Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Wicked for Good review and reveals that the second half is even more splendified than the first, with epicaliferous cinematic artistry defying traditional sequel gravity.

It’s never easy for a director to make lightening strike twice—especially with a sequel. Jon M Chu’s Wicked hadn’t really lost its cinematic zeitgeist status yet—the streets on Halloween were filled with Elphabas and Glindas, Jonathan Bailey was named People magazine’s 2025 Sexiest Man Alive, and little girls were still jumping on beds and singing about being POPular and defying gravity. How do you top, or even equal that?

I’m happy to report that Chu has asserted his creative supremacy once again, as Wicked For Good is so much more than a mere continuation of its predecessor. It’s a dazzling cinematic event—a lavish expansion of the Oz mythology that demonstrates Chu’s mastery of brilliant, large-scale musical storytelling.

If the first film established the emotional groundwork and collegiate exuberance of Elphaba and Glinda’s early years, this second installment elevates the material into operatic territory. Chu approaches every visual and auditory choice with a choreographer’s discipline and a showman’s flair, crafting a sequel that is darker, moodier, and deeper in scope and execution.

From a technical standpoint, the film is even more astonishing. Costume and production crews work in perfect tandem to produce an Oz that feels both mythic and tactile: cloaks ripple with alchemical embroidery, uniforms convey political tensions through subtle shifts in palette, and everyday clothing carries hints of industrial or magical influence depending on the character’s allegiance.

The sets extend this meticulousness—grand atriums, storm-lashed parapets, subterranean archives, brilliant fields of flowers and verdant glens all pop with a painterly sense of composition. Chu’s camera glides and plunges through these environments with fluidity, capturing both massive crowd spectacles and intimate exchanges with equal expertise.

This visual environment becomes especially potent in the film’s musical set pieces, which are nothing short of masterful. Where the first film relied on the familiarity of Broadway’s iconic numbers, Wicked for Good leans on orchestral power and intricate ensemble choreography to generate its emotional crescendos.

Wicked for Good Review — Oz’s secrets revealed

Although the musical moments are spectacular, the narrative remains firmly anchored in character-driven stakes. The plot ventures into more somber territory as it follows the fates of Elphaba, Glinda, the animals of Oz, and the very society itself. The film’s moodier tone feels not only appropriate but essential: where the previous film chronicled the idealism and turbulence of youth, Wicked for Good confronts the consequences of power, reputation, and fractured loyalties.

The story also artfully intertwines the origins of the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow, presenting them less as mythic inevitabilities and more as tragedies born of political conflict and personal sacrifice. Meanwhile, the state of Oz after Dorothy and the Wizard’s departures is explored through a delicate interplay of politics, uncertainty, hope, and what appears to be fate.

The performances rise to meet the complexity and grandeur of this narrative. Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba is a marvel—she is fierce yet vulnerable as she seeks to discover who and what she truly is. Ariana Grande brings to Glinda an interesting duality: outward effervescence tempered by a dawning awareness of responsibility and loss. Everything is no longer pink and bubbly, with all problems solvable by a cavalier hair flip. She gains a new depth. The chemistry between the two is a powerful constant, their scenes together thrumming with emotional voltage.

Jeff Goldblum, as the bumbling Wizard with good intentions but limited ability, delivers a portrayal that is both delightfully idiosyncratic and unexpectedly moving; his comedic timing and wistful undertones enrich the film’s tonal diversity. While Michelle Yeoh’s Madam Morrible is not as commanding or evil as the role warrents, Bailey, as Fiyero, is, it must be said, hunkier and more endearing than ever.

Ultimately, Wicked for Good succeeds as a rare sequel that not only amplifies the strengths of its predecessor but deepens its artistry. It is a sumptuous, confident, and immersive work—an extravaganza of design, performance, music, and cinematic imagination that reaffirms the enduring allure of Oz while charting new territory with elegance and bravura.

Rated PG

2 Hours 18 Minutes

If this Wicked for Good review encourages you to hop on your broomstick and fly over to your local cineplex, get times and tickets on Fandango.com.

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Wicked for Good review and reveals that the second half is even more splendified than the first, with epicaliferous cinematic artistry defying traditional sequel gravity.