When I saw “Wicked” on Broadway, the intermission was short. So short that I ended up sprinting from the merchandise line and landed in my seat just in time for the first few seconds of the act to begin. 

However, the intermission for “Wicked” the movie was, well, a year.

Approximately one year ago, on Nov. 22, 2024, “Wicked” was released in theaters, drawing in a large audience and bringing them along for the ride of Elphaba and Galinda’s adventures in Oz.

Nearly one year later, on Nov. 21, 2025, “Wicked: For Good” was released, wrapping up the story just in time to keep our fleeting attention span.

Though I was skeptical at first, I think the wait extended the relevance of the movie far longer than it would have had they released the second movie immediately.

Since I had seen the musical multiple times before this, I was concerned how they would pull off the second act of “Wicked” as a stand-alone movie. The second act is widely considered by those in the theatre world to be less fulfilling than the first act. Most of the iconic songs and funny bits are in the first act, which follows Elphaba and Galinda in their adventures in Oz. In comparison, the second act, where things take a turn for the worst as Elphaba is the Wicked Witch and it feels awkwardly paced, plot-heavy and ultimately kind of depressing.

Director Jon Chu was certainly given a difficult task, but I feel that he handled it with grace and completed the saga in a way that exceeded my expectations.

The movie was fun to watch, the actors delivered amazing performances, and I loved almost every single song. I was entertained the entire time and the pacing of the film did not bother me at all. Honestly, I would definitely watch it again.

That being said, there were some obvious problems.

The movie featured two new songs, “No Place Like Home” and “The Girl in the Bubble,” written by the original composer of “Wicked,” Stephen Schwartz.

I’ll be honest, when I heard both songs in the theater, I turned to my sister and said “That’s not Stephen Schwartz.” I’m not sure if Benj Pasek and Justin Paul or Alan Menken were whispering in his ear, but both of the brand-new solos were musically boring and unnecessary to the plot.

There were also some weaker performances that I noticed this time around that flew under my radar watching “Wicked.”

Though we got incredible acting moments and the iconic “Flip it around… Wicked Witch!” meme (once again, if you know you know), I do not think Michelle Yeoh was the strongest casting decision for Madame Morrible. 

Madame Morrible, the Wizard’s advisor, while a smaller role, still requires vocal training that Yeoh does not possess. Fans will notice lines cut from the song “Thank Goodness” to accommodate Yeoh’s untrained voice.

Enough with the criticisms, though, I really did have a good time watching the movie.

I even cried during “For Good.” 

There were strong performances from most of the actors in the movie. Ethan Slater, Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey all stood out to me in this movie specifically and delivered some very iconic moments.

Ethan Slater’s performance as the Tin Man in “March of the Witch Hunters” was bone-chilling and left me on the edge of my seat.

And Cynthia Erivo’s once-in-a-generation vocals and exceptional acting should earn her an Oscar in 2026, making her the 22nd person to EGOT, mark my words.

Overall, I preferred the first movie, but Wicked: For Good” is definitely worth watching in order to capture the full experience and to witness the end of the amazing, bittersweet story of love, belonging and friendship that is Stephen Schwartz’s “Wicked.”