Wicked: For Good – A Triumphant, Heart-Exploding Cinematic Masterpiece - Movie Review

Wicked: For Good – A Triumphant, Heart-Exploding Cinematic Masterpiece  

I walked out of the AMC theater on opening weekend absolutely wrecked—in the best possible way. My sister was crying, my twelve-year-old nephew was speechless (a miracle in itself), and the nearly full auditorium of strangers erupted into spontaneous, thunderous applause that lasted a full minute after the credits began rolling. That, dear reader, is the power of Wicked: For Good, the second half of Jon M. Chu’s breathtaking two-part film adaptation of the Broadway phenomenon. If Part One was the spark, For Good is the wildfire. It is, without exaggeration, one of the most emotionally overwhelming, visually dazzling, and spiritually uplifting movie-musical experiences I have ever had the privilege to witness.

Let me be clear from the start: this is not just a good movie. This is not even a great movie. This is a once-in-a-generation cinematic event that feels destined to be remembered alongside The Wizard of Oz itself. It is the rare sequel that not only matches its predecessor but surpasses it in virtually every way—scope, emotion, stakes, spectacle, and heart.

The Musical Score and Singing: Transcendent  

Stephen Schwartz and his team didn’t just arrange the stage score for the screen—they re-imagined it. “No Good Deed” has never hit this hard. When Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba launches into that song midway through the film, the orchestra swells with a ferocity that feels almost apocalyptic, her voice cracking open like green lightning across the theater speakers. I had goosebumps for the entire four-minute runtime. My nephew, who had never heard the song before, whispered “Whoa” at least seven times.

And then there’s “For Good.” I’m not ashamed to admit I sobbed so hard I had to remove my 3D glasses because they fogged up completely. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo don’t just sing the duet—they live it. The new countermelodies woven into the arrangement, the delicate strings that creep in like memories, the way their voices braid together on the final “Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better? …Because I knew you…I have been changed for good”—it’s devastatingly beautiful. I heard audible weeping all around me. The applause that followed was immediate and overwhelming.

Every cast member is in career-best voice. Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero has a silky richness in “Dancing Through Life (Reprise)” that made my sister clutch my arm. Michelle Yeoh’s Madame Morrible hits stratospheric notes in the expanded “Thank Goodness” reprise that left jaws on the floor. Jeff Goldblum’s Wizard is charmingly sinister and vocally impeccable. Even smaller roles—Peter Dinklage as Doctor Dillamond, Bowen Yang as Pfannee—are perfectly cast and deliver every note with crystal clarity.

The Acting: A Masterclass Across the Board  

Cynthia Erivo doesn’t play Elphaba—she becomes her. This is an Oscar-winning performance if there has ever been one. Watch her face in the quiet moment after “I’m Not That Girl (Reprise)” when she realizes the depth of Glinda’s sacrifice. There’s no dialogue, just Erivo’s eyes filling with decades of loneliness, gratitude, and love in under ten seconds. It’s the kind of acting that reminds you why we go to the movies.

Ariana Grande cements herself as one of the great musical theater talents of her generation. Her Glinda is no longer just bubbly—she’s heartbreakingly human. The way her voice breaks on “I hope you’re happy” when she’s saying goodbye to Elphaba is pure devastation. And yet she still brings the comedic brilliance we expect—her timing in the expanded “Popular” flashback sequence had the entire theater howling.

The chemistry between Grande and Erivo is the soul of the film. Every glance, every touch, every shared laugh or tear feels earned over years of friendship. When they finally embrace before “For Good,” there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Scenery and Visuals: Awe-Inspiring, Jaw-Dropping Spectacle  

Jon M. Chu and his team have created a fully realized world that feels both fantastical and lived-in. The Emerald City is now a towering art-deco metropolis of glowing green glass and golden spires that literally took my breath away. When Glinda ascends in her bubble during the finale, the camera spirals upward through layers of clouds and floating lanterns—it’s one of the most beautiful shots I’ve ever seen in a movie theater.

The Wicked Witch’s castle is a gothic masterpiece of twisted iron and emerald flames. The sequence where Elphaba flies for the first time on her broom—now fully empowered and furious—is shot like a superhero origin moment. Green lightning cracks across the sky, winged monkeys swarm in perfectly choreographed chaos, and the camera swoops and dives with her in one continuous take that had the entire audience gasping.

Even quieter moments are visually stunning. The field of black tulips where Elphaba and Glinda say goodbye is rendered with such delicate beauty—petals drifting in slow motion like dark snow—that it feels painted by a master.

The Storyline: Deeper, Richer, More Heartbreaking Than I Ever Imagined  

The film dives fearlessly into the themes that made the stage musical profound, and then goes further. Loyalty—between Elphaba and Glinda, between Elphaba and Fiyero, between Doctor Dillamond and his students—is tested in ways that feel painfully real. The moment Elphaba chooses to save the monkey Chistery at the cost of her own future is one of the most powerful acts of defiance I’ve seen on screen.

Revenge is examined with nuance. We see how tempting it is for Elphaba to give in to “No Good Deed,” how righteous her anger feels, and how close she comes to becoming the villain Oz fears. The film doesn’t shy away from showing the cost of that path—and the grace of choosing another way.

The exploration of prejudice is unflinching. The treatment of the Animals (capital A) is shown in increasingly horrifying detail—the raid on Shiz University, the public “deportations,” the laboratory scenes that are genuinely difficult to watch. Yet the film never feels preachy; it trusts the audience to feel the weight of injustice.

Abuse of animals is handled with devastating impact. The expanded backstory of Doctor Dillamond’s fate left my nephew in tears. When Elphaba screams “He was my friend!” after discovering what’s happened to him, Erivo’s raw grief is shattering.

And bad relationships—oh, they get explored. Glinda’s slow realization that her engagement to Fiyero is built on convenience rather than love is heartbreakingly portrayed. Fiyero’s journey from shallow prince to a man willing to risk everything for what’s right is one of the film’s greatest triumphs.

The Most Beautiful Homage to The Wizard of Oz I Could Have Hoped For  

Here’s where the film truly soars into genius territory.

They never try to “replace” Judy Garland. Instead, they honor her with reverence that brought tears to my eyes. When we finally return to the iconic scenes from the 1939 film—Dorothy’s house landing, the Munchkins, the Yellow Brick Road—we see them from new angles. We see a glimpse of Dorothy from behind or in silhouette, her braids and ruby slippers unmistakable, but her face never shown. It’s a brilliant choice that says: this is still her story, we’re just showing you what was happening on the other side of the curtain.

And then—oh my heart—the laugh. When Elphaba, now fully transformed into the Wicked Witch of the West, lets out that iconic cackle for the first time… they use Margaret Hamilton’s original laugh, layered beneath Erivo’s own triumphant version. It’s a chilling, perfect moment of homage that acknowledges the legend while letting this new Witch claim her power. The theater absolutely lost it.

There’s a moment near the end when Elphaba watches Dorothy and her friends from afar, and you see the faintest hint of a smile. She’s not evil. She never was. She’s letting the story play out the way it needs to, protecting Dorothy in her own way. It’s a revelation that recontextualizes everything we thought we knew about The Wizard of Oz, and it’s handled with such grace and love for the original.

The Final Twenty Minutes: Pure Movie Magic  

I won’t spoil the details, but the way they bring everything full circle—the melting, the “death,” the return to the Winkie Country castle, the final confrontation with Dorothy’s friends—is perfection. When Glinda and Elphaba have their last scene together… I can’t even type about it without crying again. It’s everything you hoped it would be and more.

And then the final shot. I won’t describe it, but when the screen faded to black after that last image, the applause started before the credits even began. People were standing. Strangers were hugging. My sister turned to me with mascara running down her face and just said, “That was perfect.”

Final Thoughts  

Wicked: For Good is more than a movie. It’s an experience. It’s the kind of film that reminds you why we fall in love with stories in the first place. It’s proof that big-budget musicals can still be art. It’s a celebration of friendship, of choosing kindness even when the world is cruel, of finding your voice and using it to fight for what’s right.  The film is true to the original classic with Judy Garland. They did an excellent job at this.  The Wizard was vilified, but the rest remained pretty much canon.  This movie is for everyone.  

Take everyone you love. See it in the biggest theater with the best sound system you can find. Bring tissues. Lots of tissues.

Because I have been changed for good.