‘Wicked: For Good’ Review: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo work their magic in a darker final act

The witches are back to finish what they started.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande reprise their roles as Elphaba and Glinda in “Wicked: For Good,” the conclusion to last year’s box office hit. “Wicked,” adapted from the Broadway musical and based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 fantasy novel, tells the story of the Wicked Witch of the West leading up to the events of “The Wizard of Oz” — except the Wicked Witch of the West isn’t evil. In fact, she’s a heroine, an outcast in society for her green skin only to become a powerful sorceress fighting against injustice in Oz.

Universal Pictures raised eyebrows when it announced it was releasing the musical adaptation into two parts, something that’s never been done before. Classic musicals like “My Fair Lady,” “The Sound of Music” and “Fiddler on the Roof” had roughly three-hour running times but included an intermission.

Meanwhile, the first “Wicked,” which depicted Act I, had a two-hour and 40-minute running time (roughly the length of the entire stage musical — including the intermission!) and “For Good,” which covers Act II, is another two hours and 18 minutes, and is still more than twice as long as Act II on Broadway.

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L to R: Ariana Grande is Glinda and Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba in “Wicked: For Good,” directed by Jon M. Chu. (Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures)

If you look at what “Wicked” made last year at the box office (over $750 million worldwide), it’s clear why Universal was incentivized to milk the popular musical for all its worth and make two movies out of it. And that was to the detriment of “For Good.”

What it ultimately did was put the fun and joy (and dare I say memeable moments) in the first one and kept much of the dark and dramatic content for the second one. In “Wicked,” we see Elphaba and Glinda form a rivalry at Shiz University and compete for the affection of their dashing classmate Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey). Even the villainy of The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) is more compelling in the first installment.

In “For Good,” Elphaba is a one-woman rebellion combating The Wizard’s tyranny while Glinda struggles to figure out whether her allegiance belongs to her green friend or the regime that has given her the life she always dreamed of. Additionally, the film haphazardly attempts to bridge the plots of “Wicked” to “The Wizard of Oz,” which can come off as disjointed, especially if you haven’t seen the staged version.

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Jonathan Bailey is Fiyero in “Wicked: For Good,” directed by Jon M. Chu. (Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures)

Act I also features the catchy, memorable songs: “Popular” “Dancing Through Life,” “What Is This Feeling?” not to mention the show-stopping “Defying Gravity.” Act II’s tracklist pales in comparison — “No Good Deed” and “For Good” are the only standouts. The absence of the iconic tunes in this installment is truly felt.

With its PG rating, “For Good” tries to thread the needle of appealing to children despite the dark nature of the second act. Again, it’s a flaw as a result of separating the much lighter first act.

It’s worth tipping a witch’s hat to the very talented Erivo for her performance as Elphaba, but her strongest material is in the first “Wicked.” Grande has a lot more going on in “For Good” due to Glinda’s character arc — showing impressive range as an actress. She gives this movie the spark it desperately needs.

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Ariana Granda is Glinda in “Wicked: For Good,” directed by Jon M. Chu. (Universal Pictures)

Adapting a musical for the big screen is no easy task — thankfully Jon M. Chu was up for it. Between “Crazy Rich Asians,” “In the Heights” and the first “Wicked,” Chu knows how to go for the grandeur. And despite the grimness of Act II’s plot, “For Good” was still mesmerizing to watch between the extravagant costumes and production design as well as the stunning visual effects.

Stephen Schwartz, the Oscar-winning composer and lyricist who created the music for “Wicked,” notably wrote two new songs for the film, a subtle admission that Act II’s tracklist needed some sort of boost to justify a standalone movie.

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Jeff Goldblum is The Wizard of Oz in “Wicked: For Good,” directed by Jon M. Chu. (Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures)

The Verdict

“Wicked: For Good” marks a good but not great conclusion to last year’s cultural phenomenon. While it’s incredibly well-made and its artistry may still be worth seeing on the big screen, it’s nowhere near as fun as its predecessor.

And to those reading this from Hollywood: please don’t split movie musicals into two ever again. The extra cash ain’t worth it.

★★★ — STREAM IT LATER

“Wicked: For Good” is rated PG for action/violence, some suggestive material and thematic material. Running time: 2 hours, 18 minutes. In theaters November 21, 2025.

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