“Wicked: For Good” has garnered generally favorable reviews from critics, though many express less enchantment compared to the original film.
The highly anticipated sequel, which premiered on Friday, features Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande reprising their roles as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, in this origin story of the Wicked Witch of the West.
“Wicked: For Good” is “not quite Wicked: For Great,” according to Empire’s John Nugent, who awarded the film three stars.
Molly Edwards of Total Film hailed the film as an “absolute triumph” but noted it “suffers slightly from thinner source material and weak new songs.”
The “Wizard of Oz” spin-off, adapted from the popular stage musical, is based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire.
This second installment presents the origin stories of Dorothy’s travel companions in Oz: the Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, and Tin Man.
“Wicked: For Good” also sees the return of Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, alongside Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible and Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero.
Francesca Steele of The i paper commented, “It doesn’t quite reach the heights of Part One, but this is still a highly entertaining display of what musical theatre can do on screen with top level performances and a true affection for the world-building.”
However, numerous critics expressed less enthusiasm. “There’s no magic in this aimless slog of a sequel,” wrote Clarisse Loughrey of the Independent in a two-star review.
“If your complaint about last year’s Wicked was that it was so oddly lit that you could barely see what was going on, then fear not – in Wicked: For Good, you won’t mind so much, because there’s so little to look at.”
In a one-star assessment, Robbie Collin of the Telegraph stated, “It doesn’t amount to two hours of story – the stage show clips through the same plot in around half the time – and the padding is as obvious as it is exhausting.”
He suggested the central pair’s friendship “rings false,” adding, “What should be piercing, impassioned moments are by turns frivolous and sappy.”
Conversely, Kevin Maher of the Times was far more positive, awarding the film four stars.
“They’ve only gone and done it,” he said. “The makers of this musical sequel have delivered a film that surpasses last year’s box-office smash in verve, ambition and emotional ache.”
Both films were directed by Jon M Chu, known for “Crazy Rich Asians,” “In The Heights,” and “Now You See Me 2.”
Chu is also slated to direct a new cinematic adaptation of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” scheduled for release in 2027.
Numerous critics have highlighted Grande’s performance in “Wicked: For Good,” with several predicting a potential supporting actress nomination at the upcoming Oscars.
Peter Debruge of Variety noted that the pop star displays “fragility” in her more “nuanced” performance.
“Whereas Grande had a relatively one-dimensional role to play in part one, Glinda now faces a complex evolution,” he said.
David Rooney of the Hollywood Reporter observed, “Grande has been acting since she was a kid, and her quiet moments of introspection, anxiety or sadness show tender depths, as does her loyalty to Elphaba.”
He also praised her co-star: “Make no mistake, Erivo remains a powerhouse, with pipes that shake the heavens and a wellspring of unforced emotional intensity that never runs dry.”
Peter Bradshaw of the Guardian concurred in a four-star review: “What a performance from Erivo!”
He added that the sequel “keeps the rainbow-coloured dreaminess and the Broadway show tune zinginess from part one.”
For the film adaptation, the stage musical was divided into two parts, with both movies filmed concurrently.
The first film, released last November, grossed over £750 million worldwide.
It went on to win two Oscars and two Baftas for costume and production design, as well as the cinematic and box office achievement prize at the Golden Globes.
A challenge facing the sequel is that many of “Wicked’s” most recognizable songs, including “Popular” and “The Wizard and I,” appeared in the first film.
This is an issue also present in the Broadway and West End musical. “On stage, the second act lacks a song as strong as Defying Gravity,” Debruge pointed out.
In his Empire review of “Wicked: For Good,” Nugent concluded, “The tone is different from that of the first film: less peppy, more glum.”
“With the exception of Goldblum – who appears to be acting in his own film, delighting in stuttery drollness - all the characters are much less cheerful than they were last time around, and as a result it’s less enjoyable for us to watch.”