Review: Wicked: For Good

The time is now, the day is here... Wait, wrong show... but I don't know what phrase is better than that. Because after a year's wait, we have seen the conclusion of one of the most-wanted movie musicals of all time. I am of course talking about Wicked: For Good, the film adaptation of the 2nd Act of the smash hit musical, and a personal favourite for many, including me, Wicked. 

After the first part dominated the entire globe, it is time for the untold story of the witches of Oz to conclude

After the climax of the first act, Elphaba and Glinda are living with the decisions they made at the top of the Wizard's tower. Elphaba is living a life of loneliness, as a vigilante trying her best to rescue enslaved animals in Oz and expose the Wizard for the charlatan he is. Glinda is as Popular (pun intended) as ever, a public prop of propaganda, hiding what she knows and how she really feels with a smile and toss toss. 

This act also uses the character building established in the first part, and uses it for the story to lead into and run alongside the story of The Wizard of Oz that everyone knows (I think we can all agree that if you still haven't seen Wicked, you will know The Wizard of Oz), embracing their destinies as Glinda the Good, and The Wicked Witch of the West. 

While the first act was Elphaba's story of self discovery and determination, this act has Glinda taking the main spotlight, as she grapples with the façade she puts to all of Oz, and most of all, herself

Source:
Liverpool school girl's design to be shown before every screening of Wicked For Good | ITV News Granada

Ariana Grande is the one taking the more meaty parts of the story this time, and it is when she really gets to flex her acting chops. 

Just like in the stage version, Glinda's more serious numbers such as Thank Goodness and I'm Not That Girl (Reprise) are in this, and Grande does a good job, in mostly just her face, at allowing the doubt to creep in and for her to think what lead her to this point. 

Elphaba, in contrast, takes the lonelier route this time, trying not to get caught by the Wizard's forces. Cynthia Erivo is as strong as ever in this role, playing her with steely determination. No Good Deed was my favourite number, as was perhaps to be expected. I had goosebumps before Erivo had even opened her mouth, and they did not leave once throughout the whole song. 

Wicked: For Good has a much darker tone than the first act, and if we're sticking with characters, then the side characters are a good example of this. In particular, Boq. I want to keep this as spoiler free as possible for this who haven't had the chance yet, but you could say that Boq has quite the transformation. 

With the 2nd act of Wicked being shorter than the first, John M Chu and screenwriter Winnie Holzman (who also did the book for the original stage adaptation) had to adapt it slightly and add a couple of new scenes; the one featuring Boq at the station being my personal favourite when others didn't hit the mark for me. It made his scenes with Marissa Bode's Nessa punch even more than they do in the stage version. Speaking of Nessa, even though it was shown in the trailer, I thought that the approach to that scene was tastefully done, but there are many who can go into that with a lot more right than me. 

Jonathan Bailey was another one who stood out for me, especially coming up to his big moment. I think every Wicked fan could agree that we couldn't wait for his take on As Long As Your Mine, and oh boy did I swoon; while it is not as steamy as it can be on stage, I did enjoy the softer approach Chu decided to take. There is a PG rating to enforce after all... 

Source: Wicked: For Good (2025) - IMDb

The only person I was little disappointed by was Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible. I think we could agree that she doesn't have the strongest singing voice but I was impressed about the calmness and calculated nature she held in the first film. In this one, a lot of the poise she had has gone, in her Press Secretary mode. The one exception was the "Listen here Missy" scene. That was done very well. All I am saying is that making her face fall in cake to give the little kids a laugh was not so much. 

I do want to address, on that note, that For Good has not been as well received as Part 1 did

As I said before, the second half of Wicked is shorter, and it relies on the audience's knowledge of The Wizard of Oz to help move it along. Therefore, there are a few more building blocks that had to be put in. Some scenes worked, as I said before. Others fell a little flat, in particular, the new songs written for Elphaba and Glinda. The latter's The Girl in the Bubble, worked a little better, allowing Glinda a moment to reflect on everything that's happened. The cinematography on that song was beautiful to watch unfold. No Place Like Home however, is definitely the weakest among Elphaba's solos. 

I also stated before that Wicked: For Good has a much darker tone than Part 1, which was in essence, a high school fantasy/romantic comedy with some underlying darker themes. 

In Wicked: For Good, these themes of discrimination, exploitation, corruption, misinformation and more are brought to the forefront. So it is a little bit jarring after the long gap between one part and the next. 

And it is maybe because of that that while I loved for For Good and I could definitely hear sniffles in the cinema, it wasn't as big a punch as I was expecting it to be. When you see Wicked on stage, you only have 20 minutes in-between acts, not a whole year. So the relationship that between these two friends which is at the heart of this story is more intensive and packs more of a punch. For Good is only the second half of one story - not a traditional sequel when it is a brand new story. 

And so I am of the feeling that Wicked: For Good will work better when you can watch both parts back to back

But am I disappointed about anything? Absolutely not!

The most beautiful thing was that I got to sit back, relax and enjoy without analysing it too much at the time (that came later). I was instead able to be transported to a loved world, to be immersed for a while away from troubles. John M Chu and all the team have created an Oz that feels familiar and fresh in equal measure. They have put so much care into their craft, and the result is one of the best adaptations of a musical in recent years. I would agree in that I think the first half is stronger, but that is no disservice to For Good. I look forward to being able to watch both films back to back. 

Two words: Thank Goodness! 

Source: Ariana Grande Love GIF by Wicked - Find & Share on GIPHY