Wicked: For Good, Marketing and Not Much Else
Image Credit: Sky Cinema via Digital News
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Wicked: For Good.
Last Friday, theatre nerds, movie buffs, and those who just wanted to catch a glimpse of People’s Sexiest Man Alive (totally valid, by the way) united for the highly-anticipated second instalment of Wicked.
If there’s one thing this franchise (if we can even call it that) got right, it’s their marketing. With a $150 million press run, multiple brand collaborations (Primark, R.E.M, Ruggable) and some very emotionally-charged interviews, it’s been hard to go more than a few hours without being confronted by our two favourite witches. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s inseparable bond has graced our screen for the last two years, and while most have been concerned by their apparent co-dependence (and ever-flowing stream of tears), we theatre kids know that’s pretty standard: just head backstage at a closing night performance and you’ll realise Erivo and Grande are actually pretty understated in their emotions!
Despite all the build-up, the film itself was incredibly underwhelming. The fatal flaw of For Good is its attempt to maintain the whimsy of the first instalment, instead of leaning into its darker themes. Too many of the key moments of the film are undercut by awkward attempts at comedy that just fall flat, including Nessarose’s brutal demise being pathetically mourned by a slapstick catfight between the two protagonists.
The film's most visually impressive moments are the transformations of characters, Boq and Fiyero. Ethan Slater becomes unrecognisable as his heart is replaced with a deep loathing; his solo in ‘March Of The Witch Hunters’ is genuinely chilling. A truly showstopping moment comes during the cinematic solo ‘No Good Deed’. Erivo’s rendition intercut with shots of Fiyero being beaten and crucified offers the emotional weight we’ve been aching for. Alas as soon as this poignant scene was over, I was left waiting for equally goosebump-inducing moments that never arrived.
The acting seemed to take a nosedive in For Good (despite both parts having been shot at the same time). Michelle Yeoh delivers an awkward, stilted performance and, while Jeff Goldblum excels at comedy, his character arc is unfulfilling and lacking in emotional response. Even Cynthia Erivo seems unable to muster the same enthusiasm from the first part, although perhaps this is owing to her character arc having pretty much already reached its conclusion last year. The only shining star is Ariana Grande, showing us the full scope of human emotion; masterfully demonstrating unthinkable grief juxtaposed with ditsy comedy.
Thankfully, the vocal performances remain outstanding. Jonathan Bailey had me sinking in my seat as he serenaded us with “As Long As You’re Mine”, and that was only partially due to the flowy white shirt. An honourable mention also has to be awarded to the costume designer: each time Glinda swapped outfits, I experienced adoration and jealousy in equal measure. Less favourable is the grey chunky knit Elphaba wears for the steamy scene - perhaps a decision to maintain their PG rating, but it looked out of place in that fantastical world. In fact it looked like the very activity she sported it for would be what would bring this already tatty cardigan to threads.
Ultimately, it seems the greatest accomplishment of Wicked: For Good was an Oscar-worthy press tour - as for the movie itself, I doubt it will be collecting any famed gold figures.