Movie 'Wicked: For Good', Grande-Erivo Performance Praised Amid Mixed Reviews

The film 'Wicked: For Good', based on the Broadway musical, is set to be released in theaters worldwide on November 21 and is receiving mixed reviews from critics. This work, a sequel to the previous installment 'Wicked', which was released in November 2024, has recorded a 74% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, foreshadowing a debate between fan expectations and critical backlash.

Ariana Grande's Acting Transformation 'Highlight'

Positive critics praised the performances of the lead actors and the direction of the film. In particular, Ariana Grande's performance was highlighted as the biggest achievement of this film.

David Rooney, chief critic of The Hollywood Reporter, praised, "Grande has been acting since she was young, and her moments of quiet reflection, anxiety, and sadness show a gentle depth." He noted that the film gives complexity to Glinda's role as much as Elphaba's in the Broadway show, and that Grande humanizes and enriches her character in the newly composed 'The Girl in the Bubble' by Stephen Schwartz.

Rooney mentioned a touching moment when Cynthia Erivo and Grande sang the title song 'For Good' at the end of the film, stating, "Young women in the screening room began to cry."

Cynthia Erivo also delivered a powerful performance as Elphaba, continuing from the previous installment, and RogerEbert.com praised, "Erivo and Grande have excellently taken on the difficult task of following in the footsteps of Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth," noting that both actresses brought their own vocal power and dramatic interpretation to their roles.

"Feeling like watching from the mezzanine"... Negative Reviews Also Exist

On the other hand, some critics raised concerns that the film did not overcome the shortcomings of the previous installment.

The AP reported, "While more is usually better for most Wicked fans, For Good does not provide much relief for those of us who felt lightly tortured in the previous installment," criticizing, "I hardly felt like I entered the world of the film; rather, it felt like I was watching from the mezzanine."

IndieWire also expressed disappointment, stating, "For Good still misses the mark on things that went awry in the previous installment," adding, "What worked in the previous installment still works, but it has only improved as much as a clock tick."

However, amidst the negative reviews, it was commonly acknowledged that "the casting of Erivo and Grande is top-notch, and the deep respect and love shared between the two actresses on and off-screen support this work."

Director Jon M. Chu's Directing Skills Reconfirmed

Jon M. Chu has once again showcased his dazzling musical directing skills, as seen in 'Crazy Rich Asians' and 'In the Heights'. The Hollywood Outsider praised, "Director Chu has a unique talent for presenting grand song and dance extravaganzas while not losing his way within them."

The film has a running time of 2 hours and 18 minutes, shorter than the previous installment (2 hours and 40 minutes), encompassing all the content of the second act of the Broadway musical. Critics pointed out that the songs are weaker than in the previous installment, but they evaluated that Erivo and Grande's Oscar-worthy performances and stunning visual effects offset this, and attention is focused on audience reactions after the release.