Since the first movie’s release, I have patiently waited for the Nov. 21, 2025 release of Wicked: For Good. With such high success from the first film, I went into the theater with high expectations and almost every one was met. Spoilers have been disclosed throughout the review, so read carefully.
From Elphaba’s dramatic entrance on her broom to the final shot referencing the playbill cover, Wicked: For Good balanced its extreme emotional highs and lows; the power evident in Elphaba’s song, “No Good Deed,” contrasted well with her slower romantic duet with Fiyero. While the pace seemed to drag in moments towards the beginning, by the time the wedding began, where the animals ran rampant, I was on the edge of my seat.
Wicked’s makeup team was working overtime, and it was demonstrated in every scene. Despite both movies being filmed at the same time, each actor was subtly and accurately aged to match the four-year gap in the two movies’ timeline. My only costuming wish would be that Glinda’s wardrobe was bigger. Glinda would never have worn a gown for so long, no matter how beautiful, especially because all the promotions featured a gorgeous pink and green dress that was never seen and would have been a perfect replacement.
Before I even sat down in the theater, I had complete confidence in both Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s abilities as actors, but there was still a surprise standout actor: Ethan Slater. During the song, “March of the Witch Hunters”, Slater, as the Tin-Man, had the perfect amount of power to evoke fear and be taken seriously in his animosity.
Contrary to Slater exceeding my high expectations, Michelle Yeoh’s performance as Madame Morrible was slightly disappointing. Yeoh spoke on not being a singer before the movie’s release, but I still didn’t know quite what to expect. Unfortunately, Yeoh’s weakness led to her character’s vocal parts being cut down and, as a result, left some songs feeling unfinished. Portraying the film’s main antagonist, Yeoh needed to be a strong singer to mimic her character’s ability to cover up her ill intentions with persuasion.
Each scene brought forth more nods to the original Wizard of Oz, which made lightbulb moments like that for the viewer to realize how exactly they explained the Scarecrow’s transformation or Dorothy’s arrival in Oz more satisfying. The most obvious connection to the original Wizard of Oz was the new song created for the movie adaptation, “No Place Like Home”, sung by Elphaba, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Because the Wizard of Oz is set in Kansas, the song felt personal to its Kansan audience and left me watching more closely to catch any additional nods.
Conversely, Glinda’s new song “Girl in a Bubble” existed simply to break up the climax’s excitement and felt out of place in the soundtrack. The song begins directly after the ensemble number, “March of the Witch Hunters,” which is an angry, violent number that functions as the climax’s rising action; when it transitions into Glinda’s repetitive, dragging song, the plot immediately loses the previous energy levels. Beyond the actual performance, the writing of “Girl in a Bubble” felt personalized to Grande and not Wicked, so there was a harsh style contrast that made the song negatively stand out.
While I found the first movie to be more dynamic with the most iconic musical numbers and scenes, Wicked: For Good held the fitting endings for each character and tied the series all together with a sparkly pink bow. I could state the obvious and rave about each costume’s details or the clean special effects, but what made this movie its own was the completion of Elphaba and Glinda’s story. If you are a long-time fan, you might notice changes from the stage edition, but as a newer fan, I simply sat back and enjoyed it as it all unfolded.
The first movie, Wicked, may have the overall better soundtrack, but Wicked: For Good showcases my favorite song in the entire franchise: “For Good.” The song encapsulated Elphaba and Glinda’s journey and eventual parting throughout Oz in the most perfect, tear-jerking way. Without the song, the movie would have never felt complete or brought forth the bittersweet ending the audience deserved. Because of that, I recommend you see Wicked: For Good with the person who has changed you for good.
