There’s no question that the Wicked Cinematic Universe is filled to the brim with incredible talent both in front of and behind the camera. Wicked: Part One (2024) soared with the original musical’s best songs, joyous main cast chemistry, zippy pacing, and audiences’ first look at the excellent on-screen world-building helmed by director Jon M. Chu . Yet for all it did right the first time around, the sequel doesn’t quite stick the landing. Though still epic in many, many respects, most of which are down to the amazing abilities of its stars, Wicked: For Good delivers audiences what feels like an overly long, oddly paced finale.

Picking up shortly after the first film left off, we find Galinda ( Ariana Grande ) ensconced in an Instagrammable suite in the Emerald City. She has taken her place alongside the Wizard ( Jeff Goldblum ) and Madame Morrible ( Michelle Yeoh ) as a leader–or at least a figurehead–of Oz. Elphaba ( Cynthia Erivo ) has become an enemy of the state, making strategic strikes to help the marginalized and to weaken the Wizard’s hold on the land and prove his lies. Fiyero ( Jonathan Bailey ) has become the Captain of the Guard and, somewhat reluctantly, Galinda’s fiancé. Through spells and fake news, Morrible has made Ozians terrified of the Wicked Witch of the West and often uses Galinda to advance her power grab. The Wizard himself always chooses the path of least resistance to hold onto the control he has–not setting out to really hurt anyone, but not too fussed when it seems necessary. Meanwhile, Elphaba’s sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) has become Governor and uses her newfound position to trap Boq (Ethan Slater) into subservience. It seems as if Elphaba is truly on her own, as even the remaining free animals abandon the fight for the safety of another world. But when Fiyero joins her resistance–and professes his love–things take a turn. Oh, and a pesky young woman named Dorothy enters the chat, too.

As with Part One , the main cast handles themselves with aplomb, particularly Erivo. Her Elphaba is earnest, strong and principled. The witch’s sacrifices on behalf of all Ozians are plentiful and impressive, and Erivo makes you feel the weighty price she’s had to pay, even in the face of an entire Oz out to get her. In our current climate, Elphaba’s battle for justice, diversity and equality feels even more critical and pressing. Grande’s Galinda feels like the perfect personification of white liberal women watching the world shift around them. That’s not a knock on either Grande or Galinda, as the revelatory journey the character goes on is aspirational, in a way. Though new perspectives are pushed as a running joke between Elphaba and Fiyero, it’s really Galinda who begins the see the world in a new way–a way that allows her to see how best to use her afforded power to affect change.

The supporting team holds their own alongside the two powerhouse leads, with Bailey bringing Fiyero to life, even when the script itself feels lacking. Goldblum continues to have a ball as the Wizard, and so does Yeoh as Morrible. Bode and Slater feel a bit outmatched by the rest of the cast’s calibre, but that may again be the script’s (and possibly the direction’s) fault rather than their abilities. The voice cast brings it, too, with a welcome surprise turn by Colman Domingo as the Cowardly Lion.

The most significant difference between the first and second parts is the pacing. For a film that should be constantly driving forward, building to the climax of the entire epic, there are far too many slowdowns. The conclusion might be that the story really could’ve been poured into one, slightly long, film, but that would’ve required more ruthless editing. But every time it feels like things are really starting to move, For Good stops dead for some character introspection that really fails to add anything we’re not already aware of. That works on stage, but on screen, it’s far harder to keep up the tension when things stop happening. It’s clear the production wants to deliver everything from the stage to the screen for the fans’ sake, but the mediums are very different, and some tough cuts may have benefited the sequel several times over.

Two new songs have been added to For Good , with a third added back after being cut from the original Broadway cast recordings. Although all three work well in theory, only Elphaba’s “No Place Like Home” adds something substantial to the storytelling. As she musically entreats Oz’s animals to stay and fight rather than abandon their home, she taps into the feelings of community, love, and support that are so essential in the hardest of times. It’s quietly beautiful and feels particularly apt in 2025.

Grande sings the heck out of the second, “The Girl in the Bubble”, but the track slows the action down at precisely the moment it should be speeding toward the finale. While it serves as an explanation of her internal emotional journey at a climactic point in the film, her thinking is already clearly communicated by her actions. It’s one of many cases where the film chooses to both show AND tell when it only needs to do one or the other. At this point, any Galinda solo would feel like one bubble song too many.

If the film felt the need to add a second new number, it really should illustrate a part of the story that truly feels lacking. Fiyero, in particular, gets short shrift in For Good . He feels very much like a top-tier Disney prince, there’s no doubt–a man given dimension and made bold by love–but there’s little opportunity for the character to expound on his motivations. He’s often left to deliver a soliloquy’s worth of emotion in one look. Not that Bailey is incapable of providing that and more, but additional insight into his character would’ve been welcome at any point. Not to mention, added Bailey screentime would be a welcome bonus.

Visually, For Good is stunning and incredibly vibrant. From the incredible world-building production design to the impressive costumes–particularly Galinda’s gown–the team behind the camera is on top form. Every aspect of the Emerald City and all the lands of Oz are worthy of a pause and an in-depth study, and are particularly wonderful on the big screen. The special effects are largely top-level, too. The animals Elphaba is fighting for–like Professor Dillamond and Dulcibear–feel real and tangible as characters, and the emotion playing over the face of the leader of the flying monkeys, Chistery, is impressive.

That said, there are a few huge effect missteps. Yes, the technology exists to de-age actors for flashbacks, but can we agree it never looks right and that we should all agree to stop, as a society? The brief shot we get of Goldblum as a younger Wizard is so odd and off-putting that it proves to be more distracting than engrossing. There’s no real need for it either, as the script has already provided the revelation—yet another unnecessary moment of showing and telling. Let’s give the audience a little credit and allow them to put the dots together themselves.

The amazing chemistry between the film’s stars amply makes up for some of For Good ’s shortcomings. Bailey and Erivo make their love story something to cheer for, despite little on-screen buildup, and Erivo and Grande light up the screen once more in a friendship for the ages. In fact, the movie’s strongest scenes are those that reunite our main characters, particularly those that bring Elphaba and Galinda together. The “Wonderful” number sees the duo alongside the Wizard, and it’s a true highlight for fans and newbies alike, as is “For Good”. The flip side is that those set pieces shine a light on how much the film slows or feels lacking when they’re flying solo, which–for plot reasons–is the majority of the film.

For lovers of the novel and stage show, For Good will satisfy, as it hits all the right notes it needs to for the fandom. The cast’s talent is undeniable, and the colourful sets and costumes aim to please–particularly on the big screen. It feels as if the film would also benefit from a back-to-back viewing with Part One , allowing the story to play out smoothly and for the power of the first to bolster the second. But ultimately, it doesn’t quite reach the heights of its predecessor and may demonstrate that the big-screen version of Wicked would’ve been best served as one epic volume. That said, it’s still worth following this vibrant yellow brick road right to your local theatre to complete the epic journey we set out on one year ago.

Wicked: For Good soars into theatres on November 21.