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Review: ‘Wicked: For Good’ is the Movie Musical Equivalent of ‘Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith’
November 20, 2025Ben MK
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From its Technicolor production design to the iconic songs that have earned a permanent place in pop culture, The Wizard of Oz is one of the most iconic films of all time. So, when director Jon M. Chu set out to turn the Tony award-winning stage musical adaptation of Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, into a big-screen spectacle, he definitely had some pretty big ruby slippers to fill. Fast forward one year after 2024's Wicked first gave audiences a taste of Ariana Grande's Glinda and Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba, and the second and final chapter of Chu's two-part blockbuster is finally hitting multiplexes. But does Wicked: For Good have what it takes to complete the spell Chu and company first set out to cast on musical-loving moviegoers a year ago? Set in the aftermath of the first installment, the story finds Oz and all its citizens still reeling from the chaos that unfolded when Glinda and Elphaba confronted the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) about the lies he's been telling to his unsuspecting followers. Branded a traitor by the Wizard and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), Elphaba has been forced to lay low in the forests of Oz, where many of the kingdom's animal inhabitants have also retreated, after the Wizard stripped them of their rights and began imprisoning them in cages. However, while virtually everyone in Oz is of the opinion that Elphaba is the enemy, her good friends Glinda and Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) are still sticking by her side, even though publicly they've had no other choice but to decry her actions. It's a tricky state of affairs, with even Elphaba's sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), the newly appointed Governor of Munchkinland, feeling as if she must abide by the Wizard's directives in order to distance herself from her sister. But when Elphaba resurfaces in her friends and family's lives, it causes everyone's true allegiances to be exposed, as her enemies ratchet up their efforts to hunt her down and capture her. Enter Dorothy, an innocent girl from the faraway land of Kansas, who arrives unexpectedly in Oz one stormy night after a tornado conjured up by Madame Morrible drops her house right in the middle of Munchkinland. Instructed by Glinda to follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City, Dorothy will soon pick up a few much-needed companions — namely the Cowardly Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow — to accompany her on the long journey to find a way back home. Little does she realize, though, that she and her newfound friends are little more than pawns in the Wizard's scheme to draw out Elphaba so that he and Madame Morrible can make an example out of their scapegoat. And when the Wizard tricks this ragtag foursome and sends them on a misguided quest to kill Elphaba, it will spell the beginning of the end for the battle between this Wicked Witch and the Wizard of Oz, as Elphaba must do everything in her power to try and set the wrong things right, while a guilt-ridden Glinda attempts to clear her own conscience by trying to save her friend from a terrible fate. The movie musical equivalent of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, the result is an epic conclusion that strives to reframe the way audiences view an iconic cinematic villain, while also tying up loose ends and connecting the dots between the storyline of Wicked and that of the original The Wizard of Oz. But ultimately, although it can be fun for viewers to discover which characters are destined to become the Tin Man and the Scarecrow, it's almost impossible to ignore the fact that all of the film's twisty-turny reveals and retcons can sometimes feel a bit hokey, especially as the movie sings and dances its way into the third act, where Chu and screenwriter Dana Fox have in store just as many false endings as Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Make no mistake, Grande and Erivo's musical performances are worth the price of admission, even though the songs this time around are far less memorable than Wicked. Still, unless you're a die-hard fan, you'll more than likely find yourself occasionally checking your watch or rolling your eyes at some of Wicked: For Good's soap-opera-like qualities. Of course, that's not to say that this film is without its merits. However, if you didn't adore the first entry, then this follow-up will do little to convince you to become an Ozian. Wicked: For Good releases November 21st, 2025 from Universal Pictures. The film has an MPAA rating of PG for action/violence, some suggestive material and thematic material. Its runtime is 2 hrs. 18 min. |
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