In 2024, the musical Wicked, which was in the works, was adapted into a film. It was breathtaking and captivated many people, but sadly ended on a cliffhanger because it was only half of the movie.
After two years of wondering how the movie ends, the studio decided to finish the other half of the film in 2025. After watching the movie in detail, I got the idea to share it with others and see if they like it as much as I do.
The first thing to look at is how the characters were really brought to life and evolved from the first film. If we look at the two main characters, Elphaba and Glenda, we can see that they start very differently. For example, when we look at Elpahaba, who we can see is a teen girl who is trying to be like everyone else because she doesn’t feel comfortable in her own green skin.
When we look at Glenda, it is clear that she comes off as a teenage girl who is very full of herself and is not in the know about a lot of things. She also tries to be popular and perfect all the time.
After watching the second film, the characters really evolve. To show this, we can see that Elphaba embraces who she is and speaks out more for what she believes. Glenda also evolves into someone who has opinions but is more of a willing soldier, doing whatever she is told.
Behind every character, there is always an actor acting out the character they are given. The actors behind the characters are Arianna Grande and Cynthia Erivo. Let’s take a look at one actor at a time. First, Arianna Grand, who played Glenda, really embraced the character she was given in movie 2. She puts her best foot forward in any scene she is in.
The next actor, Cynthia Erivo, also embraces her character more in the second one as well. She also puts her best foot forward in any scene she is in. Together, these two make an amazing duo.
It’s not just the characters and actors that make the film amazing, but also key scenes. Some of the key scenes are when Fiyero – Elphaba’s love interest – becomes a scarecrow due to a spell she does, when Elphaba fakes her death, when Glinda and Elphaba say goodbye, and when animals are restored to their rightful place. I am not going to talk about all of these scenes, but I will mention some that really enhanced the movie.
The first one is when Elpahaba fakes her death in the end. When watching this scene, I was shocked and at the edge of my seat because I thought she actually died. This built up suspense in the movie and really kept my eyes glued to the screen.
The second and last scene that I want to mention is when Glinda and Elphaba say goodbye to each other through a song. This scene is emotional and really surprises people who watched the first film because they seemed like an inseparable pair. So, watching them say goodbye really made the film seem like it was coming to an end.
Many more scenes than these really tug at people’s hearts or keep them in suspense, but because there are many more, there is no way for me to mention them all. Also, these two scenes are emotional as well.
Songs like those teach people lessons and really touch the heart.
Next, we are going to look at the plot of Wicked for Good in little detail. Just enough info so people know what it’s about. When watching the movie, we see that Elphaba, who is now seen as the wicked witch, is trying to change things for the better. While Glinda is seen as good and is living a life of luxury. In order for Elpahaba to accomplish her mission, she needs help from Glinda to see it through.
This summary is lightweight and just highlights the main points. When looking at this summary, at least in my opinion, it seems interesting and makes me want to watch the second part. Even though it is interesting, some people have different opinions after watching the movie.
As you can see, some people prefer the first movie because the scenes are better. In the end, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, which is completely okay.
Speaking of music, that is the next piece of the film we are going to look at. When listening to the music for Wicked for Good, we can see that the songs are meant to speak more deeply to the characters while also making it enjoyable for the audience.
Two songs to use as an example are “No Place Like Home” and “The Girl in the Bubble”. The first song, “No Place Like Home,” is sung by Elphaba. This song represents how Elphaba feels about fighting for Oz and her home, and that she is not giving up. It also represents her inner desire to do the right thing.
The second song, “The Girl in the Bubble,” is sung by Glinda. This song represents how Glinda feels about her life. To elaborate more on this topic, she feels as though she is not doing much with her life, and she wants to be more in life than just a pretty face.
When asking for an adult opinion, I asked Oakmont music teacher, Mr. Demoura, what he thought. He told me that the song defying gravity closes Act I well because it is sung with high energy and leaves high expectations also. The music in Act II is slower-paced and doesn’t have the same energy.
As good as any movie or film is, the one thing that people always comment on is the changes. I personally feel some of the scenes could have been slowed down to make more sense for the audience. I also asked Demoura about changes that could be made, and he told me that even though the storyline for Act II was amazing, he believes there should be more scenes with more cast members who give an amazing performance.
