After a sensational part one last year, Wicked’s concluding film disappoints in its mediocrity, says movie reviewer
The Snapshot: Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande continue to dazzle in the leading roles, though the second half of Wicked’s adaptation is sadly less exciting and less musical.
Wicked: For Good
6 out of 10
PG, 2hrs 17mins. Musical Fantasy Drama.
Directed by John M. Chu.
Starring Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Marissa Bode, Ethan Slater and Jeff Goldblum.
Universal’s musical epic Wicked is poised to be one of the biggest movies of 2025, already a massive year at the cinema. Unfortunately, the lofty expectations from part one may let down some audiences, as Wicked: For Good ends the story with the whimper of a cowardly lion.
Watching Wicked: For Good will bring some mixed feelings for most audiences. The good news is devoted fans of the property and the musical will find great emotional depth in the story’s best songs and key moments.
Newcomers and casual audiences, however, are going to surprised in the significant tonal shift after last year’s terrific Wicked – Part 1. The most exciting and emotionally gripping components of part one are, sadly, missing from the second.
Read more here: Wicked (Part 1) is a singing, soaring spectacle – Movie Review
Wicked: For Good continues the story after a time jump from where the first film left off, still looking at the interconnected relationship between the “wicked” witch Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and “good” witch Glinda (Ariana Grande) as they face a PR crisis of animal rights and the use of cursed magic in Oz’s Emerald City.
While last year’s opening film was filled with action, blockbuster dance numbers and wide-eyed spectacle, the second film is dominated by an intimate political drama in the fantasy land of Oz.
The beloved Broadway show was always an odd choice to split into two separate films, with the original justification that each film could follow the plot of one half of the stage story. That decision, however, means the films are greatly lopsided: most of the best scenes and songs are all in part one, leaving little showmanship for this new follow-up.
Part one, for example, had several full cast song and dance masterpieces that used the camera in immersive ways to make Stephen Schwartz’s beloved songs explode on screen.
Remember how much fun “Dancing Through Life” and “One Short Day” were? And director John M. Chu supplemented those with great, cinematic epics like the chase scene in “Defying Gravity.”
Yet part two is all about the soul and pain of Elphaba and Glinda now facing each other on opposite sides of what they believe is fair and right in the land of Oz. Glinda believes in mediation, while Elphaba insists on justice and accountability as the only path forward.
The three standouts numbers are also the three standouts from the Broadway show: “As Long As You’re Mine”, “No Good Deed” and the titular “For Good” are all spectacular performances. But the other songs all fall flat, feeling out of place in the new genre For Good is trying to ground itself in.
None of this is the fault of the film’s stellar cast: Erivo and Grande were both nominated for Oscars last year for part one, and they’re equally great here – especially when they sing together. And Jeff Goldblum is a heartfelt Wizard who’s great in his part.
The problem with Wicked: For Good is that the source story of the show’s second act was never particularly interesting, and the not-so-clever nods to The Wizard of Oz still feel forced and hokey.
John M. Chu reinvented the weaker scenes in Wicked using cinema to amplify the production value, but this sequel has none of that creative sensibility or reinvention. Instead, the dull story is played straight. An improvement would’ve been adding more action scenes or dance breaks – instead, there’s none of either outside the first 15 minutes of the film.
The sets, costumes, music and sincerity that’s made Wicked so Glinda-level popular for decades remains, and the highlight songs are magical. It’s just a shame the rest of the movie is missing the same spark.
