By Sarah Osman

Wicked: For Good has its faults, but it still stands out as one of the stronger adaptations of a musical to film.

Wicked: For Good, directed by Jon M. Chu. Screening throughout New England.

(L-R) Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in Wicked: For Good Photo: Universal Pictures

At its, start, Wicked: For Good feels more like a Marvel superhero movie than a musical. Sad animals are forced to build the yellow brick road, but then Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) surfs in on her broomstick, rescuing them from the shackles of oppression. We shift to Glinda (Arianna Grande), now deemed “The Good” and her team of minions and fans, who sing about how goodly she is. Glinda serves as a political distraction from the grim truth: the wonderful wizard of oz is a tyrant, hellbent on stripping the animals of their rights (Elphaba fights to free them). To further ensure Ozians don’t realize what’s really going on, Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), the Wizard’s press secretary, keeps them focused on Glinda’s ensuing nuptials to Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey, dreamy as ever), the new Captain of the Guard. That’s what has taken up everyone’s time since we last visited Oz in Wicked: Part One.

If that sounds like a lot of crisis — well, it is. One of the complaints about the stage version of Wicked is how rushed Act II is. So much happens in those crammed 45 minutes, not to mention the radical shift from the light-hearted tone to the sinister. Wicked: For Good isn’t as rushed or as convoluted as Act II is on stage. But it doesn’t fly as far off the ground than Wicked: Part One did.

Director John M. Chu does answer some of the questions that plagued Act II of Wicked. We see how fiercely Elphaba is struggling to free the animals, and how they are ready to throw in the towel and jump into the abyss. There’s a very heartbreaking scene when Elphaba runs into her former nanny, Dulce Bear, who wishes Elphaba luck in her continued battle as she gets ready to leave. We see how Glinda, a girl with no magical powers, gets around in a giant floating bubble. We learn more about how Elphaba’s sister, Nessa (Marisa Bode), is ruling Munchkinland with an iron fist, refusing to let the munchkins leave without being issued a permit. Nessa’s doomed relationship with Boq (Ethan Slater) becomes clearer in light of this, as does Boq’s later fury.

But Wicked: For Good falls short of solving major problems in Act II. The pacing is off at times; some scenes move at a glacial pace while others race along at breakneck speed. It’s still not 100% clear how Dorothy and her companions fully tie into the story of Wicked, especially given that we learn just how connected some of Dorothy’s new friends in Oz are to the characters in Wicked. The two new songs, while beautiful, don’t add much to the narrative — one takes place during an already dramatically heightened scene. The truth is, unless Chu and his team completely rewrote and structures Wicked, these potholes were bound to happen. It’s not from lack of trying — Wicked: For Good is a vast improvement on its Broadway inspiration. But let’s face it: most of the bangers are in Act I, and Act I is just a lot more fun.

That said, the acting, costumes, and set design of Wicked: For Good are as enchanting as they were in Wicked: Part One (except for Michelle Yeoh’s vocals, but hey, she has admitted that she’s not a singer. Chu made her do it anyway). Erivo and Grande are the heart and soul of the film; Erivo’s rendition of “No Good Deed” is particularly powerful. Even though she’s only on screen for a short period, Bode is heart-wrenching as Nessa, and Slater is surprisingly frightening as a tortured Boq. Jeff Goldblum more or less plays Jeff Goldblum — but he seems to be having a lot of fun, and that joy is infectious.

Adapting a musical to the screen is no easy feat. For every Chicago or Dreamgirls, we’ve had a Dear Evan Hansen, Cats, and Into the Woods. Wicked: For Good has its faults, but it still stands out as one of the stronger adaptations of a musical to film, one that will stand the test of time as a double feature with Wicked: Part One. And that’s worth having a celebration the Glinda way.

Sarah Mina Osman is based in Los Angeles. In addition to The Arts Fuse, her writing can be found in The Huffington Post, Success Magazine, Matador Network, HelloGiggles, Business Insider, and WatchMojo. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and is working on her first novel. She has a deep appreciation for sloths and tacos. You can keep up with her on Instagram @SarahMinaOsman and at Bluesky @sarahminaosman.bsky.social.