Wicked: For Good, the long-awaited conclusion to Wicked (2024) has finally arrived in theaters. These box office hits are based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel and iconic Broadway musical. This adaptation succeeds in many ways, but often falls short of the magic.
At its heart, Wicked has always been a story about perception. A story about a girl becoming an outcast, how friendship can make or break a person, and how power shapes one’s reputation. Wicked: For Good leans deeply into these important themes. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) struggles to stay morally grounded while being framed as the enemy, while Glinda (Ariana Grande) learns that goodness isn’t just sparkles and likeability, but sacrifice.
This movie is visually breathtaking with glowing emeralds, contrasting colors, and lush costumes and set design. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande delivered a wonderful, well-deserved performance as their characters. Jeff Goldblum, the Wizard, gave his signature charm, even with the little screen time he had.
There are other performances that I thought deserved more conversation. Ethan Slater’s Boq starts off as a sad Munchkin, but after he becomes the Tin Man, he gains depth you can feel through the screen– sadness, rage, and heartbreak. This haunting physical transformation deserved far more screen time than it received. Madam Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) isn’t a huge singing role to begin with, but she is a commanding and manipulative character. To me, Yeoh just simply doesn’t fit this tone, and it never felt like she understood the world or tone. The extra scenes she gets in this movie magnify this issue, in my opinion.
When we’re on the topic of unnecessary moments and scenes, I felt that the movie’s original song, “The Girl in the Bubble,” performed by Grande, lacked lyrical strength and was redundant in the sense that Glinda’s character arc had been developed earlier on and was already understood. Another major flaw I saw is how quickly the film rushes past the crucial revelation that the Wizard is actually Elphaba’s father. In the book and musical, this twist reshapes her entire life. Here, it appears and disappears in seconds.
Musically, the film still shines the brightest in its emotional pieces. The film’s standout number, “No Good Deed,” is raw and brilliantly delivered by Erivo. During “For Good,” Grande and Erivo deliver a memorable and heartbreaking performance with beautiful sincerity.
Despite these flaws, Wicked for Good is a heartfelt, visually stunning closing chapter. I’d rate it a strong 3.5/5–maybe a 4, for the longtime fans of Oz.
You can watch Wicked: For Good at Cinemark or Cinergy!
