The Ben Shapiro Show

Episode: Ben Shapiro Reviews "Wicked: For Good"
Date: November 22, 2025
Host: Ben Shapiro (The Daily Wire)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ben Shapiro delivers a comprehensive, critical review of Wicked: For Good, the film sequel to the original Wicked musical adaptation. Approaching the review as both a longtime musical theater fan and a pop culture commentator, Shapiro analyzes the strengths and fundamental flaws carried over from the source material, the adaptation choices, performances by the cast, and notable cultural or political messaging. He also reflects on adaptation strategies, contemporary PR campaigns surrounding the film, and the implications for both the franchise and musical theater at large.

Key Discussion Points

1. The Structural Problem of "Wicked": Act 2 Weakness

• Summary: Shapiro opens by dissecting what he sees as a persistent issue in the original Wicked musical: a front-loaded, compelling first act followed by a thin, meandering second act.
• Musical Theater Structure:
  • "[...] a lot of act twos in famous musicals are just not as good as Act 1. [...] the librettist will stack what would in a normal play be Act 1 and Act 2 [...] in Act 1." (03:03)
  • This results in a second act filled with "filler," a problem not unique to Wicked but found in other classics like Oklahoma and West Side Story.
• Plot Weaknesses in Act 2:
  • Post-Act 1, expectations for Elphaba's revolution are subverted as her actions become "sporadic" and lacking in real impact.
  • "Instead, Elphaba kind of flies around and does sporadic things that are annoying to the regime without actually leading a revolution." (05:45)
  • Confused motivations, particularly for Glinda and Elphaba, and insufficient plot development are noted.

2. Adaptation Choices: Why Two Movies?

• Criticism of Film Division:
  • Shapiro argues the core issue with the Wicked movies is the decision to split the story into two lengthy films, exacerbating pacing and plot problems.
  • "The biggest criticism of Wicked For Good is that Wicked for Good and Wicked, the original, should have been one movie. [...] There's a bunch of filler in the second movie." (07:08)
• New Material & Its Weakness:
  • Two new songs added by Stephen Schwartz for the film (There's No Place Like Home and The Girl in the Bubble) are deemed forgettable.
  • "Neither of these songs is particularly memorable [...] basically, there is one good number in Wicked For Good, and it's the last number for Good, which is a great number." (08:03)
• Opportunity for Improvement Missed:
  • Shapiro notes successful adaptions like West Side Story have restructured or condensed source material for film: "the best movie adaptations of musicals are condensations of the material." (08:42)

3. Performance and Casting Analysis

• Lead Performances:
  • Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba): Still strong but underutilized in Act 2.
    • "She really doesn't have a lot to do in the second act of Wicked." (10:11)
  • Ariana Grande (Glinda): Shapiro praises her acting, calling her "the strongest part" of Wicked: For Good.
    • "I think she's really good actually in Wicked for good I think that her actual dramatic performance is the strongest part of what she does." (10:31)
  • Notably, he contrasts their vocal abilities, crediting Erivo with more vocal power.
    • "Cynthia Erivo can belt in a way that Ariana Grande just cannot. [...] not a rip on her voice. It is what it is." (10:53)
  • Predicts Grande will be considered for a supporting actress nomination.
• Supporting Cast:
  • Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero): Talented, but with limited material.
  • Jeff Goldblum (The Wizard): "Meh."
  • Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible): "She's just miscast. [...] She can't really sing particularly well." (11:49)
• Visuals & Effects:
  • Praises the transformation scene for Boq into the Tin Man.
    • "The graphic depiction of the Tin man is really effective." (12:09)
  • Critiques special effects for the Scarecrow and some flying sequences as "overwhelming" and occasionally distracting.

4. Directorial and Cinematic Critiques

• Director Jon Chu's Approach:
  • Accuses Chu of heavy-handedness—overselling emotional beats, particularly at the film’s close.
    • "He feels the necessity to hammer his points home with a brick." (13:25)
  • References the "insert shot of Elphaba and Glinda in better days" as unnecessary and emotionally manipulative.
    • "It took me out of the picture at the very end, which was kind of annoying." (15:07)

5. Philosophical and Political Underpinnings

• Questionable Morality of the Story:
  • Shapiro points out the troubling message communicated about truth and leadership:
    • "The politics of the underlying material is that people need to be lied to by their leaders, which is a very weird takeaway." (13:57)
    • "I think it's actually the job of leaders to tell the people the things that they don't want to hear, but that happen to be true." (14:23)

6. Contemporary Cultural & PR Observations

• Response to Fandom and PR Campaign:
  • Shapiro criticizes recent PR and fan campaigns focusing on an LGBTQ+ romantic reading between Elphaba and Glinda, arguing it misrepresents the work.
    • "The sort of fanfic that's happening that all undermines the message of the musical. [...] The attempt to kind of fit it into that box is strange and undermines the friendship basis that is the underlying theme." (14:33)
• Overall Satisfaction:
  • "Was I disappointed by it? I wasn't disappointed by it. Did I think it was the greatest thing ever put on film? I didn't think that either." (15:16)
  • Biggest wish remains that the adaptation had been a single, tight feature: "Should have been one film. The film should have been 2 hours and 40 minutes. They should have cut out a lot of the fat." (15:39)

Notable Quotes

• On Structure and Pacing:
  "So what you end up with is a bunch of filler. So even musicals that I absolutely adore are very often have a bunch of filler in them that is necessary to sort of take up time." (03:24)

• On Adaptation Failure:
  "The biggest criticism of Wicked For Good is that Wicked for Good and Wicked, the original, should have been one movie." (07:08)

• On Ariana Grande’s Performance:
  "As an actress, she does a very good job with this part. As an actress, she has a lot to do, a lot more to do than Cynthia Erivo does. And so Cynthia Erivo is kind of playing bitter the entire second act. From that perspective, I think that Ariana Grande owns the movie." (10:35)

• On Jon Chu’s Direction:
  "He feels the necessity to hammer his points home with a brick. [...] It took me out of the picture at the very end, which was kind of annoying." (13:25, 15:07)

• On the Film’s Message:
  "It's almost a platonic lie that you're supposed to be telling people. And it's kind of interesting. The musical skirts that and treats the people as though they're utterly incapable of hearing basic truths about the universe. It's something that I disagree with on a fundamental level." (14:07)

• Final Movie Rating:
  "If I thought that the first movie was like an 8 out of 10 or a 9 out of 10. I think the second movie is more like a 7 out of 10. Some of that is just due to the underlying material, which is weaker than Wicked Part one, the original Wicked for good." (13:51)

Important Timestamps

• 03:03: Discussion of act structure and filler in musicals.
• 05:45: Critique of Elphaba’s lack of revolutionary action in Act 2.
• 07:08: Main critique of splitting Wicked into two movies.
• 08:03: Commentary on new songs added for the film.
• 10:11-10:53: Analysis of Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande performances.
• 11:49: Critique of supporting cast and special effects.
• 12:09: Positive note on Tin Man transformation scene.
• 13:25 - 15:07: Specifics on John Chu’s directorial choices and their impact.
• 13:57 - 14:23: Reflection on the political/moral theme of leadership and truth.
• 14:33: Criticism of LGBTQ+ re-interpretation campaigns.
• 15:16: Overall verdict and wish for a tighter adaptation.

Summary Table

| Segment | Timestamp | Summary / Quote | |-----------------------------------------|--------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Act 2 Structure Problem | 03:03 | "a lot of act twos in famous musicals are just not as good as Act 1." | | Elphaba’s Revolution Weakness | 05:45 | "Elphaba kind of flies around and does sporadic things that are annoying to the regime without actually leading a revolution." | | Adaptation Should Be One Film | 07:08 | "Wicked for Good and Wicked, the original, should have been one movie." | | New Songs Are Forgettable | 08:03 | "Neither of these songs is particularly memorable [...]" | | Cast Performance Highlights | 10:11-10:53 | "Ariana Grande owns the movie." "Cynthia Erivo can belt in a way that Ariana Grande just cannot." | | Special Effects & Tin Man Transformation| 12:09 | "The graphic depiction of the Tin man is really effective." | | Jon Chu’s Overwrought Ending | 13:25, 15:07 | "He feels the necessity to hammer his points home with a brick." "It took me out of the picture at the very end."| | Morality of Truth in Leadership | 13:57-14:23 | "The politics of the underlying material is that people need to be lied to by their leaders, which is a very weird takeaway." | | PR & Fan Campaign Concerns | 14:33 | "The attempt to kind of fit it into that box is strange and undermines the friendship basis that is the underlying theme."| | Overall Rating & Final Thoughts | 13:51, 15:16 | "If I thought that the first movie was like an 8[...] the second movie is more like a 7 out of 10." "I wasn't disappointed by it." |

Conclusion

Ben Shapiro's review of Wicked: For Good is deeply informed by his background in musical theater fandom and critical analysis. While he acknowledges solid performances (especially from Ariana Grande), and effective visual moments (notably the Tin Man transformation), he believes both the film and its source material are ultimately hamstrung by structural weaknesses, unnecessarily prolonged run times, and missed opportunities to streamline and elevate the story. Shapiro’s reflections extend beyond the screen, questioning the film’s moral messaging and contemporary cultural reinterpretations, all delivered in his typical incisive, rapid-fire tone.
Final take: “That was totally wicked”—but it could have been better.