In true Broadway fashion Wicked: For Good picks up exactly where the first installment left off, but was the one-year intermission between the acts worth it? Right off the bat, this film sees the emotional centre shift from what so clearly defined its predecessor. If Part One belonged to Cynthia Erivo’s fierce, defiant Elphaba, this chapter finally gives Ariana Grande’s Glinda the space to become more than just the sparkling surface-level diva we met before. It’s easily her strongest acting work to date — still bubbly and theatrical, but now layered with doubt, guilt, and the pressure of being the public face of Oz.

As expected, Erivo also delivers. Her Elphaba remains powerful and wounded, but For Good gives her character room to breathe in quieter, more vulnerable, and more human moments. Her dynamic with Grande is the backbone of the film, and when they meet for their final duet, the moment feels earned, and lands exactly the way fans would have been hoping for: stripped of spectacle, anchored solely in performance, and emotionally honest. It’s the kind of scene that reminds you why this story was split into two films in the first place.

For Good leans heavily into the political fallout from the culminating events of Part One, giving Michelle Yeoh’s Madame Morrible more room to scheme, Jeff Goldblum’s Wizard further opportunity to polish his deceptions, and the supporting cast (including Jonathan Bailey and Bowen Yang) the chance to fill out a world that feels larger and more dangerous than before. Nothing overstays its welcome, even when the film occasionally throws too much lore at the audience at once.

Jon M. Chu still swings big with visuals. Some sequences are grand for the sake of grandeur, but they’re balanced by smaller, intimate beats that really work to push the narrative forward. The pacing is also far tighter this time around, and the film does a good job of anchoring its roots back into the original The Wizard of Oz story. This, without ever shifting the spotlight from the real stars of the show.

Is it perfect? Not quite. A few CGI-heavy moments feel more spectacle than substance, and some scenes linger a little longer than needed. But the emotional core is solid, the performances are standout, and the film delivers a satisfying, sincere finale that honours both the musical and the characters at its heart.

Wicked: For Good is warm, heartfelt, visually bold, and, most importantly, true to the story’s overarching message: friendship changes people, and sometimes, that is all that is needed to heal them