A brutally honest review of the new Wicked movie.

,The road to the Wicked: For Good release was paved not with yellow bricks, but with powerful privilege and unmeetable expectations.

On one hand, it was riding high on the all-encompassing success of the first film released in 2024, a critical and box office success that somehow appealed to both diehard fans of the beloved stage show and new converts who had never before thought to defy gravity.

On the other hand, there was always the possibility that dividing the decades-long-running musical into two halves and placing a year between release dates would lead to an uneven viewing experience. Coupled with the sky-high expectations cemented by the first film, the conversation around Wicked: For Good could have teetered in either direction.

Watch the trailer for Wicked: For Good here. Post continues below.

In truth, Wicked could potentially work as a standalone film, but as a movie Wicked: For Good feels very much like an extended ending rather than a story that could fly alone. But as no human being would be cursed enough to wander into the second movie without first seeing part one, director John M Chu's two-film extravaganza vision pays off, and this new offering deftly pulls you back into the land of Oz.

The first Wicked movie ended at the exact point where the stage show breaks for intermission. Here we find Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) learning of the Wizard's (Jeff Goldblum's) true, manipulatively evil nature and fleeing the Emerald City on a bespellled broom after accidentally giving some innocent monkeys wings. All while belting out the musical's stand-out number, Defying Gravity. At the same time, Glinda, formerly known as Galinda (Ariana Grande), chooses not to go with her friend, as she is too wrapped up in the promise of public adoration and safety that staying by the Wizard's side provides her.

Wicked: For Good picks up not long after this traumatic goodbye scene between the pair, with Elphaba being sheltered by rogue animals in the woods and fighting to make the Ozians aware of the Wizard's true nature. While Glinda is acting as Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) and the Wizard's public puppet, gliding around in a motorised bubble and surprising Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) with news of their engagement.

For his part, Fiyero has become captain of the guards, all so he can be the first one to reach the hunted Elphaba once she is sighted.

Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in Wicked: For Good. Source: UPI

Wicked: For Good starts with a somewhat clunky intro of re-establishing the whereabouts and stakes between our leading characters, but the storytelling momentum expertly picks up as we move through the opening scenes, and it rarely feels like the second half of the stage show is being unfairly stretched into a feature-length film.

A pay-off of the extra time spent with these characters is that Nessarose's (Marissa Bode) storyline is given a bit more room to breathe and grow, allowing more context and even sympathy for one of the Wicked's most intriguing and polarising characters.

Nessarose is now the governor of Munchkinland and her quarrel with Elphaba is not centered on her sister's war with the Wizard, but rather in her personal sense of betrayal at feeling left behind in a world where they both felt trapped. Nessarose's infatuation with Boq (Ethan Slater) has driven her to effectively hold him prisoner in Munchkinland, setting the scene for Boq's transformation and vengeful arc later in the film. The way their intertwined plots play out is one of the most satisfying parts of the film.

Where the movie does fall a little flat, I hate to say, are the scenes wrapped around the two new original songs.

In Wicked: For Good we see Elphaba perform 'No Place Like Home' and Glinda sing 'The Girl in the Bubble', two new songs that have been crafted especially for the movie, yet only succeed in pulling you out of Oz and into a world where the studio was obviously chasing a double shot at the Best Original Song Oscar.

Glinda's tune at least adds a smidge of extra context to her character's arc, but both these tunes fall flat against the world-building and brilliance of the original tunes and how perfectly they shape this story. Despite both of these original songs being penned by Stephen Schwartz, the incredible original Wicked composer, they both felt like unnecessary delays towards the destination we were all dying to reach.

Wicked is one of those rare musicals where you could delete the songs and still be left with a fully formed story, thanks to the exceptional plot and characters, so every song has to work hard to earn its place.

Despite this hiccup, Wicked: For Good is a triumph of movie-making and storytelling, and much of its success falls on the shoulders of leading ladies Erivo and Grande. Every scene between them is infused with raw emotion and perfectly crafted performances that bring the complex beauty of Elphaba and Glinda's friendship to life.

Much has been said about the duo's tearful press appearances over the last year, but when you see the films, it's always been clear that they are just embodying the life-or-death level of emotion that diehard fans of Wicked have been bringing to this story for the last twenty years.

Their performances show a true reverence for the characters and the relationship they are portraying on screen.

Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in Wicked: For Good. Source: UPI

As one of those emotionally unstable Wicked fans, I have to confess that during the final scenes of the film (and yes, in some of the opening scenes as well), the tears began to run so thick and fast down my face that it looked like I was situated under a personalised rain cloud that had somehow found its way into the cinema.

Yes, the majority of these tears were mostly the result of twenty years of Wicked memories, but some of them can be claimed by the performances of Erivo and Grande.

There will be a group of moviegoers who believe Wicked: For Good falls flat after the lighter and brighter events of Wicked, viewers who simply want a retread of the catchy Popular or the might of Defying Gravity.

The truth is, For Good demands more from you as a viewer, but the pay-off is so much better.

The storytelling is more complex, the emotions are heightened, and you'll find the true heart of the story in the smaller moments between songs, rather than in the louder crescendos.

Despite the extended storytelling opportunity that a double feature provided, there are still some important elements of this tale that feel rushed (like Fiyero's fate), but the most important relationship in the film is given the proper depth.

And the result is heart-wrenching and completely satisfying.

The final scenes between Elphaba and Glinda are captured with such care, restraint, and beauty that they are a fitting onscreen tribute to the friendship we have loved for twenty years. While also putting a unique spin on their relationship, making it befitting of their big-screen treatment.

A testament to the care and talent that went into adapting this musical for the big screen, complete with the understanding that the rousing songs and opulent sets don't work unless this central friendship feels earned.

Wicked: For Good is in cinemas now.

Laura Brodnik is Mamamia's Head of Entertainment and host of The Spill podcast. You can follow her on Instagram here for more entertainment news and recommendations.

Feature image: Universal Pictures.