We followed the yellow brick road of dreams straight into the Red Dragon Centre to catch Wicked: For Good on Cardiff’s IMAX screen. It is the biggest screen in the city and the new sound system gives everything a real lift. For a film built on soaring vocals, sweeping magic and a score that lives rent free in your head, it could not have been a better match. The hype around this one has been huge and I went in hoping it would deliver. It did.
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Wicked: For Good picks up the threads from the first film and brings them together with more confidence and emotional weight. The story takes a darker turn as Elphaba faces the consequences of her choices and Glinda wrestles with the cost of keeping up appearances. What makes this chapter work is how grounded it feels. The spectacle is still there, but the heart of the film lands more clearly than before.
Cynthia Erivo is nothing short of brilliant. Her voice shakes the room and her performance carries the whole story with real soul. Ariana Grande leans further into Glinda’s conflict this time, giving the character more depth than some might expect. Together they create a chemistry that feels honest and lived in, especially in the key moments that shape their fates.
Visually, the film is a feast. Oz is bigger, stranger and more detailed than in the first half. The production design leans into warm golds and deep greens, and the flying sequences have a sense of pace that will make younger viewers beam and older viewers remember why musicals at the cinema still matter. The IMAX screen only amplifies that. When the score hits its big crescendos, the sound rolls across the room in a way that gives you goosebumps.
The final act sticks the landing. It ties together the themes of loyalty, bravery and how stories are twisted once they leave the mouths of those who lived them. Fans of the stage show will walk out happy. Newcomers will leave with a lump in their throat.
If you get the chance, head to the Red Dragon Centre and see it on IMAX. The size and sound make this film feel bigger, brighter and more magical than you’ll get anywhere else. It is the perfect way to dive back into Oz.
