Never underestimate the phenomenal power of L. Frank Baum’s “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” as “Wicked” is one of the few films that more than lives up to the hype and hoopla.

Director John M. Chu’s screen adaptation of the Broadway show is already a movie megahit, joining two inspiring Grammy-winning divas as they delve into the backstory behind Victor Fleming’s 1939 classic.

This musical prequel, loosely based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, begins just after Dorothy dissolves Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. As the gleeful Munchkins celebrate, Good Witch Glinda (Ariana Grande) floats in. “Weren’t you and Elphaba once friends?” inquires a youngster. Indeed they were.

As Glinda glides down memory lane – her lavish pink wardrobe and playful demeanor suggesting “Legally Blonde” Elle Woods – recalling how she first met young, bespectacled, green-skinned Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and they became reluctant roommates at Shiz University, which evokes Hogwarts set in Rivendell.

While trying to harness her inherent magical powers, Elphaba watches out for her plucky, wheelchair-bound younger sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode), whose plight subtly ignites an odd-couple friendship between the bullied outcast and confidently manipulative Miss Popularity.

Plus there’s Hunky Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), Sorceress Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), Comedic Munchkin Boq (Ethan Slater), History Professor Dillamond (a goat, voiced by Peter Dinklage) – introducing a subplot about silencing animals – and Emerald City’s eccentric Wizard (Jeff Goldblum).

Following “In the Heights,” John M. Chu is at the top of his captivating, world-building game, making the most of Stephen Schwartz’s music & John Powell’s additional score with Winnie Holzman & Dana Fox’s adapted screenplay, Alice Brooks’ cinematography, Nathan Crowley’s dazzling production design and Paul Tazewell’s fanciful costumes.

Yes, two hours, 45 minutes is a very long musical, but you won’t want to miss a moment since “Wicked” will be a Best Picture Oscar contender.

And for those who dig beneath the surface, L. Frank Baum’s fantasy is, basically, a timely political allegory about fear, division, oppression, radicalization and fascism, led by a con man.

So what about Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, whose glorious Broadway performances became legendary? They’re here! Just wait!

Speaking of waiting, although the second half was shot back-to-back with this installment, it’s not scheduled for release until November, 2025.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Wicked” is a spectacularly enchanted 10 – currently playing in theaters.

After “Gladiator” (2000) won an Oscar as Best Picture, Ridley Scott waited more than 20 years to return to Rome’s ancient Colosseum to film “Gladiator II.” 

While the first “Gladiator” focused on Roman General Maximus (Russell Crowe), this follow-up introduces Lucius who, as a sensitive 12 year-old in Numidia, was forced to leave his aristocratic family, go into hiding and ‘forget’ his identity.

Growing up on the coast of North Africa, capable Lucius (Paul Mescal) was ready to fight when Roman legions – under General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) – invaded Numidia, killing his wife and taking him to Rome as a slave/prisoner.

His extraordinary courage and combat skills are immediately spotted by sleazy Macrimus (Denzel Washington), a Machiavellian gangster/gladiator wrangler who buys him, realizing Lucius’ swaggering, crowd-pleasing potential in the arena.

Meanwhile, weary General Acacius returns home to his wife Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), daughter of late Emperor Marcus Aurelius, confiding his disgust with the despotic tyranny of simpering, sadistic twin Emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Carcalla (Fred Hechinger) to Senator Gracchus (Derek Jacobi) and others, which inevitably places him in harm’s way.

And you don’t have to be much of a soothsayer to figure out Lucius’ relationship to Lucilla, tracing back to her liaison with the fabled gladiator Maximus.

Written by David Scarpa, Peter Craig and David Franzoni and photographed by John Mathieson, it’s a sword-and-sandal, cinematic spectacle, featuring ferocious baboons, a saddled rhinoceros, and savage sharks. The latter are part of an elaborately staged naval battle in the flooded Colosseum pit, credited to production designer Arthur Max, who did extensive research at the Museum of Roman Ships of Fiumicino.

Above all, it’s a redemptive comeback for the 86-year-old Ridley Scott after duds like “Napoleon,” “House of Gucci,” and “The Last Duel.” And it should nab a Best Supporting Actor nomination for scene-stealing Denzel Washington.

FYI: If you want to revisit Scott’s original epic “Gladiator,” it’s available on Paramount+ or purchased digitally on Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Fandango At Home, and Apple.

On the Granger Gauge, “Gladiator II” is an eye-popping, barbaric 8, playing in theaters.