The good news about "Wicked: For Good" is viewers won't get any of its songs stuck in their heads. Nothing stands out in this batch of so-so singalongs, so no one has to worry about songs like "Popular" barging into their craniums and occupying more space than they already do.

The bad news is the second act of the 2024 smash is a tough slog through sluggish plotting, questionable characterizations and what looks like a world of CGI barf. "Wicked: For Good" sticks its landing in its closing moments, but getting to that satisfying conclusion constitutes a long walk down what feels like an endless stretch of yellow brick road.

It's always been this way, as theater audiences have long known "Wicked" is heavily front-loaded and the back half pales compared to the first. That was the risk in splitting the movie into two parts, and director Jon M. Chu can't flip the fate of the stage play, as "Wicked: For Good" — total clock ticks between the two parts is 4 hours, 57 minutes — struggles to maintain the momentum laid forth by last year's blockbuster. Not that "Wicked" was ever able to fully defy gravity, but by means of comparison, "For Good" is decidedly earthbound.

Set years after the events of the first film, Ariana Grande returns as Glinda, Oz's bubbly good witch, who in the opening scenes is receiving her motorized pink travel bubble as a gift from Madame Morrible (an incredibly stiff Michelle Yeoh), Oz's scheming, dastardly presence. Glinda is soon to be married to Fiyero Tigelaar (Jonathan Bailey) although, as fate would have it, there's trouble in paradise.

Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), who is in hiding after being threatened to be run out of town by Morrible and the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), also has eyes for Fiyero. And nothing tears two friends apart like a shared love interest, and Glinda and Elphaba are rendered friends turned enemies. (By a man? Do better!)

There are all sorts of trimmings on this turkey, including but not limited to the entirety of "The Wizard of Oz" being literally dropped into the middle of the movie. (The Tin Man, played by Ethan Slater, is the film's most striking feat of makeup.) The film has some overt politics at play with how its animal and munchkin populations are treated, but it spends most of its time on the story between Glinda and Elphaba, who are respectively the heart and soul of "Wicked."

Grande, a plucky comic talent since her Nickelodeon days, gets several moments to shine, none greater than during a fight between Glinda and Elphaba where she gets to openly mock her opponent and her signature cackle. Erivo once again brings Elphaba to life especially through her soft eyes, which show the depth and humanity of her character. And both can sing to the high heavens, even if there's nothing particularly memorable here for them to wrap their voices around.

But often "Wicked: For Good" looks and feels clumsy, the story's darker elements and themes at odds with Chu's limited emotional range. The action scenes, meanwhile, are often a blur of CGI-enhanced imagery, especially scenes where Elphaba or the team of flying monkeys take to the air and suddenly the screen looks like viewers are playing "Wicked" for PlayStation 2.

Chu, along with screenwriters Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz, do build their story to a satisfying crescendo, which will leave viewers going out on a (literal) high note. But it doesn't paint over a lot of the heavy lifting it takes to get there, as "Wicked: For Good" often feels like a strained journey through the wonderful land of Oz.

———

'WICKED: FOR GOOD'

Grade: C

MPA rating: PG (for action/violence, some suggestive material and thematic material)

Running time: 2:18

How to watch: In theaters Nov. 21

———

©2025 The Detroit News. Visit detroitnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.