Wicked: For Good

"For a while there, I thought you changed."

"I have changed."

Elphaba Throbb (Erivo) is notorious throughout Oz.  Her green skin stands out and she is publicly labeled the Wicked Witch of the West.  After learning the truth about the Wizard of Oz (Goldblum), she vows to end the lies.  However, that task is made harder by the propaganda spread by the Wizard's Press Secretary, Madame Morrible (Yeoh).  She is hunted by the Wizard's guards and flying monkeys, and feared by everyone else.

Meanwhile, the Wizard and Madame Morrible maneuver behind the scenes to separate Elphaba from her friends.  Glinda Upland (Grande) works for the Wizard and is popular, known as Glinda the Good.  Her beau Fiyero (Bailey) is now the Captain of the Gale Force and tasked to find Elphaba.  Her sister, Nessarose (Bode), is the new Governor of Munchkinland, after the death of their father.  And friend Boq (Slater) continues to pine for Glinda, while working for Nessa.  As the stakes build, who will win in the battle for the good of Oz?

This is part 2 (based on Act 2 of the Broadway musical) of Wicked (2024).  The musical is based on the 1995 novel "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" by Gregory Maguire.  It also overlaps with "The Wizard of Oz."

The Good:

Cynthia Erivo.  The cast is great, but Erivo stands out.  She has an incredible voice and presence.  Ariana Grande-Butera is also good, with a little more depth than the first film (but still funny).  Erivo and Grande-Butera have great chemistry and their fight in Munchkinland is hilarious.

The rest of the cast is great.  Jeff Goldblum is a good choice for the Wizard, just charming enough... but also not fully trustworthy.  I wish Marissa Bode's Nessarose was fleshed out more... same with Ethan Slater's Boq.  The actors are good, but the characters don't have much to do - they each get 1 song.  Michelle Yeoh is great, as always.

The Bad:

The camera in some scenes (for example, the spinning in "Wonderful", some of the flying scenes, etc). The staging of the song "For Good".

Other Comments:

-This film is definitely darker than the first one, but it still delivers an emotional punch.  There is laughter, there is heartbreak, there could be tears... and it all works.  I enjoyed the film.

-I expect the film will receive at least one Oscar nomination - acting nomination(s), the costumes are great, etc.

-Composer Stephen Schwartz (who wrote the music for the Broadway musical) wrote 2 new songs for this film: "No Place Like Home" for Elphaba and "The Girl in the Bubble" for Glinda.

-Due to the popularity of both films, there is talking of additional films - related to other characters or potential sequels.

Wicked: For Good (2025) 137 minutes

Rating: PG for action/violence, some suggestive material and thematic material. 

Director: Jon M. Chu

Starring: Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp

Ariana Grande-Butera as Glinda Upland

Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar

Jeff Goldblum as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Marissa Bode as Nessarose Thropp

Ethan Slater as Boq Woodsman

Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible

Peter Dinklage as the voice of Doctor Dillamond

Bowen Yang as Pfannee

Bronwyn James as ShenShen

Sharon D. Clarke as the voice of Dulcibear

Colman Domingo as the voice of Brrr the Cowardly Lion