Wicked: For Good (2025)
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Premise: A second half of the adaptation of the Broadway show. A year after the events of Part 1, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is pursued by the Wizard of Oz’s agents, led by Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) while Glinda (Ariana Grande-Butera) has become representative for the Wizard.
What Works: The key to Wicked is the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda and that continues to be the strongest element of the second film. Following the breakup at the end of Part 1, the second half of Wicked is about the characters reconciling. This is a platonic love story and Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera have a natural rapport and make us want to see these women find their way back to each other. Erivo and Grande-Butera are terrific singers. The climactic musical number “For Good” is handled deftly by both the actors and the filmmakers. Wicked: For Good is generally better made than its predecessor. It’s much more cinematic. The filmmakers are more creative with the visual storytelling this time around. The filmmakers also take more liberties with the source material. Two new songs are added, one performed by Erivo and the other by Grande-Butera, and the songs feel of a piece with the existing material while enhancing the characters. For Good allows Glinda to be much more empathetic than she was in the first film and For Good is partly about Glinda maturing and taking responsibility for the power and position that she has been given.
What Doesn’t: Some of the problems of Wicked: Part 1 remain, namely the casting of Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum as Madame Morrible and the Wizard. Neither of them can sing and Goldblum does not project any menace. The costumes and sets are so neat and clean that they look artificial. The storytelling is troubled. Unlike Part 1, which worked up to its climax, For Good lacks a narrative shape. The characters are not striving toward concrete goals. Elphaba wants to free the animals but there’s no clear path to that end. She becomes the Wicked Witch of the West and commits to villainy in the “No Good Deed” set piece but Elphaba never really behaves wicked or evil. The filmmakers are reluctant to entertain moral ambiguity. For that matter, the film abandons its political themes. Wicked began as a feminist interrogation of power. By the end, political allegories are replaced by two women fighting over a guy. The pacing is off. There is a lot of screentime between musical numbers and For Good lacks momentum while also rushing through some of the most interesting moments. Elphaba and Glinda’s relationship makes very sharp turns, giving the audience emotional whiplash. They go from physically fighting in one encounter to hugging it out in the next.
Bottom Line: Wicked: For Good is a satisfying enough conclusion to this musical. It’s better than its predecessor in some specific respects and For Good ought to satisfy the fans of the first movie. It’s also a mediocre exploitation of an interesting idea and the whole project is carried by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera.
Episode: #1077 (December 7, 2025)