Wicked for Good Review: I loved the first Wicked movie way more than I expected. It took a familiar world, twisted the lens a bit, and delivered something fresh without feeling like a cash-grab prequel.
So I walked into Wicked for Good, hoping for that same spark. And for a while, it felt like I was getting it. The opening stretch has the same energy, the same tone, and the same tension between Alphaba and Galinda that made the first one work.
But somewhere in the second half, the movie just hits the gas, sprints through major moments, and forgets that the emotional core of Wicked has always been about two complicated people trying to figure out what they owe to each other and to the world.
My Rating: 3.5/5
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | Wicked for Good (Wicked Part Two) |
| Release Year | 2025 |
| Director | Jon M. Chu |
| Based On | The Broadway musical Wicked by Stephen Schwartz & Winnie Holzman |
| Main Cast | Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba), Ariana Grande (Galinda), Jeff Goldblum (The Wizard), Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh |
| Genre | Fantasy, Musical, Drama |
| Runtime | 2h 18m |
My Experience Watching Wicked for Good
The Wicked for Good drops you straight into the aftermath of Part One, no recap, no easing in. You’re expected to remember who did what, and why everything is falling apart. If you haven’t rewatched the first film recently, you’ll probably spend half the first act trying to reconnect the dots.
What the movie does get right is the way it tackles propaganda. Alphaba isn’t even allowed to be called Alphaba anymore; she’s just “The Wicked Witch,” and the state machinery twists every narrative to keep people afraid of her. The repetition, the labeling, the dehumanization… honestly, it hits close to home. Very believable.
And then there’s Galinda. Still funny, still charming, still wrapped up in the comfort of being liked. Ariana Grande surprised me in Part One, and she still has moments here where she steals the scene. But she doesn’t get as much space this time, and her arc feels more reactive than active.
Then we hit the love-triangle stuff… and man, I felt the movie lose its grip. In the middle of a huge emotional moment, Alphaba and Galinda end up slapping each other like it’s a CW drama from 2012. I watched it and thought, “Someone in this theater is already planning to never let their partner pick the movie again.”
The world still looks incredible, though. Same production, same sets, same visual magic. But great visuals can only carry a story so far.
Once the plot gets close to the Wizard of Oz timeline, the movie basically switches into fast-forward. Characters with serious emotional baggage suddenly get rushed arcs. Big reveals happen without breathing room. And when the movie tries to recreate stage-play moments directly—like a major turning point shown only through shadows, it just falls flat on the big screen.
By the end, I didn’t hate it… But I definitely left wishing it had taken its time.
GOOD vs BAD — My Real Take on Wicked for Good
The Good
| What Worked | Why It Worked |
|---|---|
| Production Design | The world of Oz still looks stunning. Nothing feels cheap or rushed visually. |
| Propaganda & Themes | The movie nails the idea of how power twists narratives and dehumanizes dissenters. Very grounded. |
| Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo | They’re both excellent again, with Ariana still landing those sharp comedic moments. |
| First Half Energy | The film actually feels like Wicked again—until it doesn’t. |
Also Read: The Plague Review – Feels Uncomfortably Real, And Weirdly Predictive
The Bad
| What Didn’t Work | Why It Fell Apart |
|---|---|
| Love-Triangle Melodrama | The tone just collapses. The slapping scene should’ve been emotional; instead, it’s cringe. |
| Rushed Second Half | The moment the story overlaps with Wizard of Oz, the pacing goes wild. No time to process anything. |
| Character Arcs Cut Short | Emotional beats hit, then disappear. Several characters deserved more screen time. |
| Play-Style Moments Don’t Translate | Some sequences feel staged for a theater, not a movie screen, and lose impact. |
Final Thoughts On Wicked for Good — Worth Watching?
Wicked for Good isn’t a disaster. It’s just uneven.
The first movie felt like its own story; the second feels like it’s torn between honoring the play, continuing the movie story, and rushing to connect with The Wizard of Oz.
It’s visually stunning. It’s emotionally messy. It’s thematically smart. It’s narratively rushed.
If you loved the first Wicked, you’ll still find moments here worth watching. But if you go in expecting another tight, emotionally satisfying story… You might walk out as I did: entertained, but wishing it had taken a breath instead of sprinting to the finish.
