Wicked: For Good is second half of John M Chu’s vibrant film about Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) being unfairly characterized, the relationship with her friend Glinda (Ariana Grande), and the politics surrounding them. The two friends are being blinded and manipulated by Oz (Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh).

The last we saw Elphaba, she was defying gravity. Now, she’s living in the dark forest and freeing animals that are being used as slave labor to build the yellow brick road. Meanwhile, Glinda the Good is being used as a political prop to show she’s a good witch and Elphaba is the evil witch. Madame Morrible gifts Glinda a floating bubble that gives the impression Glinda has magical powers. This political theater also involves Glinda’s engagement to Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey).

Glinda and Fiyero’s wedding is the centerpiece the film revolves around. Elphaba believes the wedding will be the perfect platform to tell everyone the truth about Oz and the mistreatment of animals. News of the wedding forces Boq (Ethan Slater) to confront his true feelings and it fractures his relationship with Nessa (Marissa Bode) who is now the Governor of Munchkinland.

All the chaos and emotions put Glinda and Elphaba on a collision course. The two friends realize what they must do to save Oz.

If you’re a fan of Wicked, John Chu’s return to the Emerald City is just as enchanting as the first film. There may not be a moment as emotionally charged and beautiful as Erivo’s performance of Defying Gravity, but there are enough emotional beats to keep audiences engaged. Glinda’s colorful wedding scene full of opulence contrast with Elphaba walking through a dark dungeon of caged animals was perfect and one of the best sequences in the film. Jeff Goldblum’s performance of “Wonderful” is fun and gives some context to why Oz is the way he is.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo continue their amazing performances from the first film. They both exceed in their solo songs – Grande gives and emotional performance of “I’m Not That Girl) and Erivio shines in her rendition of “No Good Deed”. Not to mention they have great chemistry together. If there’s one thing the film is missing, it’s more scenes with the two of them.

The film brilliantly weaves in The Wizard of Oz. It gives an origin story to Dorthy’s travel buddies – Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, and The Tin Man. It helps explain while some of them don’t care of the Wicked Witch of the West.

Wicked: For Good is story told beautifully through music and dance. The incredible ensemble cast shines during the musical numbers and every emotional beat the film hits. John Chu does a great job adapting Wicked to make it palatable for a larger viewing audience and also keeping the story as faithful to the original as he can. The visually stunning production will keep your eyes glued to the screen for the entire runtime. The wide shots of Oz and sweeping shots through the city are breathtaking. Even with the CGI, Chu makes Oz feel like a lived in city with real people.

What John Chu and his team did very well was keeping the film fun. It’s an entertainingly good time from start to finish. Through all the emotional highs and lows and the political commentary, the film never stops being fun. There’s never a dull moment or wasted frame in this film.

The true magic of the film is taking a story about dueling witches and using it to critique our current politics. The othering of animals to abuse them, the restricting of Munchkins movement within Oz, the Wizard fooling his followers and blurring the lines of truth, the brainwashing of Ozians with misinformation, and someone fighting for truth being painted as a villain.

At the end of the day, Wicked: For Good is a wonderful story about the power of friendship and love. It’s may be a bit idealistic to think of love and friendship in that way, but the film leaves you feeling like love and friendship is magic we all possess.

Grade: B+