On Nov. 21, 2025, “Wicked: For Good” was released in theaters, inciting a Wicked craze. “Wicked: For Good” is based on Act II of the musical, while its prequel “Wicked” is based on Act I. From its resounding success in box office sales to iconic press tour moments, this musical has captivated audiences and drawn millions of visitors into theaters. “Wicked: For Good” surpassed the first “Wicked” movie to become the biggest Broadway musical adaptation, grossing over $400 million in its first 20 days, according to Billboard. However, it has received criticism for having poor timing, weak new songs, and overly-padded scenes. Although this movie is an excellent adaptation of the musical and is worth watching, it is not quite as good as the first part because of its pacing and over-the-top special effects.
While its soundtrack and set are both beautiful and well executed, “Wicked: For Good” was not quite as satisfying as the first “Wicked” movie. Both films include energetic dancing, talented cast members and beautiful sets, but the sequel’s effects are sometimes gaudy and overdone. With unnecessary CGI, the movie starts to lose some of its whimsical charm. It also struggles with pacing more than the original did, making the beginning feel rushed and convoluted but unnecessarily dragging out parts of the middle and end. While some scenes feel very slow and overly-padded with shallow dialogue, others feel emotionally stunted by rushed lines and convoluted conversations.
Although “Wicked: For Good” maintained many of the franchise’s signature magical details, it made numerous changes to the original plot of Act II of the original musical. While some of these changes increase the emotional depth of the movie — like the added wedding scene between Fiyero and Glinda, which helped define Fiyero’s character and his relationship with Elphaba and Glinda — others exacerbated the movie’s pacing difficulty. Two new songs were added, which broke up the flow of the typical musical with shallow lyrics and repetitive dialogue. These songs, “No Place Like Home” and “The Girl in the Bubble,” add very little to the plot of the movie.
However, the changes to the musical start to look up near the end of the movie. The movie’s ending — where the pair sing “For Good” and say their goodbyes — is much more emotional than it is in the musical, and both of them say “I love you” in the end. This catalyzes their meaningful friendship, which is off-and-on throughout the movie and shows broader themes regarding how different people handle social change. It also ties into the meaning of the song, which describes how the two of them have helped each other grow despite their hardships and disagreements. The musical’s “For Good” scene is more rushed compared to this, and the two don’t exchange any heartfelt words. On top of this, the movie ends with Glinda starting to read an ancient spellbook that had previously been unusable to everyone except Elphaba, hinting at her starting to have magic of her own, which doesn’t happen in the musical. The combination of these changes helps center the movie around Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship, rather than Elphaba and Fiyero’s romance. While these differences may upset musical fans, they are an overall beneficial change. They give the movie more depth and more meaningfully show the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda, highlighting a key strength of “Wicked: For Good:” its attention to detail with characters and relationships.
As with “Wicked,” much of the appeal of “Wicked: For Good” comes from its famous soundtrack. It boasts eleven songs that range from symphonic, ensemble-heavy pieces like “Every Day More Wicked” to the peppy “Wonderful,” featuring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande as Glinda and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz. The music captures the theatrical, Broadway feel without being corny. It layers outstanding solos and large-scale dance numbers with beautiful, ornate sets and special effects that can’t help but leave audiences wow-ed.
The iconic duet “For Good,” with Erivo’s warm mezzo-soprano voice intertwined with Grande’s soprano notes, is a clear standout on the soundtrack. Beginning with a solo from Erivo and segueing into a Grande’s refrain, the song is sad and reflective, but with a hopeful undertone about a possible better future for them. The phenomenal singing and lyrics — familiar to fans of the musical — convey both characters’ true desires for friendship and forgiveness as they say goodbye for the last time.
Overall, “Wicked: For Good” is a good adaptation of the musical and has left fans satisfied, albeit less than enamored with the new songs. Though it does not have the same dazzle as “Wicked,” this movie overall does justice to the second act of the musical and is a fun watch.
