, colors, and characters come together to create something so similar to the musical but entirely itself in its own magical way. At its core, Wicked: For Good begs the question: What can we do to change our country for the better, to change it for good?
