The cinematic world of Oz returns in Wicked: For Good, the ambitious second chapter in the film adaptation of the beloved Broadway sensation Wicked. With Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande reprising their roles as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, the story moves into darker territory while retaining the musical spectacle that helped make its predecessor a smash hit.
Set in the fantastical land of Oz, the sequel picks up after the awakening of Elphaba — now vilified as the Wicked Witch of the West — and Glinda — elevated to the position of Oz’s celebrated Good Witch under the regime of the Wizard. The tension between them grows as the narrative explores propaganda, rebellion, identity and the cost of power.
Critics are in mixed territory. On the one hand, performances deliver: Erivo once again anchors the film with emotional depth, and Grande brings an unexpected range as her character’s popular façade cracks and shifts. The visual design, from sweeping sets to ornate costumes, remains top‑tier, and the ambition of director Jon M. Chu is clear.
However, the film stumbles in places. Some reviewers argue that the sequel is structurally hampered by its place as the second half of a two‑part adaptation: it must reconcile its story with the known endgame of The Wizard of Oz, thereby reducing its narrative freedom. One critic writes that Wicked: For Good “collapses … because it doesn’t … either as a standalone film or as the second half of another.” Such constraints, combined with new songs that don’t match the infectious energy of earlier numbers, leave a feeling of diminished musical lift.
Nonetheless, for fans of the first film and of the stage show, this chapter delivers on spectacle and emotional stakes. When it works, the film resonates: themes of friendship challenged, of opposing identities clashing and reconciling, remain at its core and are delivered with sincerity and scale.
In short, Wicked: For Good may not soar with quite the same abandon as its first outing, but it stays true to the theatrical spirit of its source material and gives its leads room to shine. Whether that will satisfy all viewers depends on how forgiving one is of structural compromises in favor of ambition.