Review: 'Wicked: For Good' struggles to justify its existence in overstuffed, underwhelming finale
The second half of Jon M. Chu’s adaptation drags its heels, stretching thin material into a muted, underpowered finale
“Wicked: For Good” arrives with all the expectations that come with closing out one of Broadway’s biggest cultural touchstones, but this second half of Jon M. Chu’s two-part adaptation struggles to justify its existence.
While “Part One” at least delivered bursts of spectacle and a star-making comedic turn from Ariana Grande, this follow-up feels surprisingly empty. The pacing lags, the narrative momentum sputters, and the emotional beats that should land with impact instead drift by without much weight.
Even with powerhouse talent like Cynthia Erivo, Grande, and Jonathan Bailey, “Wicked: For Good” never quite clicks into place, resulting in a finale that’s more muted than magical.
To be fair, expectations were already tempered. The first installment had plenty of issues, but at the very least it boasted energy, excitement and big dance numbers. And yes, it ended with the iconic moment, Erivo’s roof-shattering “Defying Gravity,” which gave that film a big screen climax.
It’s no secret the second act of the stage production is less memorable than the first, which meant the sequel already had its work cut out to justify its existence as a standalone film – let alone a 138 minute one. Instead, the first hour of “For Good” is slow, choppy, and shockingly pointless. Momentum never arrives, scenes meander and feel stitched together at random.
It doesn’t help that the movie’s big “climax” is, well… “For Good.” And yes, it’s a beautiful song. Erivo and Grande’s harmonies are stunning, delicate and emotional. Their chemistry is as strong as it was in Part One, and the moment captures the bittersweet heart of the story. But cinematically? It’s shockingly subdued. The entire second half builds to a single static number, sings it beautifully, and then moves on. Granted, it’s an entirely different vibe than “Defying Gravity,” but where that felt like building to a climax, this was limping to a conclusion.
Ariana Grande once again proves she’s the film’s not-so-secret weapon, delivering a Glinda that evolves far beyond the laugh-out-loud physical comedy of “Part One.” Her first outing was a masterclass in chaos with toss-toss theatrics. But in “For Good,” Grande shifts into a more emotionally grounded mode, using physical acting in entirely new ways. The comedy is still there, but gives way to nuance: micro-expressions, softened gestures, and a kind of deliberate stillness that conveys heartbreak, jealousy, hope, and loyalty all at once.
Cynthia Erivo continues to ground the story, but even her incredible voice can’t overcome the movie’s sluggish pacing and oddly hollow emotional beats. Then there’s Jonathan Bailey. After being front and center in “Part One,” he’s underused in the sequel with only one musical sequence. And when he does sing – with raw, soulful power – it makes you retroactively wish the movie had given him more to do all along. Unfortunately, his turn as the Scarecrow looks so distractingly bad the film hides him for as long as possible. When he finally appears, you immediately understand why they avoided showing him.
The casting issues that plagued the first film are only magnified in the second. Marissa Bode’s Nessa gets expanded screen time that does her no favors; her performance is flat, awkward, and distractingly weak. Meanwhile Michelle Yeoh, a titan of nuance and gravitas, continued to disappoint as Madame Morrible. Every line reading feels out of place, and the singing… it’s best not to mention that.
And then there are the additions. When you stretch a two-and-a-half hour stage show into nearly five hours of cinema, you’d hope that new material would deepen the story, or at least justify the runtime. Instead, the handful of newly written songs are lifeless filler – musically bland, narratively meaningless, and clearly engineered for one purpose: Oscar eligibility. The tradition of musical adaptations tossing in a new number to snag a Best Original Song nod has never felt more transparent.
Ultimately, “Wicked: For Good” never shakes the feeling that it’s stretching thin material far past its limits. The emotional beats don’t land, the pacing never improves, and the new additions only weigh the film down further. Even with flashes of strong work from the cast, the movie can’t muster the momentum or impact needed to justify a two-part adaptation, or even its own runtime. For a story that has resonated with audiences for two decades, this conclusion feels disappointingly muted, leaving the world of Oz with far less power than it deserves.
Star Rating: 1.5 out of 5
“Wicked: For Good” releases in theaters November 20, 2025.