The sequel to one of last year’s biggest movies arrives in theaters this weekend, and the first reviews are now online and mostly positive. Wicked: For Good concludes the origin story of Elphaba and Glinda in the Land of Oz, with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, respectively, continuing to shine in their Oscar-nominated roles. Highlights include their acting and singing, and the technical elements, but the reception of the new songs written for the movie is mixed.
Here’s what critics are saying about Wicked: For Good:
Is it worth the wait?
This film is as slick and shiny as Glinda’s lip gloss, but it may also be just what its many fans want.
— Caryn James, BBC.com
The doubts that surfaced when it was first announced that Jon M. Chu’s screen adaptation of Wicked was to be released in two parts are not exactly erased by the two hours-plus of this second installment. But it’s safe to assume the millions of fans who have made the blockbuster stage musical a global phenomenon won’t be complaining.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
If you enjoyed [the technical achievements of the first movie] and hope to see more of it, don’t you worry: The darker tone that marks this second half doesn’t mean there’s an absence of wonder in the wonderful land of Oz.
— Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com
How does it compare to the first Wicked?
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.
— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture/New York Magazine
For Good has more life-and-death drama and is even more of a musical, with nearly back-to-back singing-dancing set pieces.
— Caryn James, BBC.com
One could argue that the first film was the story of how Elphaba came to be empowered, while this one deals with Glinda’s redemption, and yet, neither half works without the fullhearted commitment of both parties.
— Peter Debruge, Variety
If it sounds like this second half is darker than the first, it is, but it’s also more effective in its consistency of tone.
— Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com
What are some of the highlights of the movie?
Among the second film’s satisfactions are more detailed accounts of how Scarecrow and the Tin Man came to be cursed, as well as a knock-down, drag-out witch fight.
— Peter Debruge, Variety
The real special effects come from the deeply felt performances from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, as the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda evolves in complicated ways.
— Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com
At times throughout, Chu closes in on Erivo and Grande’s faces as they sing, and those moments are among the most effective.
— Caryn James, BBC.com
The investment in character, story and sumptuous design more than compensates in Wicked: For Good…some of the funnier moments involve Grande’s reactions to elements from the timeless Judy Garland vehicle.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
Does it improve upon the stage version?
The film fixes a common complaint of the show, giving the pair more scenes (and songs) together in this final stretch, which now feels like a robust tale unto itself.
— Peter Debruge, Variety
Glinda has always been secondary to the more complex Elphaba… but without significantly altering the narrative of the stage musical, the filmmakers have leveled the playing field.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
How are the musical numbers this time?
“No Good Deed” is truly a showstopper: an excellent showcase for Erivo’s powerhouse vocals and an impressive visual set piece.
— Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com
If the camera whirling around characters in song is overused as a device, it nonetheless fits with the dizzying effect of the material on its most ardent fans.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
After a while, the film’s big Broadway orchestrations all begin to sound the same.
— Caryn James, BBC.com
Are the new songs worthy?
Glinda’s big solo number, “The Girl in the Bubble” — one of two new tunes veteran composer Stephen Schwartz wrote for the movie — gives Grande a chance to dig deep dramatically as her character confronts the choices she’s made.
— Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com
When Glinda contemplates her life and sings “The Girl in the Bubble,” one of two new songs written for the film, Grande’s poignant delivery is almost overshadowed by the set design and actions as she wanders around her glistening home.
— Caryn James, BBC.com
Erivo delivers [“No Place Like Home”] with inspirational fervor and warmth, even if the number is a generic showtune compared to Wicked’s best-loved bangers.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
How does it look?
As in the first movie, the attention to eye-popping detail in Nathan Crowley’s spectacular production design and Paul Tazewell’s wildly imaginative costumes is key to this disarming confection’s pleasures, captured in an infinite rainbow of colors and gradations of light by Alice Brooks’ cinematography.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
The Art Nouveau-style sets and ornate costumes are nothing short of astonishing, though the film relies more heavily on virtual effects, eschewing the techniques that made the blend of practical and virtual elements so seamless the last time.
— Peter Debruge, Variety
Is it Ariana Grande’s Time to shine?
Wicked: For Good is Ariana Grande’s movie. And the film knows it, bending toward her every chance it gets.
— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture/New York Magazine
Grande really gets her moments to shine in this instalment and makes the most of them.
— Caryn James, BBC.com
Whereas Grande had a relatively one-dimensional role to play in Part 1, Glinda now faces a complex evolution, showing fragility in the new song, “The Girl in the Bubble,” and something far more nuanced than simple anger when Fiyero makes the choice that will cost him his brains.
— Peter Debruge, Variety
Grande’s conceited blonde bubblehead gains in stature here…her quiet moments of introspection, anxiety or sadness show tender depths.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
What about Cynthia Erivo?
Make no mistake, Erivo remains a powerhouse, with pipes that shake the heavens and a wellspring of unforced emotional intensity that never runs dry.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
Erivo continues to create Elphaba as righteously determined to expose the Wizard’s fakery and also hurt at the way she has been vilified, but that arc is more familiar now.
— Caryn James, BBC.com
Are there any other performances worth mentioning?
Bailey brings new gravitas and honor to Fiyero, downplaying the character’s formerly hedonistic side.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
Casting an actor with the stature of Colman Domingo as the voice of the Cowardly Lion, and then only giving him a couple of lines of dialogue, is a shameful waste.
— Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com
Will it leave us in tears?
My audience was audibly sobbing by the end.
— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture/New York Magazine
When Erivo and Grande, toward the end of For Good, ease into that stirring title song and soar into gorgeous harmonies celebrating the reciprocal rewards of love and support, the young women in the row behind me at a recent press screening started sniffling and sobbing, their tears then flowing on and off through the entire final act.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
Poignant and intimate, [the finale, “For Good”] is a legitimate tearjerker. Bring tissues.
— Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com
The director, Jon M. Chu, milks every tear-jerking moment.
— Caryn James, BBC.com
Wicked: For Good opens in theaters on December 19, 2025.
