‘Wicked: For Good’ is Far From ‘Wonderful’

“Wicked: For Good,” the much anticipated sequel to 2024’s “Wicked,” carried over the strong character work and musicality of the first film, but ultimately stayed true to its name, ending up good — not great.

The sequel is tonally different, being more action-packed and political, with the inclusion of a moving original song “No Place Like Home,” performed by Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba.

The soundtrack has the same charm as the first movie, but is even stronger lyrically. The phenomenal opening number “Thank Goodness,” performed by Ariana Grande as Glinda, was a spellbinding combination of singing and acting that gave a glimpse into Glinda’s troubled mindset going into the film. Also incredible was Erivo’s (“Harriet,” “Bad Times at the El Royale”) rendition of “No Good Deed,” belted with epic emotion. 

As dashing prince Fiyero, Jonathan Bailey joined Erivo for “As Long As You’re Mine,” a steamy duet serving as the pinnacle of the two characters’ desires. Ending on some of the strongest notes, Erivo and Grande (“Don’t Look Up,” “Victorious”) delivered the heartbreakingly beautiful namesake of the film, “For Good.”

Along with the soundtrack, the acting is again ripe with talent as characters navigate a seemingly new Oz. Elphaba’s now taken the mantle as Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda’s assumed her title as Glinda the Good, acting as a people’s princess. Fiyero, caught between the two, is now captain of the Wizard’s royal guard.

Erivo excels again as Elphaba, now deadset on exposing the Wizard’s fraud and saving the animals from forced magical metamorphosizing. As noble as Elphaba is, she no longer allows herself to be walked over, conned or mistreated — even by those closest to her, like her infuriatingly selfish sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode). While the witch comes into her own, gaining confidence, remnants of her same naivety and hope seen in the first movie linger in Erivo’s wonderful performance.

However, the film truly belongs to Grande’s Glinda. Despite her inner turmoil, the witch is forced into being a joyous beacon of hope for Oz, continuing the cinematic duology’s thematic exploration of propaganda. 

Grande transforms scenes through her quick, adaptive facial expressions and intentional line deliveries, bringing every piece of dialogue to life and making her Oscar buzz well-deserved. 

The one thing that’s hard to buy is that Glinda and Elphaba are truly friends. No matter how many times they say “together we’re unlimited,” they frequently hurt each other — both intentionally and accidentally — and let men get in between them. 

If they’d included more moments to convince the audience rather than repeatedly stating they’re friends, it would’ve made this supposed sisterhood more believable.

Granted, there are moments where it’s evident these characters love one another — such as the film’s closing sequence that will certainly leave more than a few teary eyes in the theater. Still, their relationship could’ve been more fleshed out with better pacing and more scenes together throughout the films.

Every time there was a moment intended to tug at viewers’ heartstrings, it was cut short by a new scene with a new problem. While there’s much to cover in its 137-minute runtime, there was no room to breathe, making it feel extremely rushed until the last 30 minutes. The film would’ve benefited from being turned into a three-part series or simply being longer.

By the end of this film, Glinda, Elphaba and the audience don’t get the resolutions they were hoping for.

“Wicked: For Good” is in theaters Nov. 21.