"As even fans of the stage blockbuster will admit, Wicked's second act, the part of the story covered in For Good, is weaker by far than its first. Where the play's opening act is stacked with unforgettable songs by composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz, one of the only memorable numbers post-intermission is the one that gives the second movie its title, a heart-melting duet between green-skinned outcast Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West."
"Wicked is one of those musicals whose book (by Winnie Holzman, who co-wrote the screenplays of both movies with Dana Fox, all based on a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire) exists mainly to tie the musical numbers together. Releasing the filmed version as two halves allows the screenwriters to pad out the show's dramatic arcs to balance out its frequent song-and-dance breaks."
Broadway's Wicked shows a markedly stronger first act than second, with most memorable songs appearing early and few enduring numbers after intermission aside from 'For Good.' The musical's book by Winnie Holzman mainly links the show’s songs, and the screenplays by Holzman and Dana Fox expand scenes based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel. Dividing the cinematic adaptation into two parts allows the filmmakers to pad dramatic arcs, creating an almost five-hour epic. The plot remains a thin, confusing parable about an oppressive Oz government, while the production's primary appeal is the opportunity for two leading divas to showcase vocal and theatrical flair.
Read at Slate Magazine
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