After a year-long agonizing wait, “Wicked: For Good” had its theatrical release on November 21, 2025. The movie, based on the second act of the Broadway play, was nowhere near up to par with the first half that was released last year.
As a fan of musicals, especially “Wicked” part one, I was incredibly disappointed in the sequel. The music, singing, acting, and chemistry were all dissatisfying.
Both movies were classified box office successes. With the first grossing over $759 million worldwide, and the second already at about $468 million. This doesn’t change the fact that I believe the second most certainly could’ve, and should’ve, been better. Rotten Tomatoes seems to agree with me, as they rated the first movie at 88 percent, with the new release scraping by with a mere 68 percent.
Both movies are based upon the Broadway show of the same name, which was one of the highest-grossing and longest-running plays in Broadway history. “Wicked” tells the story of Elphaba, the green-skinned girl who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, and her friendship with Glinda, showing how misunderstandings and prejudice shape their lives.
The second movie continues with Elphaba’s fight against the corrupt rulers of Oz, while deepening the bond between her and Glinda, and focuses on themes of friendship, courage, and standing up for what is right. Unfortunately, this movie did not leave me feeling the same way as the first.
For starters, the first movie showed beautiful vocals from Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande). This, unfortunately, was not carried on in the sequel.
I did not feel the intense emotion that I had the first time I sat in the theater, and repeatedly found myself being pulled away from the experience with the bad acting and awful chemistry. Especially anytime Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) was on screen. As much as I love her actress in other projects, such as “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” the vocals were not there, and she was a massive miscast.
Another issue I noticed was the lack of chemistry between Elphaba and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey). They’re meant to be in love, so much so that they run away together at the end of the film. The entire “As Long as You’re Mine” duet between Elphaba and Fiyero seemed so fake to me. All I could see were two people acting. Not a couple in love.
The second movie was pitiful compared to the first. When you contrast the skill and wonder of the first release to this one, you see the inadequacy. It lacked the emotional depth, compelling storytelling, and memorable moments that made the original so captivating. “Wicked: For Good” was not good enough.
