Wicked: For Good opens this weekend, likely to a large box office haul. But as that’s happening, a narrative is already forming, one of fans loving it, and critics dimming since the release of the original Wicked.
As it stands, audiences have given Wicked: For Good a sky-high 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes, ticking past the 95% that the original Wicked got. It is one of the highest scores for a mainstream release this year, topped by the likes of F1 (97%) and tied with Sinners at 96%. An impressive feat. Outside of theaters, we have the enigmatic KPop Demon Hunters with an unbeatable 99% audience score.
Critic scores have dropped for Wicked: For Good. 400 reviews put the original Wicked at an 88%, while 200 reviews in so far have Wicked: For Good at a 71%. That’s a 7% difference between critics and audiences for the first film, and now 25% for Wicked: For Good. Why? Here’s what some of the critics are saying:
- Observer UK – “There is a crucial ingredient missing: humour. Without it, the spark is extinguished; the astringency that cut through the sentimentality of the first picture is gone.”
- San Francisco Chronicle – “It holds too much space for trite dialogue, obvious special effects and pointless skirmishes between green-skinned animal-rights advocate Elphaba and the corrupt Oz administration — and too little for the story’s key relationships.”
Of course, even with a decline, we still have a majority positive reviews for the film. Such as:
- Variety – “The film fixes a common complaint of the show, giving the pair more scenes (and songs) together in this final stretch, which now feels like a robust tale unto itself.”
- The Times (UK) – “They’ve only gone and done it. The makers of this musical sequel have delivered a film that surpasses last year’s box-office smash in verve, ambition and emotional ache.”
The main question is whether these stellar audience scores turn into a stellar box office, and there’s little question the movie will perform well. I might expect it to dip under its predecessor, as Part 2s can do sometimes, but with the original Wicked opening at $112,000 domestically and going on to make $758 million worldwide, if For Good does anywhere close to that, it’s a smash hit. We’ll find out more there around midday on Sunday.
Director Jon Chu has a stacked plate after this, attached to movies like Crazy Rich Asians 2, Hot Wheels and Split Fiction, among others, though which ones he sticks with, we’ll see. There will no doubt be Oscar buzz for Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo like there was last year, although neither won their categories. Grande, in particular, has gotten great acclaim heading back to acting after her long journey as a pop star, harkening back to her child actor days. Now, she’s starring in Focker-In-Law, the new Ben Stiller comedy out next year.
So, Wicked: For Good may have split critics and fans, but it’s going to be a monster. Stay tuned.
Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram.
Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Read the full article here
