Wicked: For Good - A Grand Sendoff to a Musical Juggernaut

No Place Like Home

The tapping of ruby slippers looms in the distance as a mysterious figure rides a broomstick through the air. You know what that means? One of the most anticipated sequels of 2025 has finally arrived on the silver screen! Wicked: For Good serves as a direct follow-up to the 2024 hit, Wicked, based on the classic Broadway musical of the same name rooted from the classic story, The Wizard of Oz. 

Rather than crowd the entire story in one singular picture, the creative team behind this story decided to split the film adaptation into two parts, treating the first film as a retelling of the musical’s first half and opened the door for a sequel. This tactic proved to be successful, as the first Wicked shattered expectations at the box office, was acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, and was even nominated for 10 Academy Awards.

Now, the beloved characters are back to conclude their story in a highly anticipated picture, with much of the original cast and crew returning to helm the sequel. In fact, as the film prepares to release in theaters across the nation, there is already a great share of buzz surrounding it. Not only is the film tracking to make around $150 million in its first weekend alone, but it has received similar acclaim to its predecessor from critics and audiences.

Personally, I was quite enthusiastic for this film, especially given how surprised I was by the first Wicked. In fact, I actually reviewed that film for the Cyclone Chronicle last year – you can click here if you want to check out my thoughts on it! I found myself greatly enjoying the film thanks to its cast, production design, story, and especially the soundtrack. As such, I had hope that For Good could retain the magic set up by the previous film while effectively tying the story together. 

Without hesitation, I booked a ticket to catch the film at Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas Mansfield on Thursday, Nov. 20. As the cast sang their final notes, I was left with one question: did this movie change me for good, or did its credibility completely melt away?

Off to See the Wizard

Set five years after the events of the first film, Wicked: For Good sees Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, in vastly different positions. While Glinda is now a celebrated figure in the land of Oz, Elphaba lives as a fugitive as she fights for what she believes is right. Amid rising tensions, an event occurs which shakes up Oz: the arrival of a girl named Dorothy Gale, in a series of events which puts Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship to the test and threaten to change Oz forever.

Helmed by returning director Jon M. Chu, this film features an incredible ensemble of performers reprising their roles from the predecessor, including Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Marissa Bode, and Ethan Slater among others – both old and new. 

I found myself enjoying this sequel about as much as I did the original. So to say, I was heavily satisfied with the end result. As someone whose only prior exposure to Wicked was the first film adaptation, I thoroughly enjoyed how this movie continued the top-notch story from its predecessor. 

This largely comes from the film’s tone, which takes a much more dramatic and serious approach compared to the lightheartedness and occasional quirkiness of the first part. This film makes it clear that much time has passed since Part One’s ending, and because of that, the stakes are higher than ever, particularly in regards to the characters. The ensemble audiences grew to love are now at higher odds than ever before, leading to a wide range of conflicts which threaten to alter the entire well-being of Oz. 

I loved this approach to the tone, as it provided even more of a reason for me to gravitate towards the characters as they all deal with their own motivations and desires. For the most part, the film thoroughly explores these factors throughout the runtime – particularly among Elphaba and Glinda – to make for a perfectly tense viewing experience. All the while, the feature never forgets its origins as a Wizard of Oz product, maintaining much of the visual style and occasional lighthearted humor to keep it enjoyable without delving too darkly.

Speaking of the visuals, much like the first film, they are absolutely astounding to look at, and kept my eyes glued to the screen from the moment the film began. Whether it be the bright gold gleam of the Yellow Brick Road, the glistening green of the Emerald City, or the sudden appearance of darkness and a fierce storm, this film provides many outlets for its production design to shine, effectively bringing viewers back to Oz from the very minute they sit down. Other technical aspects, including the brightly colorful costume design and the beautiful blaring of the sound design, add to the film’s phenomenal spectacle and help it to stand out from other Oz-related products.

In fact, there’s one technical aspect of the film which I actually found to have improved from the predecessor: the visual effects. One of my gripes the first go around was how most of the animated character designs – primarily the animal citizens of Oz – felt out-of-place in the environments due to how easy they were to point out. 

However, For Good leans more into the effects work to bring many elements to life, ranging from monkeys flying through the sky to the ominous incantations of a spell book. Due to the sheer variety in the effects and designs, mixed with appropriate lighting and shading which flawlessly blends them in, the overall visual style benefitted, and even felt a bit more realistic than the first film.

Outstanding Ozians

The entire ensemble does a phenomenal job at bringing these classic characters to life in a whole new way. The combination of the committed performances with greatly-written arcs and motivations allow for this film to have one of the most impactful casts of any recent musical, even one of the best I’ve seen this year. But just like in Part One, the standout characters and performances came from the two seen directly at the forefront of the poster: Erivo as Elphaba and Grande as Glinda. 

These two carry over the traits that made their characters so amazing in the first place – with Erivo sports traits of rebellion, confidence, and power while Grande acts more lightminded, optimistic, and eager – and amplifies them to fit with the darker tone. As such, they both have  a great share of emotional moments and interactions – both solo and together – particularly as Elphaba tries to speak her truth and Glinda begins to question her role in Oz. 

The rest of the ensemble have equally fitting traits and fantastic delivery, with Goldblum and Yeoh displaying impeccable intimidation as the film’s antagonists – the Wizard and Madame Morrible, respectively – Bailey acting as a voice of reason as Fiyero, and Slater expressing great skepticism and intensity as Boq. 

Further helping these characters to emphasize their presence and justify their traits is the film’s many musical numbers, which also serves as a highlight. Though I do slightly prefer the first movie’s combination of happier tunes with catchier melodies, I would be lying if I said the songs in this movie were forgettable or bland. In fact, they serve as some of the greatest scenes in the whole movie through a mix of organized choreography, beautiful cinematography, and a phenomenal score by returning composers John Powell and Stephen Schwartz. Whether it be an ensemble piece like “Every Day More Wicked,” or a powerful ballad like “As Long As You’re Mine” or “No Place Like Home.”

Both the film’s protagonists get many chances to shine their musical talents, including Erivo’s breathtaking performance of “No Good Deed” and Grande’s unforgettable recital of “The Girl in the Bubble.” But by far, the pinnacle of this movie comes from the climactic titular song, “For Good,” which sees Elphaba and Glinda singing together towards the end of the runtime. 

This scene was easily the most emotionally profound of the entire movie, as the meaningful lyrics are delivered impeccably by the emotional drawl of the performers. Mixed with the ending itself – which ties the entire story together full circle – it makes for one of the best conclusions I’ve seen in a movie this year, especially in how it pulls at the heartstrings from the moment “For Good” begins to when the credits begin to roll.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Much like its predecessor, this sequel is not without its faults, primarily when it comes to how it tells its story. Though many of the plot details and callbacks to the classic Wizard of Oz story are creative, the movie’s pacing goes by way too fast to properly take in everything it throws at the audience. At multiple points, many things will happen in a short scheme of time, whether it be familial conflicts, plot twists, or the aforementioned callbacks, but before I could get fully invested in one plot thread, another one began. The overall presentation is still engaging, but I feel like the pacing could’ve been slowed by adding a few extra minutes to the runtime to ensure everything got fully fleshed out. 

A common complaint I noticed with the first Wicked was the runtime of over two and a half hours, with some saying it felt bloated. However, I’d make the argument that the extended runtime of the first part allowed for a greater experience as I was able to properly follow along with the onscreen events while taking in the immaculate environment. 

The biggest issue with For Good came from how it tried cramming so much into its runtime of 137 minutes – over 20 minutes shorter than the first film – to the point where it could feel distracting or sudden when a new plot thread. As a result, the movie may have a good deed in the fascinating story it tells, but it comes at the cost of moving too fast to keep up with all the details.

This also applies to the characters, of which there are many in this film. Despite the fantastic developments of the primary characters, many of the surrounding performers also fail to keep up with the movie’s pacing. As such, it was very easy for me to either forget a certain character was part of the movie, or question what they were up to in an elongated period of absence. Every performer does a fantastic job, but I do wish we got to spend more time with some of them – particularly Bailey and Slater. 

Make no mistake, this did not detract much from my overall enjoyment of the film. But I feel like the experience could have benefitted further if the runtime had an extra 10-15 minutes to fully flesh out everything it sets up. As such, even with all the creativity it beholds, I found the pacing to be the pail of water to this movie’s wicked witch.

Being Changed for Good

Overall, though the pacing moves quite quickly to justify the detailed plot, Wicked: For Good matches its predecessor in quality through its impactful music, well-written characters, creative visuals, grand spectacle, darker tone, and terrific performances. This sequel puts a creative spin on a familiar story, resulting in a unique picture which allows viewers to see some of cinema’s most iconic characters and settings in a whole new light.

If you’re a fan of the world of Oz, the previous Wicked film, or the musical genre as a whole, I’d highly recommend checking this movie out. Wicked: For Good is currently playing – and selling out screenings – at theaters nationwide, including just 7 minutes from campus at Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas Mansfield. If you want to see the epic conclusion to one of the decade’s most impactful features, look no further than this magical movie!

If you want to see more of the land of Oz outside the cinema, do not fret, as the Centenary Stage Company will be performing their own adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, which will be running from November 28 to December 14! Check out staff writer Jodi Lanka's article for more information on the background and showtimes! 

As the Wicked storyline travels over the rainbow, it closes the book in an unforgettable fashion, serving as a perfect example of the capability the musical genre holds in exceeding expectations and ultimately defying gravity.

My Rating