‘Wicked: For Good’ Critic Reactions Prove Middling Whilst Casuals Love It

Set to premiere later this week, the sequel to 2024’s Wicked, Wicked: For Good, has finally premiered globally and with it, the end of the review embargo has social media in a storm. Reactions for Wicked: For Good have been out for a while now, mostly from influencers, but now that the embargo has lifted, reviewers and critics have shared their thoughts on the movie, and it’s not looking great.

Many critics find the direction from Jon M. Chu flat, calling the film ugly and lazy, whilst others allege that it is more or less the same as its predecessor. Others criticise sluggish side plots, but most seem to praise the songs, often described as powerful and resonant.

Make no mistake, as many still love the film, highlighting the powerhouse performances from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande at the centre of the narrative. Read some of the reviews below:

Critic Siddhant Adlakha called it “abysmal. Sloppily made, slavishly obedient to other works, and completely lacking in soul or energy.”

The Wrap’s William Bibbianni said, “There hasn’t been a pre-planned ‘Part Two’ this disappointing since the second half of Andy Muschietti’s ‘It.’ At least nobody projectile vomits on Jeff Goldblum to the tune of Juice Newton’s ‘Angel of the Morning.’ Then again, that would have been more memorable.”

Rolling Stone’s David Fear called the film “a mere reprise of the first film’s candy-colored cacophony, only with the volume slightly turned down.”

Looper’s review said, “The final result of “Wicked: For Good” falls between the best and worst case scenarios: some big worthwhile changes and additions show a smart adaptational instinct, but it’s still less entertaining than Part 1.”

IGN described the film as “having all of the great parts of the first movie—opulent sets, heart-wrenching songs, the perfect lead cast—and all of its problems, too.”

‘Wicked’ vs ‘Wicked: For Good’ on Metacritic & Rotten Tomatoes

Wicked was extremely well received on release, instantly being propelled into the Oscar race with a 73 on Metacritic, and an 88% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

In comparison, Wicked: For Good‘s not-so-positive reception (at the time of publication) places it at a 61 on Metacritic and at a 72% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

For context, the film that the Wicked duology ties into, the classic 1939 The Wizard of Oz film, holds a 92 on Metacritic and an impressive 98% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

This means, of the three, Wicked: For Good makes for a franchise low score, but it could possibly improve over the coming days as the film rolls out in theatres.

Wicked: For Good stars Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater, Colman Domingo, Bowen Yang, and Peter Dinklage.

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