Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West and her relationship with Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. The second of a two-part feature film adaptation of the Broadway musical.

Let’s get this out of the way. I don’t like musicals. Phantom was fine, Rent was good but I generally stay away from the rest, even the Disney ones. So what made me watch three hours of the Wicked 2004 so that I’d be caught up for watching Wicked: For Good in the theatre? A dear friend and FOMO. After a year of Wicked mania, my defenses were finally worn down when year two came around. 

And boy am I glad I saw it! The positive, female friends message! The production value! The world building around a century old story that we all thought we knew! Most of the credit must be given to Gregory Maguire, who named Elphaba and created her backstory in his 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. But let’s not discount the fuller shape it was given when made into a musical in 2003 or the completion of the evolution when it became two movies. Because one movie could not contain this story, this world.

And yes, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo did a great job with their parts, in both the singing and the acting, But the totality of the movie, directed by Jon M. Chu was greater than the sum of its parts. At 2hr 17m it was perfectly paced and though the movie tied everything up in a tidy bow, it didn’t feel contrived or saccharine. You might even be moved to tears! 

It is not often that a movie makes me want more as I walk out of the theatre.  However, this one not only made me wish there was Wicked 3 coming next year but to also want to chart all the ways each original Oz character was tweaked and jump into the rabbithole.  Take your family to go see it – it’s got a great message about friendship and choosing good over evil, not just for girls and not just for kids, but for everyone.

Barndi’s Grade: A+