Just like the “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” trend from July 2023, dubbed by the internet as “Barbenheimer,” November 2024 gives us another round of two very different yet promising movies releasing on the same day. 

The “Gladiator II” and “Wicked” frenzy, also known as “Glicked,” is taking the internet by storm. Both are being praised by both critics and fans alike and blowing up the box office during this pre-Thanksgiving weekend. 

So, even though both movies are making numbers and receiving general praise as a duo, how do both films measure up on their own merits? 

Starting off with “Wicked,” my expectations were not too high since I was vaguely familiar with the original play and novel. However, I am pleased to say that Wicked, despite its off-screen controversies and my minimal familiarity with its predecessors, is very well done. 

I was impressed by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s vocal performances. The fact that they were singing live too is even more impressive, and I respect them a lot as performers for that. 

One of my favorite parts of the movie is the set design. The film’s production designer, Nathan Crowley, also known for designing “The Dark Knight” trilogy and “Wonka,” deserves as much praise as the on-screen cast because of how elaborate and creative the setting looks. 

The colors pop and the choreography collides wonderfully with the set design from the Hogwarts-like atmosphere of Shiz University to the bright green and magnificent Emerald City. 

However, I will say the lightning and directing in some scenes did not do the production justice. During the “Dancing Through Life” sequence, the lighting coming from the windows made the sequence hard to see. Other than that, the rest of the musical sequences throughout the movie were wonderful, especially the gripping “Defying Gravity” scene. 

“Wicked” is a great time in the theater and despite its two hour and 40 minute runtime, the film flies by with its fun and endearing plot of sisterhood and equality as well as its entertaining musical sequences. 

“Gladiator II” is the sequel that nobody knew they needed to Ridley Scott’s masterpiece, “Gladiator.” When first learning about the sequel, I was intrigued by the historical period of ancient Rome and the story of vengeance and action intrigue.

I watched the original a few days before I watched the latest entry, and I absolutely adored it. So, when I took my seat to watch the sequel, I was ready for the continuation of Ridley Scott’s epic story. 

I was very impressed by “Gladiator II” and there’s so much that I loved about it. As mentioned before, I love the ancient Roman historical setting. There has been controversy about the film’s historical accuracy. My rebuttal to those comments is simply, “Are you not entertained?!” 

Because despite whether the film and its colosseum sequences are historically accurate, those scenes are very fun to watch. The action scenes inside and outside of the colosseum were extremely entertaining from the fight choreography and sword action to the jaw-dropping shark and rhino fights. 

Paul Mescal who plays the film’s protagonist, Lucius Verus Aurelius, is amazing in this film. His emotional prowess gives himself a dominant presence in the film. He has his similarities to Russell Crowe’s Maximus from the original, but Mescal is able to make himself stand out by how different his background is. 

The movie takes a big swing with its theme on legacy, and I believe Mescal was the right choice to hold onto the original film’s legacy. 

Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington were also amazing in this film. Washington especially impressed me in terms of both the writing for his character and acting. He is an intelligent and fun character and seeing where his character goes as the film continues was always fun to watch. 

The film runs for two hours and 28 minutes, but similar to “Wicked,” the film does not overstay its welcome. However, I found myself completely immersed with this movie and its characters and its story. This movie’s screenplay is a lot more complex than the original where that one was just a straightforward revenge story. 

Even if you aren’t familiar with the original “Gladiator” film, the sequel fills the audience in well enough for the audience to understand the context of the original and how the newest entry makes its own name. 

Although both films are incomparable in terms of genre, both are great films in terms of quality. If I had to choose, I preferred “Gladiator II.” but that’s just my personal taste since I love action films and historical period films.

I can’t recommend both films enough since I know that both will hit well with audiences. 

Whether you want to see both separately or dedicate a day out to the theater, albeit a very long day out at the theater to see both in one day. The “Glicked” movie trend was very much worth the hype since both films work as a tandem as well on their own.