I thought Wicked (2024) was excellent, even better than the stage musical, with its fleshing out of characters and situations and employment of Hollywood wizardry to create a thoroughly enjoyable experience. This follow-up, concluding the story, isn’t quite on the same level, but it is still very good. The storytelling does get a little messy at times, especially towards the end after Dorothy arrives in Oz, and Stephen Schwartz’s songs – with a couple of new ones added – aren’t all memorable or overall as catchy as those in the earlier film (the two were made together, co-written by Winnie Holzman and directed by Jon M. Chu). But there’s still lots to enjoy.
