Wicked: For Good

Cinema box offices look to be getting another shot in the arm with the release of Wicked: For Good and it certainly proves the value in filming sequels back-to-back.

It’s a great encore and finish to the story a year on from the first, although it may just fall a little bit below its predecessor.

Sometimes you just can’t argue with giant cinematic spectacle and this film rides its runtime beautifully.

As before, some of the musical sequences are extraordinary and performances uniformly top-notch.

The references and incursions of the Wizard of Oz storyline are nice and, maybe, opens the door to another spin-off from Dorothy’s perspective should the studio want to take that risk.

Like many a musical before it, shoehorning the songs to fit the story sometimes makes a few of the plot threads feel a little rushed to conclusion, or more articulated in song than in script, but it’s par for the course with a film of this type and not a gripe to mull over too much.

Once again, the look, tone and style of the film has been done really well and it feels of a piece with Part 1.

It's inevitable that many people reading will be going to see this but a few questions may be on your mind.

Will this work just as well on a smaller screen in years to come?

Perhaps not, unless you’re a diehard musical fan.

Will it appeal to those who aren’t fans of musicals?

Again, perhaps not, although it is hard to argue with something with as much mass-appeal as this.

Why does the first one have the edge?

The songs are largely better first time around and the slightly darker tone here does leave less time to just indulge in being with the characters and the story has to be pushed along a little more. It does make the ending feel slightly rushed considering the runtime.

As mentioned though, you just cannot argue with some old-fashioned, blockbuster, cinematic musical spectacle.

It’s great to see cinemas full to bursting with a film as popular (pun intended) as this.

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