The beloved 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz” featured The Wicked Witch of The West with no explanation of why she was evil, other than that a house fell on her sister.
“Wicked” was a novel by Gregory Maguire, which spawned a hit Broadway show of the same name, explaining her origin story.
“Wicked” was a hit at the box office last year, and the second film “Wicked: For Good” isn’t quite as good as the first, but it’s still a fun and entertaining movie.
There is a great Jewish value to be learned in “Wicked: For Good”: people should not scapegoat. The story shows how Elphaba, who is shunned by Oz because of her green skin. While she does have powers, when she uncovers that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is all smoke and mirrors and doesn’t have the powers he claims to possess, there is a plot to demonize her and call her evil. The new film also shows a progression in the love triangle between Glinda (Ariana Grande), Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) and Elphaba, played Cynthia Erivo, who will likely get an Oscar nomination.
There is a great Jewish value to be learned in “Wicked: For Good”: people should not scapegoat.
The movie kicks off with Elphaba in exile. The villain of the film, Madam Morrible, played by Michelle Yeoh, used her magic to make Elphaba seem more sinister. Animals are now in cages with even more restrictions against them as they are seen as threats to Oz.
Though we don’t see her face, Dorothy Gale shows up asking the Wizard for help, but instead he demands that she bring him Elphaba’s broomstick.
While Erivo and Grande still have great voices and their performances are magnetic, the songs are not as catchy as those in the last film. “Wicked: For Good,” based on the second act of the Broadway show, is also a bit darker, but thankfully for kids, scenes of torture are understood but not depicted.
The play and novel don’t have the same endings, so some will be surprised plot changes near the end of the film. Grande is again charming as Glinda, who is close to perfect but grapples with her moral shortcomings.
Jewish actor Jeff Goldblum is back as the Wizard. His performance is on point, as a man trying to hide a secret and remain in power. Yeoh is fine when she’s on screen, but is underutilized.
Grande and Erivo’s chemistry and excellence are what makes “Wicked: For Good” memorable. Judaism teaches that we should surely seek justice, and Glinda tries, but has her failures. When she is asked about her relationship with Elphaba, she admits they were friends but doesn’t go into any great detail.
Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose, (Marissa Bode) gives in to anger and attempts to put a love spell on Boq (Ethan Slater) that ends badly. This subplot also was dealt with a bit flippantly.
The movie shows that the real magic of humans is treating people fairly and achieving our goals without lies, manipulation and blackmail. It is quite tempting to tie ourselves to brooms of deceit. Some may be surprised by the unexpected appearance of a Scarecrow, the plot will be familiar to anyone who knows Baum’s book or the “Wizard of Oz” movies. This is a rare movie that adults and children can enjoy.
“Wicked: For Good” shows that some friendships are transactional, while others are real. It also teaches us to judge people fairly, based on their actions. There is also an unsubtle hint of the danger of propaganda.
Glinda wants to have her friend and also be the most popular person in Oz. What happens if she has to pick one or the other? Elphaba can tell the people the Wizard is a sham, but they might not believe her.
Directed by John Chu with lyrics and music composed by Stephen Schwartz, “Wicked: For Good” is a visually stunning and well-acted film that is moviemaking at a high-level. If last year’s “Wicked”was a knockout, this year’s model still packs a punch.
