Musical/Fantasy:  Violence & sexual references; Cert PG; 2hr 17mins

Director: Jon M. Chu

Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum

The follow-up to last year’s musical hit movie is finally here.

Wicked: For Good picks up what seems to be a couple of years after we left off. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is now known as The Wicked Witch of the West as she tries to reveal the truth, Glinda (Ariana Grande) is seemingly passive as an ‘encouraging’ political figure and realising getting all she wanted might not be all she wants, and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) is leading the hunt for Elphaba, and has found himself in a surprise engagement.

Exquisite set design and costuming, powerhouse vocals and vulnerable performances combine in a satisfying conclusion to the Wicked cinematic event of the past year.

The main trio each give incredible performances, with Erivo and Bailey selling the grounded tragic arcs, but Grande steals the show, nailing both the comedic and dramatic beats required from her to tie the story together.

As for the story – it has always been the weaker side of the musical, and that unfortunately bleeds into the film adaptation. A few scenes are added towards the first half to attempt to remedy this, and even a couple of songs, but these attempts are forgotten towards the latter half where they may have been more needed, and it all results in some out-of-tempo pacing.

The songs from the musical hold up, even if they never quite defy gravity. Erivo and Grande are masterful vocalists and it’s always a treat to hear their renditions. No Good Deed and Thank Goodness were my favourites, and ‘title track’ For Good provides an emotional, satisfying conclusion whether or not the story technically earned it.

As Long as You’re Mine is vocally spectacular, but the implications from the stage musical are swapped out for a Disney-friendly romance scene (my sister described it as Fiyero and Elphaba ‘social distancing through the sex scene’) – but on the bright side, that makes this a lot more child friendly.

Although darker and more serious than the first one, it’s not as scary as I was expecting. I think the most shocking scene in both parts of Wicked was that monkey growing wings in last year’s film, so if your kid survived that they'll probably be fine with this one.

Despite its faults, what Wicked: For Good does right is spectacular, and will be a vital half of the inevitable go-to slumber party double-feature staple for years to come. 7/10