Gladiator II (in theaters)

It’s not Paul Mescal’s fault.

In “Gladiator II,” the actor does his best to step into the very intimidating sandals of Russell Crowe. But the script doesn’t seem to care much about him, far too concerned with echoing the first film as much as possible to give him the character arc he deserves. He also stars Denzel Washington, who doesn’t wait for the script to give him opportunities and practically runs away with the film. His character seems literally contrary to everything the film is trying to say, and yet somehow that’s the most interesting thing about it.

There are other things that go beyond attempts to resurrect the corpse of the original film. Joseph Quinn brings a wonderful range of expressions to the role of Emperor Geta, clearly showing the character’s thoughts in a way that is not in the script. Pedro Pascal doesn’t do much, but his exhausted dignity grounds the film in a way that deserved more screen time. A real discussion between him and Mescal could have been the emotional heart of the film.

It’s also a stunning visual. Director Ridley Scott used real props, sets and costumes as much as possible, and you can feel the difference on screen. There’s a certain level of detail that you can delve into, whether it’s a street scene or one of the film’s many brutal battles.

Unfortunately, these elements are never really brought together in a film that is worthy of them.

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Rating: Two and a half stars

Villain (at the cinema)

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

The film adaptation does a marvelous job of translating the musical into different mediums, creating a sprawling and 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 stunning visuals. From the spectacular sets to the magnificent costumes, this is a film meant to be seen on the biggest screen possible. Add in a great cast and killer music that we know and love, and you’ll be happy to be transported to the land of Oz.

The leading ladies of the story offer their own 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 stunning voice makes all of her musical numbers as incredible as they deserve to be. Grande, who was an actress before she was a singer, manages to be as charming in both categories as Glinda.

The film only has two drawbacks, and they are both related. Although the film version is as long as the full stage version, it only covers the first act of the musical. This means that Chu’s extra flourishes sometimes seem too much and the ending will seem incomplete to anyone familiar with the story as a whole.

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

Rating: Three and a half stars

Jenniffer Wardell is an award-winning film critic and member of the Denver Film Critics Society. Find her on Twitter at @wardellwriter or message her at [email protected].