“Gladiator II” is the highly-anticipated, 20-years-in-the-making sequel to 2000’s “Gladiator.” Ridley Scott brings the heat with bigger battles, rabid CGI animals and the flawless casting of Denzel Washington as the film’s lead antagonist. While earlier scripts had Russell Crowe’s Maximus fighting through the underworld to reclaim his life, this sequel includes only a few flashback clips of the original protagonist. Maximus’ bold presence is instead filled by Lucius (Paul Mescal), Lucilla’s (Connie Nielsen) son from the first film. Unlike Maximus, general of the vast Roman army and an established leader from the get-go, Lucius commands his village’s small artillery that tries to fend off the Roman ships.

“The Wild Robot”, released on Sept.  27, is a stunning and beautifully woven animated family film that spins a colorful web of plotlines and messages about the nature of life, love and family. Directed by Chris Sanders — the notable co-director of “Lilo & Stitch” and “How to Train Your Dragon” — the newest in Dreamworks’s film lineup, "The Wild Robot,” holds a special place among the top of both of these catalogs. It stars Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor and Mark Hamill, but each voice actor blends into their role perfectly and the film does not rely on its star-studded cast. “The Wild Robot” is a true classic of modern animation; a diamond in the rough of an intellectual-property-dominated industry. It is wonderful within the realm of character, plot and message, but shines exponentially brighter than most in terms of visuals. 

Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal deliver a solid comedy that successfully creates a refreshing take on the buddy film trope.

Jeff Bridges, Channing Tatum and Halle Berry play Statesmen. Despite the A-list cast, the characters are one of the weakest parts of the film.