“Wicked: For Good” (also known as “Wicked: Part Two”) is a 2025 American musical fantasy film directed by Jon M. Chu and written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. It is the sequel to “Wicked” (2024) and adapts the second act of the 2003 stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Holzman, which is loosely based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, a reimagining of L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and its 1939 film adaptation. Returning cast members include Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum, with Colman Domingo joining the cast. Set in the Land of Oz before and during the events of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”, the film explores the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda as they embrace their new identities as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.
Living in Kansas and being a huge fan of L. Frank Baum, I wasn’t especially excited about the retelling of this classic story based on “The Wizard of Oz”. I saw the Broadway production of the play and was a little underwhelmed. However, I watched the first “Wicked” movie and actually found myself enjoying it. With anticipation, my wife and I attended the early release of “Wicked: For Good”, and I have to tell you from the start, I didn’t just like it—I loved it.
This film is terrifically shot and put together, and I don’t care what the critics say; it is an entertaining experience that lasts over two hours. Everything is brilliant—the costuming, editing, cinematography, music, and acting from everyone involved. It’s frankly disturbing to see certain groups criticizing the film—groups that haven’t even seen it, including some conservative and religious organizations that oppose the witchcraft theme in the story, as well as making personal attacks on the actors, particularly the two primary stars, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Someone may not agree with another’s lifestyle, beliefs, or political views, but that does not diminish the talent of these two or anyone else involved in the film. Classic Christian films like “Lord of the Rings” and “The Chronicles of Narnia” explore fantasy worlds to convey their stories, and I believe “The Wizard of Oz” does the same. Unfortunately, I’ve seen some conservative Christians suggest that the actors suffer from anorexia for portraying their characters, which is truly unbelievable!
Another aspect I want to highlight is that I typically don’t enjoy musicals, but I found myself loving the soundtrack and how the songs were woven into the story. It was common to hear members of the audience singing along. Here, the music is not just background noise—it is integral to the emotional storytelling of the film, which I believe will be considered for a number of Oscars and other awards come award season.
Some themes that resonated with me include the emphasis on friendships that endure time and challenges, along with the respect and understanding that these friendships require. The focus on love versus differences is strongly conveyed; when there are differences, we see an honest effort to understand one another, ultimately with love as the goal.
We also witness the dangers of deception and the harm that can result when it is motivated by selfish interests. Such deception affects not just the individuals involved but also their entire surroundings, including the innocent animals. This serves as a strong reminder of the importance of genuinely loving others, which often requires sacrifice. I was reminded of the Biblical concept that true love involves a willingness to lay down one’s life for another. All these critical themes are portrayed in an emotional and touching manner, with moments of humor sprinkled throughout. For me, there was never a dull moment in this film.
In closing, while the story diverges in many ways from “The Wizard of Oz”, there are enough similarities in this retelling that I don’t believe it undermines the original work. Instead, it adds a new dimension to the story’s history, prompting viewers to ponder, “What if?” This perspective doesn’t detract from the original but encourages viewers to consider the story through a different lens.
“Wicked: For Good” will be the hit of the season and is already drawing audiences to theaters—not because of any gimmicks but because it is an epic film in the tradition of classic epics. For this reason, and many more, I’m going to do something exceptionally rare: on a scale of 1 to 10, I rate this movie as close to perfection as any film in some time. Therefore, in this rare moment, I’m giving it a perfect score of 10.
