Wicked: For Good (2025)

For Good, Not Quite Great - Wicked: For Good review by griggs

Didn’t expect much from this, and it mostly proves me right – but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy stretches of it. The first hour is glossy Oz admin: lore, corridors, exposition. Then it finally snaps into focus when Erivo and Grande launch into a full-on MGM-style fantasia, Jeff Goldblum drifting through like he’s wandered in from another shoot. After that it’s a conveyor belt of gags, set-pieces and big feelings. I wasn’t clock-watching, but I did feel a bit out of breath.

The songs are very “playlist on shuffle”: a couple of real earworms surrounded by perfectly decent, slightly forgettable show tunes. The CGI is loud, the tone wobbles, and Wicked: For Good tries to cram about five films into one, so the seams are obvious. Most of the supporting cast feel like RPG quest-givers – pop in, drop some plot, disappear.

What keeps it from falling apart is the friendship at the centre. Erivo and Grande make Elphaba and Glinda’s bond feel open, affectionate and genuinely central rather than decoration. The finale never quite lands the emotional punch it’s aiming for, but their connection gives this overstuffed glitter bomb a real heartbeat.