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Wicked Part One was widely heralded on its release a year ago but almost immediately people began to speculate that the sequel would not be as good. There was lots of discussion on and off line about how the second half of the stage show, that this follow up was going to cover, was more downbeat and filled with heartache and anguish, that it lacked as many strong moments as the first and it didn’t have the best songs. 

Now that the movie has been released, the write ups seem to confirm these concerns. Various critics have described it as dour, poorly paced, bloated, drab and compared to its predecessor very disappointing. 

This is all rubbish. Wicked For Good is a brilliant follow up. The only thing it possibly lacks is the wonderful introduction to this world we got last time (which was already based heavily on previous depictions of Oz on screen) but it has all the spectacle, characterisation, wit and emotion of the first movie and then some. There might be slightly more of the latter but this does not make it dour and while the ending is bittersweet it is also beautiful and ultimately uplifting. I don’t really understand the negative reviews. To use Ozian parlance they are confusifying and horrendible, and most certainly uncharitable and mean spirited. I totally accept that this is not everyone’s cup of elixir but if you got swept up in last time this is everything you’d expect or want it to be. Some of the character developments and how they fit in to the existing story of Dorothy, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man might seem a little forced but that comes from the show (although not Maquire’s book) and I would suggest that these are worked in better here than they are on the stage.

The best tune has been sung, there is no real denying that, Defying Gravity is an epic banger, but there are still some great numbers remaining. There are actually two new songs, one for each of the leading ladies, but these are not the highlights. Glinda’s has a nice, perhaps slightly gimmicky, setting around it and does explain her motivations but on first listen they don’t come across as all time classics. As Long As You’re Mine, No Good Deed and For Good are all superb show tunes though and the staging and performance of each is excellent here. The first and last of these especially also carry real passion and seeing Ariana Grande-Butera and Cynthia Erivo magnificently belt out that title ballad is something truly special. (I’m not crying, you’re crying.)

In fact this same moment also highlights what stays so strong from the first film, if not stronger, and that is the powerful believably of these women’s friendship. Yes their relationship goes through the wringer this time but this only draws you in more and you never doubt a single moment of it as it rollercoasters through the events on screen. Some critics have criticised Grande-Butera’s acting this time, and objected to a perceived sidelining of Erivo in her favour but this is all unfair. Both actors completely sell the story and Grande-Butera still has some nice opportunities to show her comedy skills as well as the dramatic. Sadly Michelle Yeo still can’t hold the notes but that’s not new (I’m not sure she isn’t a bit miscast). 

I don’t know what is going on with the neysayers here then. Maybe some film journalists resented how much Wicked Part One was celebrated before and thought this all needed knocking down a bit, gearing up for one battle after another as awards season approaches, but the fact is that by their very nature both of these movies hark back to a motion picture that has been considered one of the best examples of cinema for eight and a half decades and have extended the artistry in both contemporary and historical ways. The Wizard of Oz pushed the boundaries of the medium then and so does this now. This is big screen entertainment really doing what it can do. 

I couldn’t be happier.