On November 22nd, two long awaited blockbuster films came out in theaters: Wicked and Gladiator II. The first is an adaptation of the famous Broadway musical. Due to the length of the musical and the production team of the movie wishing to include all the scenes and songs from the play, the new film covers only the first act of the play, with the second having an estimated release date of November 2025. The second huge release is the sequel to Ridley Scott’s Gladiator. After 24 years, Gladiator II, also directed by Ridley Scott, is out. So are either of these two films worth a trip to the theater?
As someone who had not previously seen the Broadway musical version, I went into Wicked without knowing any of the plot and almost none of the songs. It ended up being a very entertaining film, with terrific performances from Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and all the supporting cast. All of the songs from the first act of the play were included, with some new additions. Glinda is arguably Ariana’s best performance to date, with her singing voice hitting a new high. Cynthia’s Elphaba performance also steals the show and her vocal performance is magnificent, proving all of the fans and critics who doubted her casting wrong. I would not call the movie a masterpiece, and like any film, it is not perfect. The main issues are the mediocre CGI effects and the incomplete nature of the production, which will very likely be addressed once the sequel is released, but leaves viewers hungry for more. Still, it is a very emotional film (with both funny and cry-worthy scenes) and an extremely fun journey that even new fans can enjoy.
Gladiator II presents a completely different tone. Similar to the first movie, it follows the protagonist’s journey of being a gladiator in ancient Rome and fighting for Marcus Aurelius’ dream of what it could be. Following a familiar formula to Maximus’ journey, the film feels a little too predictable at times. But that does not mean it is a bad movie. With an amazing cast, especially Denzel Washington playing Macrinus; and extremely well done action sequences, it is definitely an entertaining watch. All of the best scenes in the film are whenever Denzel shows up on-screen or during one of the colosseum fights. Still, the movie suffers from one crucial flaw: shallower relationships compared to the first Gladiator and lack of emotional impact. Unlike the original, the death scenes in Gladiator II are not as emotionally impactful as in the first, and the choices some characters make may feel somewhat forced since there is not as much relationship developing.
These two productions are both very enjoyable in their own right, each having ups and downs. Wicked is made for anyone who likes the structure of musicals and is intrigued by the basic premise. Gladiator II is made for fans of the first film who are not looking for another masterpiece of a movie, but just for a good sequel in its own right. If you fall into any of these two target groups, seeing the one that sounds the most interesting is definitely worth a trip to the theater. Seeing both is also an option since neither is objectively better than the other. Lastly, if you are intrigued by this review, but do not think the ticket price is worth it, seeing the movies on demand later is another alternative.
None of these answers are better than the other and the choice depends on personal taste, but as a movie fan, the feeling of seeing a great film on the big screen is quite better than seeing it on a small screen sitting on a couch. Ultimately, the optimal decision is personal, but I do encourage you to see whichever film appeals to you the most in theaters if money is not a barrier; you cannot really go wrong with either.