‘Wicked: For Good’ aims to finish the story of Elphaba and Glinda, but the movie’s pacing keeps it from fully reaching its potential. Even though the film struggles in several areas, strong performances still help it leave an emotional impact.
For readers unfamiliar with Wicked, the story follows two girls in Oz, Elphaba, who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, and Galinda, who becomes the Good Witch. A major part of the story also involves Elphaba’s younger sister, NessaRose, often called Nessa, who eventually becomes the Wicked Witch of the East.
Understanding their relationships is important because the movie focuses heavily on how these girls shape each other’s lives.
One of the biggest weaknesses in ‘For Good’ is how quickly Nessa’s storyline moves. Her major character shift happens fast, without the buildup needed to make her decisions feel believable.
She also sings a big solo alone in a room without context, and the scene doesn’t connect to anything around it. The house comes shortly after, making her entire arc feel rushed instead of tragic.
The pacing issues don’t stop there. Several plot points jump from one moment to the next with no transition, especially in scenes involving political tension in Oz. It feels like the movie skips important emotional steps to move toward the ending, which makes certain events feel less meaningful than they should.
Despite these problems, the film delivers some truly powerful moments. The performance of “No Good Deed” is one of the strongest scenes in the entire movie.
Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba, performance is intense, emotional and controlled, and it finally lets the story slow down long enough for viewers to feel everything. It’s one of the few scenes where the emotion, vocals and staging all work together.
Not all new additions fit smoothly, though. The repeated “clock-tick” line becomes distracting, and the song “Girl in the Bubble” doesn’t match the tone of the moment it appears in. Its lighter, pop-like sound pulls attention away from the seriousness the scene needs.
The ending will likely split viewers. Some may appreciate the softer, more hopeful finish, while others may feel it weakens the story’s emotional weight. It gives closure, but it also makes the story feel less dark than it originally seemed.
Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship is meant to be the heart of the story, but the movie doesn’t show enough development between them.
Their bond grows through quick emotional jumps rather than clear, gradual moments. Their final scene together still hits emotionally, but it would have been stronger with more small interactions leading up to it.
The singing is easily the movie’s biggest strength. Erivo’s vocals bring depth and emotion to every scene she’s in. But strong vocals can’t fully make up for the rushed character development. Nessa’s transformation, Glinda’s reactions and even Madame Morrible’s final moment needed more time and explanation.
More scenes showing how Oz is changing, more interaction between the main characters and more buildup to Nessa’s outcome would have helped the movie feel more complete. The film also skips over important emotional reactions, like how characters process Fiyero’s transformation.
Even with its flaws, ‘Wicked: For Good’ still lands some emotional punches. It may not be perfect, but it offers moments that stay and give the story a meaningful, if uneven, conclusion.
