Wicked Double Feature

Yesterday my sister, my nephew, and I went to a Wicked and Wicked: For Good double feature and it was so much fun!  I am glad that I got to see the first movie on the big screen again before the new one because, in my opinion, both of them form one cohesive narrative.  I think Wicked tells Elphaba's story (a misunderstood young woman discovers how to control her magic and becomes the Wicked Witch of the West to fulfill her destiny) and Wicked: For Good tells Glinda's story (a popular young woman realizes that she doesn't need magic and becomes Glinda the Good to fulfill her destiny).  I was initially a bit concerned when it was announced that the stage musical was being divided into two movies because I think the second act is weaker than the first but Wicked: For Good definitely improves upon the source material with additions (of songs and scenes) that deepen the relationships between the characters.  I do think the movie gets off to a slow start with an expanded version of "Every Day More Wicked" (which includes reprises from many of the songs in the first movie) but I really loved the new songs "No Place Like Home" and "Girl in the Bubble" and the expanded version of "Wonderful" because they add to the characterizations of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), Glinda (Ariana Grande), and the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), respectively.  I also liked the addition of a scene between Nessarose (Marissa Bode) and Boq (Ethan Slater) because it shows her control over him, the wedding scene between Glinda and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) with cuts to Elphaba because it is so powerful, and several scenes with the animals because they emphasize Elphaba's motivation.  I was impressed with how the filmmakers portrayed Nessarose's enchanted shoes as well as how Dorothy (Bethany Weaver), the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion (Colman Domingo) are depicted.  My favorite scenes were definitely the duet of "As Long as You're Mine" between Elphaba and Fiyero and the confrontation between Elphaba and Glinda at Dorothy's farmhouse after the tornado (the audience cheered during both of them).  As I previously mentioned, this movie focuses more on Glinda and Grande does a brilliant job portraying her journey.  Her acting is as exceptional as her singing, especially in "For Good" and the scene that follows it (I had tears in my eyes during this scene).  Erivo's performance of "No Good Deed" is absolutely amazing and, even though her singing is not great, Michelle Yeoh is fun to watch as the villain Madame Morrible.  It is an even bigger spectacle than the first movie and I enjoyed the world-building, particularly Elphaba's tree house hideaway, the production design, and the costumes.  I really loved this (my sister and I are already talking about seeing it again) and highly recommend it!

Note:  My sister made us pink and green hoodies (my sister and nephew had pink ones and I had a green one) with the logo embroidered on them.  We got lots of comments!