Love it or hate it, you have to admit that “Wicked: For Good” (2025) is about as subtle as a tornado. This is a film about how gullible civilians can be when charlatans and liars seize power, and it drives that message home with the force of a stampede (quite literally). Directed by Jon M. Chu, the movie is visually gorgeous, achingly emotional at times and a wonderful romp at others, making it absolutely worth a watch. Only cowardly lions fear controversy, after all.
“Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” the eponymous book by Gregory Maguire, began the current, never-ending parade of “Not evil, just misunderstood” cliches — but when Maguire published his novel, it was a vividly original lens with which to explore “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Both the 1995 book and the 2003 musical were intended as commentary on George W. Bush’s presidency. This preoccupation, in fact, led to negative reviews when the musical debuted, since critics found the allegory too blunt.
All this to say, “Wicked”’s polarization is nothing new. And yet, the musical has gone on to become one of the most popular Broadway shows of all time.
Enough cannot be said about the performances in this film. Even with ludicrous dialogue in fantastical scenarios, the cast manages to bring a great deal of heart to the screen. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) have a friendship that can be felt as well as seen, and characters and viewers alike are still obsessed with Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey). An additional shout-out goes to Marissa Bode’s Nessarose and Ethan Slater’s Boq for their unexpectedly gut-wrenching scenes in the first half.
It bears mention that “For Good” is somewhat more mature than its predecessor. Although there are still plenty of sparkles and dance numbers, the lightheartedness of Elphaba and Glinda’s school years is deliberately absent. Even in Glinda’s song “Thank Goodness,” where she insists she “couldn’t be happier,” she’s clearly lying to herself. Between brutal transformation sequences, angry mobs, toxic relationships and flat-out torture, the child-friendliness of this sequel is questionable despite its PG rating.
Yet, there’s humor to be found as well. Moments like Glinda’s parody of Elphaba’s traditional evil cackle – “PLEASE, where did you get THAT?” – add levity, strengthening the evidence of the pair’s bond. Flashback sequences range from unnecessary (Glinda’s childhood) to moving (brief glimpses of Glinda, Elphaba and their friends spending time together before their lives fell apart).
Elphaba herself has substantial character development, although it’s a bit rushed at times. By contrast, Glinda gets the chance to truly shine in this installment. Although her journey in the first movie from “unadulterated loathing” to love for Elphaba is obvious, the character work Grande pulls off here under Chu’s direction is far more subtle. Glinda is conflicted, torn between her own moral compass and the shine of popularity, power and respect. She longs to be adored, but is smart enough to realize she’s being used as a figurehead. “The Girl in the Bubble,” newly written for the film version, perfectly captures the Good Witch’s internal conflict.
Sticking Glinda in Elphaba’s castle closet to watch the climax of “The Wizard of Oz” (1939) might be contrived, but overall, “For Good” meshes well with the older movie. The choice to leave Dorothy offscreen or only partially visible for most of the film highlights how, in the end, she’s just another pawn.
“For Good” has hits and misses, to be sure. A certain scarecrow, for one, unintentionally reeks of the uncanny valley. Furthermore, the film’s constant mockery of Dorothy is a little uncalled for. She’s a child thrown into another dimension and told to go commit murder — our modern reexamination of the story should preserve our empathy for the original protagonist, not diminish it.
“But the politics! Heaven save us from the politics!” This is absolutely a movie for the Trump era, down to the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum)’s scheming “press secretary” Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) rewriting Elphaba’s words to make her more threatening. But arguably, we’re past the point of subtlety in real life as well. You can come to be entertained and still take in a message; in reverse, too, you can come to take in a message and still be entertained.
“Wicked: For Good” has viewers laughing, crying and quietly marveling at the beauty of its costumes and character moments. It’s difficult to pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, but you can take away from the film what you want to. The possibilities are, as the saying goes, unlimited.
