WICKED: FOR GOOD
(director/writer: John M. Chu; screenwriters: based on the stage play by Stephen Schwartz, from the novel by Gregory Maguire, based on the book by Winnie Holzman & Dana Fox, based on the characters of Frank L. Baum and the 1939 film; cinematographer: Alice Brooks; editor: Myron Kerstein; music: John Powell, Stephen Schwartz; cast: Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba), Ariana Grande (Glinda), Jeff Goldblum (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz), Michell Yeoh (Madame Morrible), Jonathan Bailey (Prince Fivero), Ethan Slater (Boq), Bowen Yang (Pfannee), Marissa Bode, (Nessarose), Sharon D. Clarke (voice of Dulcibear), Bethany Weaver (Dorothy), Bronwyn James (ShenShen), Colman Domingo (voice-the cowardly lion); Runtime: 138; MPAA Rating: PG; producers: Marc Platt, David Stone; Universal Pictures; 2025)
“It should appeal to those who liked Part 1.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
The second act to the prequel is inspired by The Wizard of Oz Broadway stage version of Wicked, as it presents the follow-up to Part 1, Wicked (2024). It’s directed and written by John M. Chu (“Crazy Rich Asians”/”In the Heights”), with a screenplay by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, based on Holzman’s book, that’s based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire from the play.
Wicked: For Good starts 5 years after Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) sings “Defying Gravity” and becomes the public enemy of Oz as she goes against the popular but tricky Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum), a carnival huckster, for persecuting animals by making them slave laborers who are forced to build the yellow brick road and for possessing none of the skills in magic that he claims to have. Elphaba escapes by flying on a broom to live out of sight in her Oz forest hideout. Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), the Dean of Sorcery at Shiz University and a top official of the Wizard, has branded Elphaba to be the Wicked Witch of the West and spreads wicked lies about her to make her a public enemy to the brainwashed citizens of Oz.
The black cape wearing, emerald green Elphaba, a political activist, competes with her former witch friend Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande), now a rival government official and spokesperson for the Wizard, for the love of the handsome young military officer Prince Fivero (Jonathan Bailey), the Captain of the Guard. He’s in charge of the officers assigned to bring Elphaba to justice for calling out Oz. The three of them attended Shiz University, where they first got to know each other.
Nessarose (Marissa Bode) is Elphaba’s resentful wheelchair-bound younger half-sister who inherited the Munchkinland post of governor as promised when their father died. Boq (Ethan Slater) is her Munchkin servant who no longer wants to be with her. When trying to escape from Nessa’s clutches, he’s transformed by Nessa’s botched incantation into the Tin Man.
Prince Fivero helps Elphaba escape from the Wizard when she’s in the Emerald City to free the monkeys and falls in love with her. In a moment of joy, they sing a love duet “As long as You’re Mine.”
Though the plot’s muddled and meandering, Erivo proves she can sing with the best of ’em and carry a big-budget and well produced spectacle musical on her own.
Erivo’s standout solo songs are “The Wizard and I” and “No Good Deed.” While Grande sings the new song “The Girl in the Bubble.” In a tearful duet saying goodbye to each other, the Wizards sing “For Good.”
There are too many clunky and incredulous twists leading to a hard to believe happy ending. Nevertheless, the bloated film should appeal to those who liked Part 1, Wicked (2024), and those who found it charming even if it’s a cash grab film that should have been completed in one film.
REVIEWED ON 11/20/2025 GRADE: B-
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