‘Wicked’ defies gravity for good

With two clicks of Dorothy’s ruby red slippers, fans’ wishes were granted with the final part of “Wicked,” called “Wicked: For Good,” coming out on Nov. 21. A newfound perspective of the supposed wicked witch and a forbidden friendship, “Wicked: For Good’ is a remarkable presentation of the prequal to “The Wizard of Oz” and truly defies gravity.

Almost a year after the release of “Wicked,” Fans who were left speechless from the attention to detail and intricate design throughout the first movie had high expectations for the finale, “Wicked: For Good.” Even with high hopes for an even better film, audiences were left disappointed by a hazy and unoriginal version compared to the original.

“Wicked” began as a Broadway musical in 2003, reinterpreting the story behind the “Wizard of Oz” through music and acting. While “Wicked” the movie effectively captured the originality of the Broadway musical, “Wicked: For Good” focused solely on turning Act Two from an hour-long show into a two-hour movie, unsuccessfully recreating the magic of the first film. 

Theatrical aspects of “Wicked: For Good” were lacking throughout, including the music and the animated energy that illustrate the overall storytelling behind how Oz became what it was. Regarding the visual effects and new additions to the movie, a film with great potential suffered from the unethical emotional lows and mediocre transitions that carried “Wicked.” Without extra songs and lazy attempts to make the film “better,” “Wicked: For Good” could still have soared just as high as the original. 

Although fans were indifferent to the overall production of the new movie, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s roles as Elphaba and Glinda were flawless. From the first to the second movie, their connection to the character remained the same, and the emotion grew even stronger. Grande and Erivo proved themselves to be resilient and able to embody the personalities of Elphaba and Glinda. 

Grande, a successful singer and actor in “Victorious” and “Sam-and-Cat,” took her role as Glinda and made it as authentic as she could to the original. The style of her music and past acting has been vastly different than her role in “Wicked,” but she brought out a new side of herself in “Wicked: For Good.” Being sincere and passionate about her portrayal of the character raised Grande to a whole new level. 

Grande’s co-star, Erivo, has always had heavy roles throughout the movies she’s acted in, but the way she played Elphaba was beautiful. While “Wicked: For Good” is a fun, fantasy movie, Erivo conveyed the deeper message behind the film: that love must be protected and the dangers of conforming to another’s ideas. Elphaba is a brilliant, caring character who stands by her opinions, which Erivo represented perfectly in “Wicked: For Good.”

While “Wicked: For Good” was disappointing for many fans, the movie is still very successful and has some great points. The overall message of the film was very apparent, and “Wicked: For Good” was very emotionally driven. Even though “Wicked: For Good” could be seen as very lackluster, atleast we know Elphaba’s true story, for good.