Schmear Hunter's Brainwash: "Glicked" Edition

Holding space for 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' reviews

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Seeing as Wicked and Gladiator II are not just “The Hype,“ but really two of the biggest films of the year, I wanted to give their reviews a little more space, time, and effort.

No spoilers for either (but a lot of opinion):

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• The Hype

  • Wicked soars above its often shoddy CGI through the sheer charisma and talent of its lead performances

  • Gladiator II says “more is more” and ends up a lesser facsimile of its epic predecessor

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Wicked (Theaters)

What it’s about: Elphaba, a misunderstood young woman because of her green skin, and Glinda, a popular girl, become friends at Shiz University in the Land of Oz. After an encounter with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads.

News and Notes:

• Released in theaters this past Friday

• Part 2 will be released 11/21/25

Schmear’s Verdict: Anchored by the dazzling chemistry of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, Wicked rises above its clunky CGI to deliver a buoyant, spellbinding adaptation.

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Wicked has become a lightning rod of emotion—from Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s press tour, TikTok crying trends, and “holding space,” to Indiewire critic David Ehrlich completely losing his marbles attempting to review the film.

Stepping out of Oz, out of this phantasmagoric fantasia, and just assessing the film on its merits, Jon M. Chu’s Wicked (Part 1) is a mostly successful, often soaring adaptation, anchored especially by Grande and Erivo’s sheer magnetism and talent.

To read the rest of the review for Wicked and for Gladiator II, consider upgrading your subscription to The Schmear Hunter.