Wicked: For Good (2025) review

Part two of the big screen adaptation of Stephen Schwartz's Broadway musical (which was based on the book by Gregory Maguire) picks up where that left off: the Yellow Brick Road is under construction, the wise animals are forced to evacuate the land (or imprisoned), Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande) is preparing to marry Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) and the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), as well as his Press Secretary Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), have waged a war against green-skinned Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo).  My comments about the first film also apply here (which makes sense because they were shot simultaneously) and the costumes, sets and props are marvelously designed and assembled, but it still feels like a (very) protracted third act with entirely too many songs: as with older Hollywood musicals, they could have trimmed some segments down and made it one long movie (with an intermission), but wanted to milk it for every nickel possible (since the government stopped making the penny).  There is some commentary regarding the current state of American politics, with the woodland creatures representing the "immigrants" and the Wizard as a stand-in for a high-ranking MAGA sycophant (although he at least admits he's a liar), and the cast (particularly Erivo) is lively.  Unfortunately, anyone who thinks not a single person mourns the wicked should listen to a few right-wing podcasts.