BROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

WHILE SECOND PART OF HIT MUSICAL ADAPTATION HAS ITS MAGIC MOMENTS, IT SADLY DOESN'T DEFY GRAVITY IN QUITE THE SAME WAY AS ITS POPULAR PREDECESSOR

- REVIEWS BY DAMON SMITH

IRRESISTIBLE: Elphaba and Glinda (Ariana Grande)

THE first part of Jon M Chu’s swankified film version of the blockbuster stage musical, based loosely on Gregory Maguire's novel, concluded with Cynthia Erivo's rousing battle cry from Defying Gravity echoing in our ears, lighting a fuse on the war for the hearts and minds of Oz.

In Wicked: For Good, it has been 12 time turns since Elphaba (Erivo) - unfairly misnomered as the Wicked Witch because of her visible otherness and formidable magical powers - escaped the clutches of the fraudulent Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh).