Wicked: For Good

A return to Oz that exposes fascism with clarity but stumbles in storytelling

The phenomenon of Wicked (2024) seemed to work on multiple fronts, launching Jon M. Chu’s musical career as it deserved (after the box office disappointment of In the Heights (2021)), reviving the musical genre, launching Ariana Grande as a legitimate actress, and bringing a needed warning of fascist regimes. As such the follow up Wicked: For Good (2025) which completes the Broadway adaptation, could not have come with higher expectations.

Wicked: For Good follows up three years from the finale of Wicked, where Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is the sole resistance against the authoritarian Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum). Oz’s regime, led by the conniving Madam Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) puts together a massive propaganda campaign to mark Elphaba the “Wicked Witch of the West” and ensure the regime isn’t threatened by dissidence. Elphaba’s best friend Glinda (Grande), becomes a reluctant figurehead for the Wizard, donnint the name of “the Good Witch,” and helping cement the black and white narrative that authoritarian regimes thrive on. At the same time, the timeline of The Wizard of Oz (1939) starts to overlap, letting us contextualize the events of the classic film.

Wicked: For Good was shot at the same time as Wicked and only separated by a year from release due to marketability. Having been adapted from a hit musical, Chu had less pressure to come up with satisfying material from scratch; however, the Broadway “Wicked” was known for having a weaker second act. Sadly, Chu can’t banish the biggest flaws from this second part, cementing the rendition of “Gravity” at the end of the first film as the true peak of the story.

The greatest issues with For Good are two-fold. One is that it shirks from the first film’s greatest strength: Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship. For Good has to separate them make its point of a changed world and illustrate the corrupting nature of fascism, confroning friends. Yet, this core love story of the first film, isn’t substituted with anything similar in For Good leaving viewers colder regarding the emotional momentum.

The second biggest issue with For Good is its rigidity with a self-imposed narrative rule. While overlapping with the story of The Wizard of Oz, this musical very adamantly prohinist itself from recreating scenes of the classic movie. One can understand that to delve into such an iconic film to recreate scenes is a risky endeavor, yet important dramatic moments in For Good feature actions from Dorothy’s adventure. By strictly cutting these out – increasingly frequently as the film goes on – entire portions of the story being told on screen are missing. In some ways, For Good can feel like an abandoned project that was stitched together years later with the footage that was available; one can see the general outlines of intention, yet lament the missing crucial scenes. Character build-ups, shocking deaths, woozy romances, and plot twists come off instead as rushed, skimmed, and brushed off. This is especially frustrating in the climax, meant to be heartbreaking and emotional, yet becoming hollow due to an incomplete build-up. Instead, For Good relies on viewers to imagine The Wizard of Oz scenes that would be most relevant and restaged for this perspective.

For Good is at its strongest in its first act, when we see an anatomical dissection of fascist regimes and the manipulation of truth. For Good permits itself to dig deepest here, delivering some of the most intriguing character decisions and arcs. Glinda is given an added spotlight, leaving behind her comedic side-kick role for a more nuanced one of an fascist enabler and conformist for comfort and ego. It’s the most interesting arc of the film, where we see her wants, fears, and id begin to crumble and come into question the further she complies and spreads the Wizard’s lies.

Thankfully, the crackling charisma that Erivo and Grande brought to the first film returns in For Good, and it is thanks to their oozing charm that you are guided through the bumpier narrative beats. Their irresistible chemistry almost papered over the faults in the climax, emitting a magnetism from the screen so powerful you are both won over and frustrated in the script not delivering the narrative build-up they deserve. Grande is placed into a darker space from the first film. She won over viewers with her comedic chops in Wicked, yet showcases an added range and capacity for dramatic weight in this second one. Erivo is likewise strong, yet given less evolution in her character. Nevertheless, she continues to belt showstoppers in unrivaled fashion. The other fan favorites from the first film are sadly victims of the rigid separation of The Wizard of Oz and this storyline, meaning that anticipated beats, arcs, and turns are largely omitted. It is a frustrating missed opportunity, with the absence of Jonathan Bailey as Prince Fiyero being particularly felt.

Chu continues to direct with a vivacity and respect for the musical genre that is contagious. The use of real sets and costumes is once again a joy to behold, and incredibly refreshing compared to the usual CGI shortcuts. Yet, one of Chu’s faults in the first film is made even more apparent in For Good regarding the musical numbers. The first film featured many ensemble songs, with impressive choreography, yet Chu frequently kept his camera too close to the lead singer, having viewers miss the incredible dancing in the background. For Good features much more solo songs than the first, and while this spares the sacrificing of good dancing, Chu is slightly at a loss of how to stage these, having his characters usually stroll around as they deliver their songs and cutting from medium to close ups. Only one number stood out for having some more originality and panache in “Wonderful,” the rest were rather dryly staged if magnificently performed.

In the end, Wicked: For Good doesn’t escape the second act slump of its Broadway originator. Its strictness with Dorothy scenes, strips itself from crucial story beats, leading to a hollowing narrative. Likewise, the separation of Elphaba and Glinda withdraws the beating heart of the film and leaves a colder tracing of thematic elements in its wake. The lead performances are as strong as ever, and the technical designs continue to enchant, yet one can’t help but feel that gravity sadly stopped being defied after the first film’s finale.

6.5/10