'Wicked: For Good' Review: A Flawed but Fitting Finale to Oz’s Epic Tale
- Alex Gilston
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
By Alex Gilston - November 24, 2025
It has been one year since Wicked Part 1 took the world by storm, and the epic conclusion Wicked: For Good has finally been released into cinemas. As Elphaba and Glinda’s stories converge with the events of The Wizard of Oz, there’s more music, more action, and more drama. The first part is a perfect adaptation of the first act of the musical, but there’s something stopping Wicked: For Good from reaching those same heights.
What is 'Wicked: For Good' about?
After an unspecified time jump Elphaba and Glinda are attempting to traverse the life that has now been set out for them. Elphaba is the villain of Oz, propaganda headed by the wizard and Madame Morrible has spread far and wide sowing fear about her, and Glinda is the opposite, acting as force for good, a figure that people can rally around for morale. Fiyero is the head of a group of soldiers tasked with finding Elphaba, and is also promised to Glinda. Elphaba is trying everything in her power to overthrow the tyrannous Wizard of Oz, and free the animals who are being forced out of their homes and captured. The time jump occurs in the stage musical version of Wicked and in that sense For Good is true to that, however it feels like the film version would have been the perfect place to elaborate on some of the events that might have taken place, in the same way that No One Mourns the Wicked elaborates on Elphaba’s childhood. It feels like these extra moments, that would work in a filmic medium, were missing.
The narrative sets off on a breakneck pace as allegiances are tested and betrayals occur. Wicked: For Good clocks in at around 25 minutes less than Part 1 and it can be felt. The main problem being that it speeds through songs and plot beats, without giving things a chance to breathe, for emotions to be truly felt. It’s almost as if the reverence that the first film has for itself doesn’t exist in this and it leaves everything feeling, off. This could simply be because the two acts of the Wicked musical are very different to one another so it’s the only possible way it could be in a film adaptation.
The songs, however, are just as incredible as in Part 1, and Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera continue to impress with their renditions of some of the iconic soundtrack. Especially Erivo’s "No Good Deed", which will no doubt come to be the most iconic version of the song; she achieves riffs and notes that would be impossible for anyone else, solidifying her turn as the famous Green witch. The pair also bring unbridled magic to the film’s tentpole song "For Good". Throughout the past year or so it’s become clear how much Erivo and Grande-Butera care about and love their characters, the world of Oz, and each other, and it’s no clearer than in their performance during this number.
A new song for each of them is added, There’s "No Place Like Home" and "The Girl In the Bubble" for Erivo and Grande-Butera respectively. Unfortunately neither match the standard of the already existing songs, feeling somewhat out of place. Elphaba’s "No Place Like Home" justifies itself the most within the narrative as she pleads to the animals fleeing Oz to stay and fight against the Wizard, it feels warming and nostalgic but still falls under the weight of itself. As much as Grande-Butera sells Glinda’s new song, there’s something that doesn’t click it into place alongside everything else.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera’s impeccable performances mostly fill in the cracks though. Without these two, who are so wholly committed to the project on every level, the film would fall completely flat. Everyone else plays second fiddle, more so than in Part 1, but considering the focus is solely on Elphaba and Glinda’s story it doesn’t matter so much.
It feels as though Wicked: For Good relies a lot more on CGI than it's predecessor. Oz felt like a world you could touch and fall into, but here choppy visuals dampen the impact of certain moments. A particularly egregious de-aged Jeff Goldblum was bafflingly bad, and you’d be hard pressed not to awkwardly laugh at the reveal of another character’s look later on in the film. It’s not all bad, but some of the magic of Part 1 hasn’t carried over into For Good.
Wicked: For Good Struggles to Match Part One but Delivers a Strong Finale
It was always going to be an ask to adapt a messy, rushed, second act of a stage musical into a film that feels full and coherent, and Jon M Chu clearly struggles here and Wicked: For Good suffers not being able to reach the lofty heights of the first part. A disclaimer must be put into place however that this critic watched Wicked: For Good at a double bill where the first film was shown before, and that was maybe a bad thing because it only further highlights the gap in quality. Despite everything, Wicked: For Good is a good conclusion to the story with great performances from the central actors and some brilliantly sung renditions of the famous songs.
'Wicked: For Good' is out now in cinemas worldwide.
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