One of the best parts about my job is that I get to take my kids my kids to early screenings. When an invite for Wicked: For Good came in before the highly anticipated musical premiered on the 2025 movie schedule, I knew I had to take my oldest daughter. She has watched the first Wicked countless times over the past year, so I thought this would be right up her alley.
However, about two hours or so into the musical starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande performing all those new songs, I noticed a change in my daughter’s demeanor. She seemed somewhat disinterested in what she was watching, like she was bored or tired, or both. A few minutes later, she tapped me on the shoulder and asked the one question no parent wants to hear: “How long until this is over?”
Like The First Movie, My Daughter Loved Wicked: For Good
My daughter LOVED Wicked: For Good. She was on the edge of her seat throughout the first two-thirds of the movie, was vibing with the characters, swinging and swaying during the outstanding musical numbers, and having a good time. Admittedly, I was a bit worried going in after reading CinemaBlend’s Wicked: For Good review, but it honestly wasn’t too dark a story for my nine-year-old daughter.
I’ve taken my kids to the movies enough times to know when they are digging something. I didn’t get any of the classic “Can we go to the restroom?” types of comments, and she didn’t fall asleep. In fact, she wasn’t disinterested at all until, like I said earlier, the final 15 or so minutes. At that point, I could see the writing on the wall and knew the worm had turned.
She Was Just Exhausted By The ‘Return Of The King’ Style Endings
While on the way home, I asked what had happened and why her tone had changed after being so compelled by the story for much of the runtime. My daughter’s major complaint with the movie was the ending, more specifically, how the movie felt like it was never going to end. I won’t give anything away about how the story ends, but I will say that the final 15 minutes or so feel like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and its multiple endings. They’re all necessary, but you can see how a young kid would get exhausted (especially at 9:30 on a school night).
In the middle of this conversation, I remembered one point during the movie – I think after “For Good” – where everyone started clapping. My daughter thought the movie was over and started to put her seat in the upright position before she realized what was happening. She made sure to say that she loved the movie, but admitted she was exhausted by the end of it.
If you plan on taking your kids to see Wicked: For Good, which you totally should, just know that they may get tired in the final stretch. It’s still about 20 minutes shorter than the first movie (and an hour-and-change shorter than the Lord of the Rings movies), but maybe hit the weekend matinee instead of a late showing.