Wicked: For Good

Not so much a full movie as the second half of a longer movie, Wicked: For Good won’t win over many of its predecessor’s detractors, nor will it disappoint many established fans.

Following up last year’s adaptation of the acclaimed Broadway musical for the big screen, many of the same plaudits and criticisms also apply to this installment.

Under returning director Jon Chu (In the Heights), it’s a sumptuous technical achievement — a visually captivating blend of seamless effects, colorful sets and costumes, and gorgeous cinematography.

Yet in expanding the narrative from the play — conceived as a prequel to the classic Wizard of Oz — the film doesn’t heighten the thematic depth or emotional complexity, with a mix of camp and sincerity that feels more awkward on screen than on stage. The charming performances can’t fully compensate.

The film picks up right where the first film left off, with Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) ostracized after confronting the totalitarian regime in the Land of Oz, led by the enigmatic Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and ruthless Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). She’s banished and labeled as the Wicked Witch of the West.

Meanwhile, fair-skinned former classmate Glinda (Ariana Grande) is treated as royalty as the Good Witch, expected to unite the kingdom against Elphaba and her anthropomorphic creatures. Deep down, however, they retain a kinship and wish for a brighter future.

Elphaba realizes sooner than Glinda that both are caught up in a manipulative maze of deception, betrayal, and ego-driven control. Eventually, Glinda sees the importance of standing up for what’s right rather than blindly taking the path of least resistance. Their destinies seem forever linked.

Erivo and Grande convey a magnetic chemistry even when they don’t share the screen, which is more often this time around, given more periphery characters in the mix. Elphaba has the more intriguing of the two arcs, along with many of the key twists.

Some of the production numbers are quite lovely, highlighted by an elaborate staging of “Wonderful,” which is the musical highlight of the back half of the show. Elphaba’s flying sequences are stirring, too.

Once again, the messages of acceptance, coexistence, wielding power responsibly, and embracing your identity are delivered with sledgehammer subtlety.

The spectacle overwhelms the substance in Wicked: For Good, a sequel that’s more about following the yellow brick road than paving it.

Rated PG-13, 137 minutes.