The sequel brings the Oz magic to a close, which unfortunately is no longer as exciting as part 1 and is lengthy.
So now the singing witches have been silent for a year. It's high time they got going again and got to the finale before Oz descends into chaos.
While the dangerous blinder (Jeff Goldblum) continues to play his manipulative game as a false magician with the support of headmistress Madame Akaber (Michelle Yeoh) in “Wicked: Part 2” and the propaganda machine is in full swing, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), demonized as an evil witch, has retreated into the forest as a lone fighter, where she only socializes with the talking animals.
Her more adaptable, magicless friend Glinda (Ariana Grande) acts as a mouthpiece for the demagogues and also prepares to marry Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey). Nevertheless, she hasn't given up hope of being able to mediate between the wizard and the green witch. As a result, everything comes to a dramatic head and Elphaba's paralyzed younger sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) in particular suffers from it.
Scene from “Wicked Part 2”
Road construction and singing
Right at the beginning we see how the famous road with the yellow paving stones is built and then winds its way through the whole country as a trademark, but the circumstances of its construction are anything but animal-friendly and instead turn into slave labor. A pretty messy situation – but despite all the problems, the characters have not lost their desire to sing. That's why we can expect titles like “Every Day More Wicked”, “No Good Deed”, “For Good” and the two new compositions “No Place Like Home” and “The Girl in the Bubble” in the second part.
Scene from “Wicked Part 2”
Dorothy passes by and remains almost invisible
Since we all know the official story of Oz, told in an early color film back in 1939, it is clear from the start that the conflict will not end well for either witch. At least you still have time for a few heart-touching duets and, above all, saying goodbye is tough. A childlike guest from another world doesn't come crashing in for the grand finale, but he does fly in. Nevertheless, it is artfully avoided that we ever see this important person named Dorothy: At most we see her feet, a brief back view or a silhouette of her. This is clearly not her film and everything is told from a different perspective. The origin story of their companions, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow, now provides tragic surprises.
Scene from “Wicked Part 2”
Action-hindering elements
At first it takes a while for the second part to get going, because most of the participants suddenly seem to just be reminiscing, which gives us a few flashbacks that have a rather inhibiting effect on the plot. In any case, a few questions soon arise: Can Glinda really live out her nightmare in pink and are we in for a kitsch wedding in her plush world? Will Elphaba give up the resistance and can a peaceful solution be found? Is the wizard willing to compromise or will Madame Akaber prove to be the real danger? Can the oppressed animals be freed? How long will the Oz residents, whose main occupation seems to be cheering and not thinking, continue to be fooled? The plot meanders between these uncertainties and offers a lot of repetition potential that slows down our attention.
Part 2 has a few strong moments, but it doesn't seem nearly as convincing, charming, entertaining and entertaining as the first – and the long break wasn't beneficial either. At the risk of upsetting musical fans, I would like to point out that the division into two parts wouldn't have been necessary; a film of almost four hours would actually have been enough and avoided unnecessary lengths.
3 of 5 melting witch shadows that rob us of an illusion again