‘Wicked: For Good’ Touches Down and Gets Some Things Off Its Chest

November 19, 2025

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To have and to Wicked, For Good and for worse (CREDIT: Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures)

Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Marissa Bode, Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh, Sharon D. Clarke, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Colman Domingo

Director: Jon M. Chu

Running Time: 137 Minutes

Rating: PG for Steamy Sensuality and Broom Fights

Release Date: November 21, 2025 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: Oz is of course a wonderful and magical place, but it isn’t always filled with honesty. That is what Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) is desperately trying to tell us at the beginning of Wicked: For Good. Now that she knows the dark truth about what the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) are up to, she’s gone off into hiding into the woods as she plots to lift the curtain and free the animals. Meanwhile, Glinda (Ariana Grande) is taking a much less revolutionary approach as an official representative of Oz, though she still holds out hope that she and Elphaba can reconcile. On top of all that, Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) is caught in the middle between these witchy ladies, Elphaba’s sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) is now governor of Munchkinland, her Munchkin friend Boq (Ethan Slater) is bristling at his position working for her, and a certain visitor from the Midwestern United States is about to get dumped into the middle of all this finagling.

What Made an Impression?: Another Way of Looking at Things: It’s a simple realization, but worth drawing out: the whole endeavor of Wicked on the big screen is a matter of shifting perspectives. Indeed, that was already true about this franchise when it previously existed in just book form and then as a stage musical examining a decades-old and oft-revisited property from exciting new angles. As someone who’s never read Gregory Maguire’s novel (or any of its sequels) or ever seen the show, I’m only catching a whiff of the panorama expansion that these big screen adaptations have established. But even that lack of perspective is another perspective! So I understand your frustration, Elphaba, when everyone else is unable or unwilling to see the bigger picture. And you too can have that realization! All you have to do is open your eyes to how much your eyes remain closed.
We’ve Made Mistakes, Now What Do We Do?: Everything comes home to roost in this conclusive chapter, which is how things tend to go in conclusive chapters, after all. In this case that means we see a much more dour Wizard, a warier dynamic between friends and former friends, and a thoroughly less whimsical populace. That equals a significantly less fun outing compared to the first Wicked movie, though the upside is that the psychological depths are more acutely felt and impossible to miss. There’s a sense of inevitability that at times can come off as deflating but that also feels honest and necessary. Now’s not the time to soar but to carve out a compromise you can live with in an imperfect world. Is that a formula for keeping the fire of cinematic magic fully aflame? I have mixed thoughts on that matter, but the final warnings we’re left to reckon with nevertheless remain timeless.

Wicked: For Good is Recommended If You Like: Filling in the edges

Grade: 3 out of 5 Bubbles

‘Wicked’ Takes Flight and Delivers the Zest

November 20, 2024

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Wicky-wicky-Wicked (CREDIT: Universal Pictures)

Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Arian Grande, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James

Director: Jon M. Chu

Running Time: 160 Minutes

Rating: PG for The Birth of the Flying Monkeys

Release Date: November 22, 2024 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: Is there a single living soul who’s never encountered any of the many adaptations of L. Frank Baum’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz? One of the most popular is surely the musical Wicked, based on the revisionist novel by Gregory Maguire. But just in case you’re coming into totally fresh to the big screen version, here are the key details: Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) is a green-skinned outcast in the Land of Oz who encounters the uber-popular Galinda Upland (Ariana Grande) as they enroll at Shiz University. After initially clashing, they forge an unlikely friendship while learning the ways of magic under the tutelage of Headmistress Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). Elphaba demonstrates prodigious supernatural talents that are the envy of everyone else. That puts her on a collision course with the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum), who wants to utilize her skills for his own mysterious ends. Meanwhile, conspiracies are underfoot that could transform Oz forever and lead Elphaba and Galinda towards their inescapable destinies.

What Made an Impression?: A Witchy Good Time: Maybe I’m totally kooky for saying this, but for me, the main appeal of Wicked isn’t the music. Sure, there are some culture-shifting numbers (“Defying Gravity” doesn’t pull out any stops in its silver screen moment, that’s for sure), but for my money, it’s all about the crackling interplay between Elphaba and Galinda. And true, singing is definitely a big part of their interactions, but they make an enduring impression no matter how they communicate, with Erivo and Grande emphatically making the roles their own. Now, I’ve never seen the stage version, so I suppose I can’t make that statement with complete authority, but they are in no way doing mere impressions of Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. In Erivo’s hands, Elphaba is a force of nature who is never to be underestimated, while Grande (who’s credited by her full name of Ariana Grande-Butera) makes a total hoot out of the profound insecurity of the popular girl.
Don’t Take Magic for Granted: The world of Wicked may have originated from source material that’s more than a hundred years old, but it would fit right at home with the many young adult fantasy series of the past couple decades, what with the witches and the magical school and the talking animals. But this story is a little more complicated than just a metaphor for adolescence. Magical and non-magical beings exist uneasily alongside each other, and political machinations are tricky to parse. Jeff Goldblum’s casting as the Wizard proves to be a stroke of genius, as he utilizes his signature offbeat diction to charm anyone who can’t immediately see through to his charlatan nature. But while there is plenty of subterfuge afoot, there is also plenty to love about this version of Oz. And yet, it seems like there’s also always someone lurking around every corner, ready to snatch that goodness away. So appreciate the magic while you can, and do your best to understand why someone wouldn’t want you to be able to. (Also, take note of this Slight Spoiler: despite the lack of acknowledgement in the advertising, this is just Part 1, with Part 2 due to arrive in theaters in November 2025.)

Wicked is Recommended If You Like: Schoolyard cattiness, Baritone goats, Blinding lights

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Brooms

‘In the Heights’ Review: Washington Heights is So Hot Right Now

June 9, 2021

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In the Heights (CREDIT: Warner Bros. Pictures/YouTube Screenshot)

Starring: Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Olga Merediz, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Jimmy Smits, Gregory Diaz IV, Stephanie Beatriz, Dascha Polanco, Noah Catala, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Marc Anthony, Christopher Jackson

Director: Jon M. Chu

Running Time: 143 Minutes

Rating: PG-13 for Young Adults and Older Adults Dealing with Adult Stuff

Release Date: June 10, 2021 (Theaters and HBO Max)

How could anyone possibly sing and dance on the streets of Manhattan as the temps creep up into the high 90s? This is the conundrum that In the Heights forces us to face. Sure, it’s a musical, and its attendant heightened reality isn’t meant to represent literal truth. But the vibe of this movie-based-on-a-Broadway-show is very much “This is what life is really like in the neighborhood of Washington Heights.” So how to explain it? Well, the heat can make people do some pretty irrational things. And you can get away with a few bouts of illogic here and there if you’re generally focused on friends and family.

So just who are these Washington Heights-ians in the midst of a heat wave and looming blackout in this movie musical based on the stage musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes (the latter of whom also wrote the screenplay)? First off, there’s Usnavi (Anthony Ramos), Navi for short, a young bodega owner who’s looking to buy himself a plot of land in the Dominican Republic. Then there’s his teenage cousin Sonny (Gregoy Diaz IV), who could really use some documentation to firm up his immigration status. Also hanging around the bodega is his good buddy Benny (Corey Hawkins), who really ought to make things right with Nina (Leslie Grace), who’s buckling under the pressure of being the first one in her family to make it to college. Most of that pressure is coming from her kind-of pushy dad Kevin (Jimmy Smits), who never met a financial pickle he wouldn’t crunch his way out of. And then strolling right through is Vanessa (Melissa Berrera), who’s keen on starting a fashion design career while also making sure that Navi isn’t too much of a dingus for the two of them to consummate their obvious feelings for each other. Finally, looking over it all with grace and a steady heart is Navi’s abuela Claudia (Olga Merediz). And I cannot fail to mention that LMM is also present on screen as the local shaved ice cart pusher who has an only-in-New York rivalry with the neighborhood Mr. Softee ice cream truck driver (fellow Hamilton alum Christopher Jackson).

This story all plays out via the framing device of Navi telling the tale to a quartet of kids on the beach several years later. And that’s obviously the right sort of vibe. The older generation tells the younger generation stories of their families that happened before they were born so that they know where they came from. And I love to see it, because I am just innately fulfilled by keeping track of how people are related to each other and who’s friends with whom. In the Heights doesn’t need to have song-and-dance numbers to pull off that energy, but because it is a musical, I know that these characters’ familial, romantic, and platonic emotions are indeed larger than life.

Remember at the beginning of this review when I mentioned how senseless it is to be moving your body in the midst of the mucky Manhattan heat? Let me clarify: I’m not mad at In the Heights for that. Sometimes it makes sense to be senseless, especially when you’re in a city that’s not exactly designed to offer relief for that rising mercury AND you’re in the midst of a days-long massive power outage. Hopefully in this situation, you have enough brain cells to take care of what you need to take care of, and the thrill of In the Heights is making sure that these characters maintain the minimum number of brain cells. (Barest of Spoiler Alerts: They do.)

In the Heights is Recommended If You Like: Hamilton, Step Up 3D, Family reunions

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Lottery Tickets

This Is a Movie Review: Be Wary of the Spectacle of ‘Crazy Rich Asians,’ Stay for the Characters

August 14, 2018

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CREDIT: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and RatPac-Dune Entertainment LLC

This review was originally posted on News Cult in August 2018.

Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Lisa Lu, Tan Kheng Hua, Chris Pang, Sonoya Mizuno, Pierre Png, Nico Santos, Jimmy O. Yang, Ken Jeong

Director: Jon M. Chu

Running Time: 121 Minutes

Rating: PG-13 for Some Excessive Partying and a Nasty Message Written in Blood

Release Date: August 15, 2018

Ever since I have noticed the buzz building for Crazy Rich Asians, the title has had me worried that I wouldn’t able to relate. I’m not talking about the “Asian” part (and I’m certainly not talking about the “crazy” part). No, what I’m talking about is that four-letter word right in the middle. Sure, it would be nice to have enough money to pay off all my debts, but amassing a fortune into the billions feels plainly excessive. And Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s novel does nothing to dissuade me from that notion. When we enter the film’s first Singaporean mansion, I am immediately overwhelmed by the real estate per person. And then we learn that this dwelling is actually modest by this country’s standards, and I guess I’ll have to say the Serenity Prayer a few more times. But the good news is that Crazy Rich Asians wants us to be skeptical of insane wealth to an extent.

The biggest takeaway to be had from this big-hearted rom-com is the danger of making assumptions, a problem that can befall anyone, no matter their net worth. Chinese-American economics professor Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) assumes that her boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding) is a man of modest means. That is hardly the most damaging assumption, but it does mean that she is in for plenty of surprises when he flies her into Singapore for his best friend’s wedding and she learns that he is in fact a member of one of the country’s wealthiest families. Far more consequential are the assumptions made about Rachel, especially from Nick’s domineering but also impressive (and frankly, occasionally likeable) mother Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh). She objects to Rachel as a potential daughter-in-law, not because she is an outsider, but because of what type of outsider she is, assuming that as an American, personal fulfillment is more important to her than building a family. Accordingly, the requisite final act misunderstanding is not some phony moment between Rachel and Nick, who are far too honest with each other to not be able to work things out. Instead, it is a background check that drives a wedge of emotional manipulation that can only be cured by selflessness on all sides.

Ultimately, Crazy Rich Asians does not win me over to the lavish lifestyle, but it does successfully convey the traditions that lead to creating a familial empire. Judging by the reactions of the largely Asian crowd at the screening I attended, this is an accurate and resonant portrayal. There was plenty of whooping and laughing that indicated intimate recognition of a pan-Asian exchange of culture, the immigrant experience, and (presumably) key moments from the book. We may not need a billion dollars to be happy, but I now see the potential value in learning how to play mahjong or attending a wedding in which the aisle is flooded with water.

Crazy Rich Asians is Recommended If You Like: Rom-Coms with an unapologetic cultural flavor

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Jade Rings

This Is a Movie Review: Now You See Me 2

June 24, 2016

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now-you-see-me-2

The first Now You See Me did not stick the landing so much as it hit the ground with a sledgehammer, by force of a twist ending that made one of its main characters much more psychotic than the film had any intention of grappling with. It was, in a word, breathtaking. Now You See Me 2 responds in kind with a similarly outrageous long con that is very much in keeping with the spirit of this series – that is to say: maddening, but weirdly satisfying if you have a high tolerance for insanity. The problem, however, is that this time there is not much to tide you over until that ending comes. Where the original had a silly but kinetic Robin Hood-style caper plot to run on, number 2 is a whole lotta lack of clarity.

I give Now You See Me 2 5 Acknowledgements of Its Sexism out of 10 Other Things It Should Have Also Been Doing.