Wicked: Parte II

After all of the audio cuts from the trailers that had me SO looking forward to entire numbers, I daresay it landed flat for me. I wanted to be gut-wrenched during and after this film but I just wasn't. There wasn't enough tension build-up to release during For Good and unfortunately I was underwhelmed by the delivery. I left the theater unmoved by the supporting cast performances. Act II is known to be the weaker act for the stage version, but the film had an opportunity to deliver better pacing and fuller picture. The plot points that feel rushed on stage felt rushed in the move as well.

Overall, the film kept my interest and boasts stunning optics, but doesn't touch the level of masterpiece or re-watchability part one had.

Wicked: For Good (2025) Directed by Jon M. Chu Adapted for the screen by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, from the Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman , based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, from a story by L. F. Baum.

-

Even at the onset of production on the film adaptation of "Wicked" back in December 2022, it was beset by criticisms as to why there was a need to expand the 2hr and 45-minuter smash Broadway play into two movies with about more or less the same runtime.

But last year's "Wicked:Part One" was such a critical and commercial smash, these concerns fell by the wayside. Its 2hr 17 minute runtime flew swiftly by like a witch on a broom on a mission of doom. It left audiences wanting for more, seemingly proving that there may have been some wisdom splitting Acts 1 and 2 of the source material into separate films.

Alas, the much-anticipated conclusion of the Ozian saga might prove the naysayers right, after all.

"Wicked: For Good" opens and ends with many callbacks to the first film - a fairly standard aspect of sequels and remakes. While it isn't distracting, it is also obvious that "For Good" is retreading grounds already covered.

"For Good" also feels bloated and sluggish as it lumbers toward a genuinely heartbreaking scene between Elphaba and Glinda near the end. However, none of the other supposedly-emotional numbers, particularly the titular "For Good," tugged at my heartstrings the way the Broadway original did. I think it was because the singing and phrasings felt a little off in places. The simpler renditions of the Broadway versions followed a straight line to the feels; Grande and Erivo's emotional recitatives and line breaks don't feel like contrivances, but they felt like needless detours that did take me out of the moment.

Sometimes, simpler truly is better.

The two brand-new Stephen Schwartz songs, created for Oscar consideration - "No Place Like Home" and "The Girl in The Bubble" - are forgettable ballads that lack the instant musical hooks of the rest of the original songs. They also don't fit organically into the story.

Visually, "For Good" has nothing fresh or new to offer, due to the fact that both installments were shot at the same time and must necessarily hew to a consistent visual palette. Jon M. Chu's fantastical sets, costumes, and CGI remain impressive, but with the possible exception of the Kiamo Ku castle environs - where we spend too little time in - and Glinda's sumptuous Art Deco Ozian apartments, we've seen everything before.

Familiarity, contempt.

"Wicked: Part One" had far more energy, verve, and delight overall. Yes, it's fairly common knowledge that Act 1 contains much of the fun, whimsy, and musical bangers of "Wicked: The Musical," and Act 2 is more somber and dark but features the more emotionally-wrenching numbers. But I could feel the padding in the first half of "For Good," before it rushed to its conclusion in the second half.

The characters from "The Wizard of Oz" appear briefly here same as in the musical, but their presence in the film somehow feels even less substantial yet more intrusive than in the source material. I understand Dorothy is necessary for the story's denouement, and featuring her as a new fleshed-out character would bog down the film even more, but still.

The film also missed the chance to address some of the musical's plot holes, which are made even more glaring on the big screen. Like, why did the Cowardly Lion fear Elphaba, his original rescuer? There was likewise no resolution to the Tin Man's displaced rage at his creator. Neither were the Witch Hunters a credible threat whatsoever. All of them were just there for one musical number, then vanish from the narrative.

The addlepatedness of certain character decisions also become magnified on the big screen. In the famous wheat field standoff between Elphaba, Glinda, Fiyero, and the Emerald City Guardsmen, the Witch - now commanding the Flying Monkeys - could've made short work of the troops. Instead, they all fly off after Fiyero trades for Elphaba's release and simply leave him to his fate.

Now, I adore both Grande and Erivo, and Jon M. Chu - who I didn't think much of previously - made a believer out of me. But I don't think "Wicked: For Good" is going to get them their Oscar flowers, for many reasons. One is that the momentum of the thrill of finally seeing "Wicked" realized on screen has largely abated; 2025 featured many other movies that have stolen potential Oscar thunder and audience buzz. If Chu had compressed the story into a 3.5 or even 4-hour film, "Wicked" would've felt like a truly epic film in scope and duration, rather than two discrete installments, one of which will always be stronger than the other. And the Oscar chances for him and his two leads would've been much more great and powerful.

Grande and Erivo still convey an authenticity that informs their performances, undoubtedly as a result of their real-life friendship over the course of making these films three years past. But as far as characterizations go, I felt Glinda's changes of heart and character growth were more compelling in Part 1. Ditto Elphaba's character arc.

Here, the pair have pretty much settled into their roles as dueling leads, albeit tempered by a sincere love and palpable affection for each other. The passage of an entire year in real time - with its genuine real-world drama and challenges - hasn't dampened my desire to see the resolution of this fictional but fantastic friendship, because I did ugly cry at THAT door scene ( you'll know when you see it. )

But it's a little too little, and a little too late in the film, for me.

"Wicked: Part One" will always be one of my favorite all-time movies, the same way "Wicked The Musical" will always be in my Top Three.

I wouldn't say "Wicked: For Good" isn't any good.

It's just not as good as the first time.

"Wicked: For Good" aims high with its musical ambitions, but the final result feels surprisingly hollow. It's the kind of film that promises grandeur - rich songs, emotional storytelling, a sweeping theatrical tone - yet delivers something that rarely rises above mediocre. For me, in contraposition with the previous very well done production, this movie is carried only by a few scattered moments of charm but weighed down by far too many shortcomings.

The biggest disappointment is the music. In a film where songs should carry emotion, character, and narrative weight, they instead feel weak, repetitive, and strangely uninspired. Most numbers come and go without leaving any impression, lacking both melodic strength and thematic purpose. Rather than elevating the story, the music often slows it down.

The script doesn't help. It feels thin, undercooked, and far too reliant on broad strokes rather than meaningful character development. Emotional turns arrive without buildup, conflicts lack impact, and the dialogue rarely adds depth. It's a story with potential, but very little of that potential makes it to the screen.

The pacing is equally problematic - inconsistent to the point of distraction. Some scenes drag without offering substance, while others rush through moments that should carry dramatic weight. The result is a film that feels both bloated and oddly empty, never finding its rhythm.

"Wicked: For Good" isn't without effort or intention, but it never manages to bring its ideas together into something compelling. It's underwhelming, forgettable, and a far cry from the magical musical experience it tries to be.

The pacing in this film doesnt quite hold attention like the first. For some reason the set pieces still look good but also seem a bit smaller somehow? Or less detailed maybe? Not sure but there felt like a lot of more obvious cgi in this one. There was no real main hit song like the first one had and they were all a bit less memorable so that was disappointing, possibly aside from no place like home. I was personally happy with the ending. All of these 10s are embarrassing this film was not at all visually stunning and was hard to hear regularly. Obviously die hard wicked fans who would give anything wicked a 10. If youre not a serious man wicked fan this isnt a good movie.

Surprising even the most optimistic of pundits last year, Wicked: Part One took the world by storm with its toe-tapping and empowering song and dance numbers, breathtaking filmmaking and star-making performances, setting in motion a phenomenon that has been reaching fever pitch as diehard and casual fans alike waited with bated breath as the second and final instalment For Good was unleashed around the globe.

One of those rare Hollywood blockbusters that managed to be a critical and awards darling as well as an audience pleaser, Wicked was a star aligning experience that now appears to have been a one off, with returning director Jon M. Chu and his star-studded cast struggling to bring the same amount of energy and magic to proceedings here in what amounts to a much more po-faced and stilted feature with only glimmers of the enchantment that made the first instalment of Wicked such a winner.

More serious in nature due to the requirements of its dramatic focussed narrative arc that differs majorly from the first films whimsical university vibrancy and introduction to the wonderful world of Oz, For Good feels like more of a procession of big plot developments and Hallmark like emotional beats as Cynthia Erivo's mistreated witch Elphaba and Ariana Grande's princess like Glinda find their lives clashing and their once fruitful friendship threatening to be torn apart permanently.

With the Broadway show on which Wicked stems from widely regarded as having a very clear winner in its two-act approach, with the plays first act accepted by most as the standout, Chu and his team had their work cut out for them as they attempted to bring a lesser collection of songs and ballads to life, as well as tie-up a story that in this slightly longer than two hours feature feels too crammed with conflicts and resolutions as the likes of Jonathan Bailey's Fiyero, Ethan Slater's Boq and Michelle Yeoh's Madame Morrible all get relegated to bit players as Chu struggles to maintain focus.

Lacking the equivalent of a toe tapping Dancing Through Life, a catchy and humorous Popular or the raw intensity or emotional power of Unlimited or Defying Gravity, plus the initial spark many felt when they were first welcomed through to the doors to Oz or Shiz University, For Good still finds its cast committed and up for the challenge but despite their best intentions and the films eye capturing visual design, the sparkle of Part One often feels distant and foreign to this outing that never manages to connect like its predecessor.

There's likely still going to be a collection of invested fans that find For Good meeting all their needs and box office receipts for this much-anticipated outing will likely be a godsend for many cinema chains around the world but after the highs of the first wonderous outing, it's hard not to feel disappointed by this follow-on that failed to find the heart and wonder that was so evident the first time around.

Final Say -

Destined to be more divisive than the universally appreciated and adored first film, Wicked: For Good lacks in many departments Jon M. Chu's first film thrived in, leaving us with a pretty but hollow vessel of what once was.

2 1/2 transport bubbles out of 5.