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The moment we’ve all been waiting a year for has arrived — the second half of Jon M. Chu’s Wicked adaptation is hitting the 2025 movie calendar. Wicked: For Good — or, as the director calls it, “the most compelling side of the story” — depicts Act II of the Broadway production and hits theaters on November 21. The first movie broke box office records and earned more than $700 million worldwide, so will Chu stick the landing?
Critics have seen Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo come together as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West for the grand finale, and according to CinemaBlend’s review of Wicked: For Good, audiences can expect more stunning visuals, remarkable performances and beautiful music. For our own Riley Utley, the darker second act doesn’t outshine the first, but she still rates it 4 stars out of 5, writing:
I find this story about Elphaba and her battle with the Wizard a tad hit-or-miss, with some subplots and characters left underdeveloped and me less invested in the narrative. Combine that with my already big feelings about Act 1, and you get a recipe for mixed emotions. That being said, Wicked: For Good is still absolutely wonderful. The story is touching, it’s beautifully made, and it provides a fulfilling conclusion to this Ozian epic.
Deadline’s Pete Hammond, meanwhile, thinks Wicked: For Good soars even higher than the first, which is a pretty big ask, considering how masterful the first movie was. Hammond says:
Both Erivo and Grande could not be better, and in fact Grande really gets a chance to shine here and runs away with the picture whenever she is on screen. Erivo’s Elphaba remains the juiciest role and she defines it with the mortality only movies can bring. Bailey is terrific again, and Goldblum’s Wizard really comes into deep focus now and he’s got it going on. Marissa Bode’s wheelchair-bound Nessarose is given some key screen time and delivers in a piece of casting that is as inspiring as the character she plays.
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David Gordon of TheaterMania agrees that the lead actresses are at their best, particularly Cynthia Erivo, whose magnetism radiates off of the screen with musical numbers that feel like a thrill ride. Expanding the story of the theater production’s hourlong second act into a full feature gives the story room to breathe, with certain plots deepened and intensified. The critic says:
Darker, sexier, and more emotional than Wicked: Part One, For Good is all action, plugging the holes of the musical’s maligned second act with new songs and augmented story details. Wicked: For Good feels familiar, but it’s painting on a much wider canvas than its predecessor.
The previous critic couldn’t take his eyes off of Cynthia Erivo, but for THR’s David Rooney, Ariana Grande steals the show as she brings “luminous life” to Glinda. Wicked has historically favored Elphaba’s complex story of persecution, but For Good elevates Glinda’s story to a level playing field without significantly changing the well-known narrative. Rooney says fans will “rejoicify”:
Make no mistake, Erivo remains a powerhouse, with pipes that shake the heavens and a wellspring of unforced emotional intensity that never runs dry. … But Grande’s conceited blonde bubblehead gains in stature here as Glinda assumes statesmanlike responsibility to spread goodness in Oz, while experiencing crushing romantic disappointment that humbles her and deflates her vanity.
Bilge Ebiri of Vulture says Wicked: For Good is notably darker than its predecessor, which is a good thing. It’s also more focused and more human, bringing the full movie to a surprisingly satisfying conclusion that left audience members in tears. The critic writes:
Director Jon M. Chu has somehow pulled it off. Wicked: For Good is shorter than the first film and, while it might be a step back in terms of spectacle, it’s a leap forward in (go ahead, laugh) subtlety and emotion. My audience was audibly sobbing by the end.
For some critics, however, not even Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s powerhouse performances could completely overshadow the supposed misstep of making us wait a year for this conclusion.
Kate Erbland of IndieWire gives the movie a B-, saying that too much time has passed to remember important plot points and character machinations without a rewatch of Wicked: Part I. However, we couldn’t ask for more from the leading duo, either in terms of personifying their characters or their singing. The critic continues:
Much like Wicked, Wicked: For Good works its way up to a massive duet between the pair, so emotionally resonant than even the most wicked of audience members will still likely shed a tear (the song is, of course, ‘For Good’). It’s an unmitigated high note, but it’s a lonely one indeed. Is it alone worth the wait? Maybe, why couldn’t the entire film feel that way?
It sounds like fans of the first movie are in for more thrills in this story’s emotional conclusion. Regardless of whether a year was too long to wait, at least that wait is over, as Wicked: For Good hits theaters on Friday, November 21. If you do need a refresher before heading out, Wicked: Part I is available to stream with an Amazon Prime Video subscription.
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