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The Movie Guru: ‘Gladiator II’ never comes together, but ‘Wicked’ a well-padded delight

Denzel Washington plays Macrinus in 'Gladiator II.'
Paramount/Courtesy photo

Gladiator II (in theaters)

It’s not Paul Mescal’s fault.

In “Gladiator II,” the actor tries his absolute hardest to step into Russell Crowe’s very intimidating sandals. But the script doesn’t seem to care much about him, far too intent on echoing the first movie as much as possible to give him the character arc he deserves. He’s also acting opposite Denzel Washington, who doesn’t wait for the script to give him opportunities and practically runs away with the movie. His character seems counter to literally everything else the movie is trying to say, and yet somehow is the most interesting thing about it.

There are other things that reach beyond the attempts to resurrect the corpse of the original movie. Joseph Quinn brings a wonderful range of expressions as Emperor Geta, clearly showing the character’s thoughts in ways that don’t make it into the script. Pedro Pascal doesn’t get to do much, but his exhausted dignity grounds the movie in a way that deserved more screen time. A genuine discussion between him and Mescal could have been the emotional heart of the movie.



It’s also visually stunning. Director Ridley Scott went with real props, sets and costumes as much as possible, and you can feel the difference onscreen. There’s a level of detail you can sink into, whether it’s a street scene or one of the movie’s many brutal battles.

Sadly, these elements never quite come together into a movie that’s worthy of them.

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Grade: Two and a half stars

Wicked (in theaters)

If you love the Broadway musical, or just want to see what all the fuss is about, you definitely have to see “Wicked” on the big screen.

The movie adaptation does a wonderful job of translating the musical into the different medium, creating a sprawling, sumptuous vision of magic and wonder. Director Jon M. Chu captures everything we love about the stage version, then adds his own flourishes along with some absolutely gorgeous visuals. From the spectacular backdrops to the beautiful costumes, this is a movie meant to be seen on as large a screen as possible. Add in a great cast and killer music we know and love, and you’ll be happy to let yourself get carried away to the land of Oz.

The story’s leading ladies offer their own hefty dose of magic. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are fantastic as Elphaba and Glinda, respectfully, both individually and as a team. Erivo brings a quiet dignity to Elphaba, and her show-stopping voice makes all her musical numbers as incredible as they deserve to be. Grande, who was an actress before she was a singer, manages to be equally delightful in both categories as Glinda.

There are only two drawbacks to the movie, and they’re both connected. Though the screen version is as long as the complete stage version, it only covers the first act of the musical. That means Chu’s additional flourishes sometimes come off as too much, and the ending will feel incomplete to anyone who knows the larger story.

Still, the part of the story we do get is pretty incredible.

Grade: Three and a half stars

Jenniffer Wardell is an award-winning movie critic and member of the Denver Film Critics Society. Find her on Twitter at @wardellwriter or drop her a line at themovieguruslc@gmail.com.


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