One year after the blockbuster first act, “Wicked,” hit theaters, we find ourselves right back on the yellow brick road heading to Oz.
“Wicked” follows two girls, Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo, and Glinda, played by Ariana Grande, as they navigate college at Shiz University. When trying to see eye to eye with each other, they encounter love interests, issues dear to their hearts, and events that will change their futures for good.
“Wicked: For Good” opens in Oz a few years after the ending of “Wicked.” If you have also followed “The Wizard of Oz,” you would know that the second movie occurs during the events of “The Wizard of Oz.” You should expect to see familiar faces from the 1933 classic in this film.
From “Wicked,” we were able to be fully immersed in the musical theater world with the outstanding sets, costumes, and colors. The costumes are a big part of making the characters who they are. Paul Tazewell, the costume designer, won an Oscar for his design of these iconic costumes in 2025.
Going into the theater, I expected to be blown away by the cinematography, acting, and singing. However, I got even more than I expected.
This film has character development, such as those who have everything they wanted in life, but they are still not happy because of what they had to do to get there. Glinda has always wanted to be loved by the people, but she loses her best friend along the way. This creates a miserable side of emotion for her.
““I think the second movie was great! Since I saw it on Broadway, I know it may be hard to make a musical into a movie. I think that it was very well made. The singing and acting were insane, and I recommend it.”
— Emma Wright, '28
.sno-pullquote-6931eea88c4c8 { display: flex; float: left; margin: 30px 30px 30px 0; width: 50%; border-color: #870505; border-top-width: 5px; border-right-width: 5px; border-bottom-width: 5px; border-left-width: 5px; } .sno-pullquote-6931eea88c4c8 p.pullquotetext, .sno-pullquote-6931eea88c4c8 p.quotespeaker { } .sno-pullquote-6931eea88c4c8 .pullquotepic { width: 33%; margin-left: 25px; } .sno-story-body .sno-pullquote-6931eea88c4c8 p.pullquotetext { font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.4em; } .sno-pullquote-6931eea88c4c8 .quotebar { background: #dddddd; flex: 0 0 90px; margin-top: -15px; margin-left: -15px; padding-left: 15px; padding-top: 15px; margin-right: 15px; } .sno-pullquote-6931eea88c4c8 .largequote { color: #888888; } .sno-pullquote-6931eea88c4c8 .quotebody { width: unset; }Elphaba struggles in this movie with trying to get the people of Oz on her side. She is trying to uncover the Wizard’s corrupt plan of silencing the animals of Oz. Since she looks different, the people of Oz characterize her as a villain even though she is trying to do the best she can. After a while, she gets tired of no one listening to her and accepts her fate as someone who cannot change the close-minded.
Erivo’s delivery of “No Good Deed” brought immediate goosebumps and forced me to fly forward in the seat, holding my face in my hands. Coming back up, tears rolled down my face. Erivo’s voice and her interpretation of the song were made to be heard in theaters.
“I thought the movie was really good. Hearing “No Good Deed” for the first time in the theater was amazing. The look of the scarecrow scared me a little bit, but I am really proud of those who kept the ending a secret because it was great to experience it for the first time,” says Sophia Pandolfo, ’26
If you remember Fiyero from the first movie, a charming Prince, you may remember the “Dancing Through Life” that occurred in the Ozdust Ballroom. However, he and Elphaba rescued the lion cub; he was forever changed by her and her knowledge of him being not so happy.
Jonathan Bailey has microscopic facial expressions in the movie, which show how deeply he understood Fiyero’s character. He was able to make me understand his conflict between his true feelings for Elphaba and his loyalty towards Glinda. Bailey put on another outstanding performance this year, just like he did in “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” which came out in July 2025.
To top off the acting, Grande brings even more to the big screen this time around. We got to see her light, cheery, popular self in the first movie. Grande portrays Glinda’s feelings in “Thank Goodness” through a facade of happiness, but behind that facade, we only guess that she is anything but happy. For Glinda, the second movie brings more emotional demand. Grande captures the mixed emotions of Glinda perfectly with her facial expressions and her delivery on certain songs, such as “Thank Goodness” and “I’m Not That Girl.” Grande truly blew me away with her Oscar-worthy acting and gorgeous singing in this film.
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"Wicked" movie review
.sno-6931eea88cb0c { border: 5px solid #888888;float: right; margin: 30px 0px 30px 30px;} .sno-6931eea88cb0c h5 { color: #000000; }To top off the closing of the movie adaptation, Erivo and Grande both came through with their emotional performance of “For Good.” The long-awaited song is about losing those you love and acknowledging what those people have done for each other.
This movie has more of a Broadway musical pace, which was appreciated. To sum up the finale, John M. Chu brought his magic touch to this sequel, which captured the ideas, scenes, and songs perfectly in the theaters compared to the stage.