The return to Oz

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NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Friday, November 21st. Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day.

Good morning. I’m Nick Eicher.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: And I’m Myrna Brown.

Coming next on The World and Everything in It: a final stop in the land of Oz. The film Wicked: For Good opens this weekend, taking the story to its big finish.

But every journey changes as you go. WORLD arts and culture editor Collin Garbarino says this one takes a different turn than you might expect.

COLLIN GARBARINO: Cinematic musicals have fallen on hard times in America, but last year’s Wicked defied the odds by offering audiences a joyful romp, full of over-the-top dance numbers set against lavish backdrops. Now, after a 12-month intermission, it’s time for Act Two. But fans who aren’t familiar with the original Broadway show might feel a little let down as the story takes a darker turn.

ELPHABA: There’s no going back.

Wicked: For Good picks up the action at some undefined time after the first movie. Elphaba, once again played by Cynthia Erivo, has become the Wicked Witch. She lives alone, but she makes excursions into the world to continue her struggle against the Wizard of Oz and his oppressive regime.

Her friend Glinda, however, is living in the Emerald City, being groomed for leadership by the Wizard and the magical Madame Morrible. Ariana Grande plays Glinda, and Jeff Goldblum is Oz and Michelle Yeoh is Morrible. The question of whether Glinda and Elpahba’s friendship is strong enough to survive being on opposite sides is the heart of the story.

GLINDA: Elphaba Thropp, I know you’re out here. Come in before the monkeys spot you.

When a certain girl from Kansas shows up with her little dog in tow, an already difficult situation gets worse.

OZ: Bring me the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West.

Those who loved last year’s Wicked will probably want to see Wicked: For Good. It succeeds in wrapping up the first film in a satisfying manner. And those who aren’t yet familiar with the musical’s story will be interested in seeing how the story incorporates the events of The Wizard of Oz movie from 1939. But to be honest, Wicked: For Good is a bit of a let down.

ELPHABA: You’re the only friend I ever had.

GLINDA: And I have so many friends.

Last year’s Wicked felt like such a triumph because it was fun. Sure, there was a bit of a subtext about tyranny and the suppression of truth, but the film didn’t take itself too seriously. How could it when everything revolved around Glinda’s skill at tossing her hair?

Most of the first film is set during the protagonists’ carefree university days, which adds to the amusement with big dance numbers full of fellow students and a lot of witty banter from the ensemble cast. But in this movie, Elphaba and Glinda have left university life behind. The wide world proves to be a lot lonelier and a lot less fun.

MADAME MORRIBLE: The Wicked Witch can’t elude us forever. Not with Prince Fiyero and his squadron hot on her trail.

It’s not that director Jon M. Chu has made a bad followup, it’s just that this movie isn’t as good as the first one. It’s not entirely his fault. The Broadway musical’s best songs come during Act One. There’s nothing as catchy as “Popular” or as stirring as “Defying Gravity.” So this sequel is left with a selection of numbers that range from serviceable to forgettable.

We can’t blame Chu for the music, but we can blame him for the pacing. It’s 22 minutes shorter than Wicked, but it feels longer. Many of the scenes drag out the emotional beats. I suppose we’re meant to feel the characters’ turmoil, but instead the deadwood merely gives the audience more time to remember that things aren't as enjoyable as last time.

GLINDA: Think of what we can do… together.

Wicked: For Good is rated PG for action and some suggestive material. And the suggestive material is much more suggestive this go round. Parents might want to think twice about bringing young children. During one of the musical numbers, two characters strip off layers of clothing. And in the Land of Oz folks wear elaborate costumes so they have many layers to strip off. Then they fall into bed together. I’m not sure I would call it “objectionable,” but it’s, well, very suggestive. Much more suggestive than I would expect from a PG movie in 2025.

ELPHABA: For a while there, I thought you had changed.

FIYERO: I have changed.

How should we assess the morality of Wicked’s story? On the one hand, you could cheer for its condemnation of totalitarianism. And you kind of get this sense that everyone’s complicated, with some mixture of goodness and wickedness. Maybe that sounds like a Biblical understanding of fallen humanity.

On the other hand, in its condemnation of tyranny’s monopoly on truth, the movie flirts with the idea that there’s no such thing as truth, per se. There’s just my story and your story and his story and her story. It starts to feel like post-modern moral relativism. In this story, the villains turn into heroes, and the heroes turn into villains. And sometimes those villains-turned-heroes turn back to villains and vice versa. No one’s good. No one’s wicked. We’re all just doing stuff. Trying to survive.

Anyway, if you were planning to see Wicked: For Good in theaters, there’s probably not much I can say that will dissuade you. 

ELPHABA: I’m off to see the Wizard.

Just go into it expecting that you might find this visit to the Emerald City disappointing.

I’m Collin Garbarino.

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