Whatever I’m about to say in criticism of this sequel, please understand: this was a cinematic masterpiece that I will be talking about for the next decade.

I’ve been watching a lot of Wicked reviews on TikTok to get a sense of the public’s reaction.

Here’s what I have gathered:

• Michelle Yeoh, as Madam Morrible, gave an inexcusably bad performance because she cannot sing, nor is she a strong actress.
• Everyone in the cast is on Ozempic.
• Jonathan Bailey has 100% earned Sexiest Man Alive.
• The two new songs were unnecessary.
• The push for Glinda’s redemption was too forced.
• Ethan Slater gave an incredible yet terrifying performance as the Tin Man.
• “Clock Tick” slang was overused.
• “No Good Deed” was absolute cinema.

Here’s what I have to say about the public’s response:

Michelle Yeoh has openly said in multiple interviews that she is not a singer, yet Jon M. Chu was persistent in her taking the role. She is absolutely correct to acknowledge her limits. She is not a good singer, and compared to the Broadway Madam Morrible, it is a disappointment. But, the criticism she is receiving is a little overboard. She is not a bad actress, she was incredible in Crazy Rich Asians (also directed by Chu.) But maybe that is the issue: Chu might have gotten a bit too confident in his casting judgment.

Yes, the entire female cast looks incredibly thin. There must have been something in the Chu air system that made everyone lose every ounce of body fat. Would I say they are promoting ED culture? No. I think they are just incredibly overworked. That is all I will say on that.

Jonathan Bailey was the perfect Fiyero. His unwavering protection of Elphaba, his deep care for Glinda, the entire “As Long As You’re Mine” scene… the list goes on as to why he is so swoon-worthy both in Oz and in real life. A man who yearns is a man who earns.

The two new songs “The Girl in the Bubble” and “No Place Like Home” were not bad, per se. People have a hard time separating the Broadway musical from the two-part movie adaptation. The Broadway show is perfect. No notes. But in the movie, I can see how Chu pushed for Glinda to have a more complicated past. It raises the stakes for what would happen if the Munchkins ever found out Glinda has no real power. Her songs made her more understandable.

“No Place Like Home,” however, was unnecessary. That is it.

For Glinda’s redemption arc, there was a pro-Glinda agenda. It is sprinkled throughout the entire movie, but I want to focus specifically on the ending, where she welcomes back all the animals, a scene not in the Broadway show. I can see how the movie wanted to end on a more positive note, but it feels like the film is very invested in giving Glinda a redemption arc she does not actually need. She is already a beloved character, and Ariana Grande’s performance makes her even more lovable. So why the need to force a redemption?

But that is kind of the point of the original story: examining “the good” and “the wicked.” Glinda does genuinely horrible things to climb to the top. She’s so “good” yet betrays Elphaba and “grovels in submission” to the Wizard and Madam Morrible. That moral tension is crucial. Giving her a neatly packaged redemption arc actually validates those acts of wickedness.

Ethan Slater as Boq was a bore for most of the movie. Rent was due the moment he became the Tin Man. He was terrifying, and I fully believed he felt betrayed by Elphaba. When he almost says her name and corrects it to “witch” absolute cinema.

I did not care much about the use of “Clock Tick” (said five times.) I get that they tried to add more Oz slang, like “confusifying” or “braverism,” but it definitely felt out of place.

“No Good Deed” was the most entertaining thing I have watched in a while. Cynthia Erivo has perfected and mastered her craft, and it is insane to witness. This scene almost made up for the painfully boring Nessa Rose scenes. You can genuinely see her shift in attitude, her desperation and her own yearning.

Overall, would I recommend this movie? Yes, of course I would.

Are there huge plot holes that remain unexplained? Yes, of course there are.

Did I still buy the $40 Elphaba popcorn bucket and Glinda cup? Yes, of course I did.

The Ozian truth is that the movie is flawed, fun and wonderfully unforgettable.