“Wicked” intersects with “The Wizard of Oz” in “Wicked: For Good.” (photo courtesy of Universal Pictures)

Do all Broadway shows have a second-act problem? Maybe not, but “Wicked” features a 180 in tone and, let’s be honest, a downgrade in song quality.  

How can anyone compete with “What Is This Feeling,” “Popular” and “Defying Gravity,” especially the 2024 film’s epic rendition? Sure, “No One Mourns the Wicked” is a banger, but the rest can’t compare. Call that a hot take, if you must, but “For Good” has less to work with. More troublesome, the twist that sets up the second half of the story leaves little room for joy and humor in Oz.  

We endure mostly despair, hopelessness and a somber tone amplified by film mechanics. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) causes trouble for the Emerald City, upending the Yellow Brick Road’s expansion and trying to mobilize all the animals the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) scapegoats. Meanwhile, her selfish sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) now selfishly rules Munchkinland with only her selfish self in mind.  

Across Oz, Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) hunts the Wicked Witch, as the duped masses call her, while Glinda (Ariana Grande) tries to inspire folks, distract them from anything that might cause unrest. Some lighter moments shine through the gloom, thanks to Glinda, but it’s otherwise a rather melancholy endeavor.  

Anyone who knows “Wicked” could predict this outcome. The first act enjoys all the best tunes, the best character development, the best twists and turns. The second act must resolve the story, tie everything together both as an independent narrative and one reliant on audience’s knowledge of another narrative entirely.  

Unlike the show, we get more Cowardly Lion (voiced by Colman Domingo) and even a flash of Glinda as a child, so hopeful to one day wield magic. Often, “For Good” feels obliged to overtly invoke elements of the 1939 film or provide more depth. 

After all that, it struggles to justify its 140-minute runtime. More than that, “For Good” spends its time unwisely. We need less of the lion and child Glinda and more time between characters’ fates. The story briskly moves from outcome to outcome, connecting the dots because they must be connected, no concern for organic flow.  

More frustrating, it’s drunk on its own nostalgia. It’s only been a year, so flashbacks to moments in the first film imply the present story only works if we continue to recall what has already transpired, both in specific scenes and those better songs too. 

Consider all the time, all the staging, director Jon M. Chu (“Crazy Rich Asians,” “In the Heights”) put into “Defying Gravity.” The original song doesn’t even reach four minutes, but it’s a riveting, sensational 14-minute sequence that ends the first film. No such highs grace the sequel. 

At least “For Good” ain’t slow or dull. It must focus on the wrong things or move on to the next one too quickly, but it’s never a slog. Erivo and Grande are a splendid duo on-screen, while the rest of the cast hit the marks just fine, especially Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, who is far more menacing on screen than on stage.  

Speaking of menacing, we need a spinoff film about a rage-filled Boq (Ethan Slater), the Munchkin who pines for Glinda while Nessarose pines for him. He’s mad, and rightfully so, and the film captures that much better than the show that softens it. 

“Wicked: For Good” will probably do very well at the box office, coasting on spectators’ need for closure. But its attempts to fill the stage show’s second act fall short, while unnecessary additions bog the whole thing down rather than creating a more complete film.