WARNING: Spoilers ahead.

If you have been anywhere on social media within the past year, you have no doubt seen the widely memeified “Wicked” interviews gracing your page. From interviewers “holding space” for the song “Defying Gravity,” to Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo weeping in each other’s arms at the slightest mention of the project ending, pop culture fanatics all around the world were asking the same question: “What the hell happened on the ‘Wicked’ set?”

The long-anticipated part two film adaptation of the cult classic musical “Wicked” was released in theaters worldwide Nov. 21. “Wicked” originally debuted on Broadway in 2003 and was adapted from the 1995 book “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” written by Gregory Maguire. It serves as a prequel to the events of L. Frank Baum’s “The Wizard of Oz,” and reveals the backstory of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.

Although the musical is performed in a single sitting on stage (with two acts and an intermission), director Jon M. Chu decided to split the film adaptation into two movies, but filmed it all at once.

Starring pop icon Ariana Grande and Broadway triple-threat Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked: For Good” picks up as the leading pair go their separate ways over opposing viewpoints on how Oz should be run due to animal mistreatment and the discovery of the Wizard’s lies. Elphaba becomes the “Wicked Witch of the West,” fighting for animal rights and to reveal the true nature of the Wizard of Oz, and Glinda turns into “Glinda the Good,” the Wizard’s spokesperson.

However, many weaknesses that critics identified in the latter half of the stage play were also reflected in the film adaptation. While the first act possesses fan favorite songs like “Defying Gravity,” “Popular,” “What is This Feeling” and “The Wizard and I,” the second act has fewer standout songs. The only songs of the second half that could hold a candle to the powerful songs of the first half are “No Good Deed,” which highlights Erivo’s impressive vocals, and “For Good,” an emotional conclusion to the story that reflects on Glinda and Elphaba’s friendship.

“Wicked: For Good” also introduced two songs that were not present in the original musical: “No Place Like Home,” sung by Elphaba towards the animals of Oz in an attempt to persuade them to join her cause against the wizard, and “The Girl in the Bubble,” a self-reflection song sung by Glinda.

Although these songs seemed to be included as an attempt to make the second half stronger, they also served as filler songs, taking away from parts of the plot that should’ve been more fleshed out.

Many essential parts of the plot were glazed over, such as the reveal that the Wizard of Oz is Elphaba’s biological father, which was squeezed into a short flashback scene featuring a poorly CGI-ed young Jeff Goldblum. Another vital plot point that could’ve been greatly expanded upon is Nessarose’s transformation into the Wicked Witch of the East, which was only briefly covered in the span of one song.

For all of the faults of the movie, there were still a lot of saving graces. Perhaps the best decision made for the movie was the casting of Elphaba and Glinda. Both Erivo and Grande gave heartfelt performances of the main characters, and their powerful voices made up for the flat portrayals given by actors such as Michelle Yeoh, who is not a professional singer.

One surprising performance came from Ethan Slater, who portrays Boq, a timid Munchkin who is unrequitedly in love with Glinda. His transformation into the revengeful and heartless Tin Man at the end of the movie was a chilling juxtaposition to the comedic portrayal of the Tin Man in other productions of “Wicked.”

Other standout aspects of the movie were the costuming, makeup and sets. The details of these elements made Oz seem more immersive and magical. The fairytale-esque designs of Glinda’s dresses and house provided a stark contrast to Elphaba’s drab and woodsy witch outfits and lair, highlighting how different the two women were.

The final scene of the movie is a tear-jerking homage to any fan of the original musical—an imitation of the playbill cover, featuring a flashback of Glinda whispering into Elphaba’s ear.

“Wicked: For Good” also did a relatively good job at exploring complex themes that echo many issues outside of Oz, such as prejudice and the struggles of friendship built on differing backgrounds and beliefs.

Overall, despite its shortcomings sonically and narratively, “Wicked: For Good” is a fun and relatively engaging watch, perfect for fans of musicals and stories of friendship.