Thank goodness! “Wicked: For Good” has arrived in theaters, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out!

“Wicked: For Good” is the sequel to the movie “Wicked”, which was released on November 22, 2024. The two movies are based off of the Broadway musical Wicked, which is based off of L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”.

“Wicked: For Good”, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, follows the two friends after they each chose a different path in life. Elphaba, to fight the wizard and make Oz see the truth about him, and Glinda, who now works with the wizard. The film follows them and their friends from Shiz University as they try to navigate this dark time in Oz.

Directed by Jon M. Chu, “Wicked: For Good” broke the record for biggest global and domestic opening for a movie based on a Broadway show and biggest opening ever at November domestic box office for a movie musical. It also is the highest-grossing non-Disney musical globally. And it broke those records for a good reason.

Filled with love, heartbreak, and moving musical numbers, I believe that it is an incredible movie. “Wicked” was my first Broadway show that I ever saw, so I had very high expectations for the movie. And it did not disappoint.

Grande and Erivo created a magical friendship that moved half the theater to tears. The duet, “For Good,” captured just how important Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship was to each of them, and how no matter what happens in the future, they will always remember their days filled with laughter and joy. The song showed us how each of them had changed for the better since they met each other, and how they will continue to change for the better because they had been in each other’s lives.

Two new songs, “No Place Like Home,” and “The Girl in the Bubble,” were added into the soundtrack of the movie to add even more emotion and to make up for the lack of show-stopping numbers in the second movie.

“No Place Like Home,” is a hopeful ballad about how home is where the heart is, and that for everyone in Oz, they will always have a home here. Sung by Elphaba, it is a quiet, but powerful number that inspires hope among the animals, and shows us how much she is willing to sacrifice for Oz. It really gives us a broader view of Elphaba, showing us her values and where she stands in the mess Oz is.

While “No Place Like Home,” inspires change, “The Girl in the Bubble,” is about actually going about that change. This song is sung by the girl in the bubble herself, Glinda. Throughout the song, she reflects on her life and everything she’s done. How she became “Glinda the Good.” As she sings, she comes to realize what she really stands for and what lengths she would go for the people she loves. At the end of the song, we see how she decides to actually become “good.” She wants to earn the title now, not to have it handed to her. This song adds much more character development to Glinda, making her less shiny and more human.

All the other songs in the movie, such as “No Good Deed” and “As Long as You’re Mine” blew me away. Erivo’s vocals are incredible, especially considering that she sang live during filming. All of the character’s emotions and feelings were portrayed very well by all of the actors, and everything came together beautifully to make the chaos of Oz come alive.

Another personal favorite part of the movie was the ending. In my opinion, the ending in the movie gave much more closure to the story than the end on Broadway. On Broadway, the show ends nearly the same way it started. Glinda finishes telling the story of her and Elphaba’s friendship, and the curtain closes to thunderous applause. 

But the movie is a little different. After we find out Elphaba’s fate, the movie goes back to Glinda, where she is telling the Munchkins her story. But instead of singing the final chord and ending, the movie goes a step further. Glinda promises to actually be good and run Oz truthfully and to the best of her ability, with the help of all of her citizens. We find out what happens to Elphaba, Fiyero, and all of the other characters. The ending provides closure to every storyline that was opened in the two movies, and shows the audience everything they need to see so that no one is left with unanswered questions.  

While I thought that the songs, character development, the actors, and the ending made the movie extraordinary, many others have thought the movie was bad. And as much as I love the movie, I can understand why.

Compared to the first movie, part two was much shorter. The movie felt a bit rushed sometimes, while other parts felt very slow. There definitely could have been much more action and character development between Elphaba, Glinda, and Fiyero (the ultimate love triangle), that would make the ending much more heartbreaking. And many more characters such as Nessa, Madam Morrible, and the Wizard could have been better developed.

All movies have their good and bad, and that is true for “Wicked: For Good”. While there are many parts of the movie that I personally think could have been a little better, I still loved it overall. Part Two is filled with friendship, traitors, love, heartbreak, and so much more. If you want to find out the end to Elphaba and Glinda’s story, or just want to take a load off and let the magic whisk you away to Oz, then I completely recommend this wicked good movie! I’m sure that it will change you for good.