Wicked: For Good

Splitting a single story into two movies is a risky production decision that sometimes pays off and sometimes doesn’t. Is it truly merited artistically speaking, or is it simply an attempt at an unabashed box office money grab? When the creators of the cinematic adaptation of the smash hit Broadway musical Wicked announced in 2022 that they would be depicting the material through two films, the de...

CinemaSerf

6/10

Perhaps it’s just my own innate inverse reaction to hype, but boy was I underwhelmed by this. It was always going to be the harder film to make an impression, given it’s a prequel to “Wizard of Oz” and is therefore somewhat boxed in from a plot perspective. Anyway,  “Elphaba” (Cynthia Erivo) has had to flee from “Oz” leaving her friend “Galinda” (Ariana Grande-Butera) playing the role of the goody...

Henry | The Reel Verdict

5/10

A darker, more expansive sequel that, despite its visual spectacle and technical finesse, never matches the strength of the first. Performances feel diminished, pacing uneven, and the 3-hour runtime unnecessary. Impressive to look at, but ultimately middling. 5/10.