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Wednesday, Feb. 4
The Indiana Daily Student

arts pop culture review

COLUMN: ‘Wicked: For Good’ is bland and confusing

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SPOILER ALERT: This column contains potential spoilers about "Wicked: For Good.” 

My freshman year of high school, I saw the Broadway performance of “Wicked” in New York City. I thought the music and set design was incredible. The live performance of “Defying Gravity,” sung by Elphaba, or the Wicked Witch of the West, is still one of the best performances I have ever seen, showcasing crazy technical and vocal skills. 

But I always knew the plot points of the musical were weak, beyond the point of the average suspension of disbelief required for fantasy stories. Most fans just choose not to think about the character’s motivations or the lack of continuity between “The Wizard of Oz” and “Wicked.” 

So, going into the 2024 movie “Wicked,” which followed the first act of the musical, and “Wicked: For Good,” which was released last week and follows the second act, I knew the story was going to make me scratch my head a little bit. I didn’t know I would leave the movie theater even more confused than I left the musical. I wasn’t confused at the plot, but more lost on why certain decisions were made to double down on the weak points of the stage production.  

“Wicked: For Good” picks up the story from the first film after a small time-skip, with Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) living as a fugitive hiding from the corrupt government run by The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum). Meanwhile, Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) find trouble in paradise before their wedding. As the story progresses, Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) reveals her true colors, and Glinda kicks her out of her position as headmistress of Shiz University.  

Overall, the movie accurately followed the second act of the musical, which was its biggest flaw. The second act of “Wicked” is notoriously terrible. Fans have found problems with every aspect of it, from Glinda’s motivations to the fact that it’s a weak plot without many songs.  

The best thing the filmmakers could have done was to make both acts into the same movie. Making the second act into its own film was asking for trouble.

Despite my aversion to the Broadway show’s second act, I was also not fond of the changes the filmmakers made. It felt as if they pushed Elphaba aside to make a redemption arc for Glinda. While this plotline does exist in the original musical, it’s amplified to the extreme in the movie. I understand why they would want to make sure audiences forgive her, probably because Grande is the actress that is playing her, but I think it takes screen time away from Elphaba, the star of the show.  

Glinda’s added song, “The Girl in the Bubble,” does add some additional depth to her character by adding flaws and insecurity. It shows she has been insecure about her lack of magical ability since childhood, which I think some audiences will relate to their own long-term insecurities. 

Moving past Glinda, I think the best part of both “Wicked” and “Wicked: For Good” is Ethan Slater’s performance as Boq, a munchkin who is in love with Glinda and is eventually transformed into the Tin Man. During the 2024 movie, Slater perfectly embodies a nice munchkin guy, giving a silly performance and subtly showing how his character yearns for Glinda. 

In the 2025 movie, Slater gives an emotional performance as he transforms into the Tin Man and becomes heartless. Honestly, he was scary when he was rioting in the square denouncing Elphaba. His performance was the highlight of the movie and I have to say I am now a fan.  

I’m also a huge fan of Erivo. Her vocal performance as Elphaba is unlike anything I have ever heard; she is a once-in-a-lifetime talent. While the visuals were confusing at times in the song “No Good Deed,” Erivo’s belting and vocal performance was the best out of the entire movie. 

Overall, the movie was what you could expect from the second act of the musical: bland and confusing. But there were standout moments that made the movie enjoyable and fun to watch. I think "Wicked” is one of those franchises where audiences should just sit back and not dig too deeply into the plot.  

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