“Wicked: For Good” doesn’t “defy gravity,” but it’s certainly a film you should watch. When “Wicked” premiered in 2024, millions flocked to the theaters. Now, as “Wicked: For Good” enters the big screens, those millions of people have returned, equipped with green and pink popcorn, costumes and themed drinks.

Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked: For Good” premiered on Nov. 21, 2025 to an uproar of excited viewers who’d been eagerly awaiting it. The movies, which stem from the Broadway show inspired by the book series, follow Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) almost “12 clock ticks” (presumably 12 months) after the ending of “Wicked.”

When the audience reunites with the characters, Elphaba resides in Ozian Forest, known to all as the “Wicked Witch of the West.” At the same time, Glinda, heralded as “Glinda the Good,” lives in luxury in Emerald City and is engaged to Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), now captain of the Wizard Guard. His mission is to capture Elphaba.

It seems almost futile to judge the plotline or even the character choices made, as the Broadway musical “Wicked” was released in 2003, and the film strives to replicate it. Still, it’s essential to note the differences between the second feature and the first. In “Wicked,” viewers fall in love with the fun and whimsical plotline of Galinda (before she was known as Glinda) and Elphaba at Shiz University. Moments of unease hide behind energetic musical numbers and comedic scenes. Even the ending, when Elphaba and Glinda sing the emotional ballad “Defying Gravity,” feels light-hearted—it barely crosses your mind that there’s a serious, underlying issue, which there certainly is. The animals of Oz are being subjugated and treated like servants rather than civilians (in the “Wicked” franchise, animals can speak, wear clothes and overall meant to be more like people rather than pets). The second movie takes a darker turn, emphasizing the injustice in its first scene, where animals are abused as they build the Yellow Brick Road.

It doesn’t get much better from there. Happy musical numbers are gone, and the movie remains sad and stressful. Even the opening song, “Every Day More Wicked,” a compilation of numbers from the first installment, makes the melodies more sinister through the use of minor keys, unsettling scales and ominous lyric changes that dampen the mood. While this doesn’t create any obstacles when watching, be prepared for a sad film that doesn’t really get any happier.

An exceptionally well done aspect of the film is the depiction of Glinda’s struggle between which side to choose—either Elphaba or the Wizard of Oz—-throughout the movie. While Glinda wants to help her friend Elphaba, she’s caught between the fight for the animals and maintaining her public persona as “Glinda the Good Witch.” Grande does a good job of representing Glinda’s internal battle to do something good, even if it means sacrificing her dream of being famous and magical.

Erivo and Grande once again put on stellar vocal performances. This isn’t anything new, as we’ve seen them reach impossibly high notes since the first movie. Michelle Yeoh, however, who plays the corrupt Madam Morrible, seems to be lacking compared to her co-stars. In Yeoh’s other notable films, notably “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” her performances are remarkable, but it seems “Wicked: For Good” doesn’t play to Yeoh’s strengths. Among a full cast of Broadway performers and renowned vocalists, Yeoh’s vocal abilities seem out of place.

The design is incredible, to say the least. Most of the set consists of physical builds rather than CGI, and it pays off. Even enhancements using CGI that are impossible to recreate in real life, like Glinda’s bubble machine, blend in and feel realistic. From the set design to the intricate costumes, everything is meticulously detailed.

“Wicked: For Good” is an engaging film that will satisfy the viewer, and even with its bittersweet ending, will leave you with a contented feeling of a completed series. While it’s definitely a poignant film that will make you cry, overall, it’s a must-watch for lovers of musicals and plays.