Anyone who’s seen Wicked on Broadway — including those who love Wicked — will tell you: The first act is stronger than the second. It contains almost all of the show’s best songs and most spectacular showstoppers. It has the fun of the central characters shifting from frenemies to besties. The second half carries a lot of preachy messages, all of the darkest scenes, and a couple cartons’ worth Wizard of Oz Easter eggs.

So the fact that Wicked: For Good marks a notable step down from the first film is not a shock. Just as a spell from the enchanted Grimmerie book can’t be undone, this outcome was inevitable and unavoidable from the moment Universal made the decision to turn the single Wicked musical into a pair of big-budget blockbusters.

In some ways, cuttin

See Full Page