"Starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as vivid portraits of the one-dimensional witches we first met back in 1939's "Wizard of Oz," the modern "Wicked" duology follows in the imperial footsteps of Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and other major sci-fi and fantasy franchises to present an extraordinary world on the brink. Chu's two "Wicked" movies are based on Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman's long-running Broadway musical from 2003, which in turn loosely adapts author Gregory Maguire's bleak 1995 novel,"
"The group uses a subterranean tunnel that's literally beneath the Yellow Brick Road for the express purpose of evading animal slavery. That adapted American history lesson plays clumsily on the big screen, and even still, "For Good" doesn't feel dramatic or important enough. In theaters now, Chu's highly anticipated follow-up to last year's "Wicked" meets and at times even exceeds expectations when it comes to providing sparkly spectacle."
Wicked: For Good advances the franchise with lavish visual spectacle and star turns from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, but it lacks dramatic urgency and thematic clarity. A clumsy sequence—the Underground Yellow Brick Road, where oppressed animals flee via a subterranean tunnel beneath the iconic path—reads as ham-fisted symbolism that undermines the film's intended weight. The sequel often feels like a drawn-out coda rather than a consequential continuation, substituting visual design for fully realized stakes. The production prioritizes spectacle over script development, leaving emotional and political elements underexplored despite occasional impressive set pieces.
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