Gladiator 2 -- Will This Movie Make You Feel Smarter or Dumber? -- My Honest Review

[@thetalentof]

Ridley deciding to shoot 'Gladiator 2' on a digital camera for the sake of convenience gives it that actors-doing-cosplay look like a Netflix streaming release compared to the gorgeous cinematic visual quality of kodak and eastman 35mm used for the first one where it actually looks like a professional studio movie from the big 5. The other letdown is that you don't really end up caring about any of the characters so you're not that emotionally engaged in the story unfortunately. Crowe actually looks like a regal war veteran / Roman general rather than a guy you would see down at your local gym and his performance manages to provoke you emotionally. The first 2 minute entrance alone into the colosseum before Maximus instructs the gladiators to all stick together just for sheer thrill-factor, soundtrack, tension building, visual quality..etc is far better than the entirety of Gladiator 2 (5.5). Ridley is great when he has a good script to work with (The Last Duel / The Martian) but his directorial style can't elevate a lacklustre script in the same way that someone like Spielberg can.

[@prilljazzatlanta5070]

They shot this digitally? 🤮 Im fine with digital photography but if im looking at something in motion, i generally need film.

[@thetalentof]

@@prilljazzatlanta5070 Agreed, it's fine for stills, even for documentaries (Planet Earth, Free Solo), sadly you can tell from the first couple of shots into the trailer and I gave out a massive sigh, for sci-fi movies it doesn't seem to matter so much as the flat and clinical nature of digital somehow isn't as jarring for a futuristic setting (Oblivion, Tron Legacy, Riddick) but for historical dramas or westerns it just looks like someone's shooting it on a digicam.............because they are! Lol

[@prilljazzatlanta5070]

@ Bingo! I think if someone wants to shoot a timepiece digitally, they should watch First Cow. One of the few movies shot digitally that I can endorse.

[@thetalentof]

@@prilljazzatlanta5070 Cool, ok thanks for the recommendation and in that case, 'First Cow' will be my weekend watch then, much appreciated!

[@drdavid1963]

Gladiator 2, to me, is a completely non-sensical sequel, particularly as it basically repeats the plot of the original. 24 years of development and endless script re-writes. Why did Ridley Scott make it? Why was it greenlit? $87 million and counting is the only reason I can think of. Talk of sharks and baboons in the colliseum makes one say 'hang on a minute'. Personally, I never think of the roman empire. This is another reason not to.

[@LearningaboutMovies]

this thing had me searching for whether the Romans used great-white sharks in the Colosseum. At least I think those were great whites.

[@drdavid1963]

@@LearningaboutMovies - they're probably already writing Gladiator 3: Sharks v Gladiators

[@alphaomega1351]

Forget Rome! What about the American dream?! Are y'all NOT entertained?! 😱

[@harrym9655]

Republicans destroyed the American dream a long time ago with their support for billionaires and big business that screw over the American people…

[@andydufresnefromshawshank5866]

Marcus Aurelius wasn’t the only good Emperor. My personal favorite being Augustus, of course Constantine was awesome. And the 5 good Emperors streak of Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus, and of course Marcus Aurelius

[@WG55]

People loved the first "Gladiator," and it even won an Academy Award for best picture, with Russell Crowe winning best actor. I didn’t like it that much, and I thought it was a fun popcorn flick. Now "Gladiator II" is out, and people hate it, calling it a cynical cash grab by Ridley Scott who should not have touched the legacy of a masterpiece. I didn't love it, but I liked it a lot more than they did, and I thought it was a fun popcorn flick. I suppose that it is all a matter of managing one's expectations.

[@andydufresnefromshawshank5866]

I like how Gladiator 2, Numidia which is modern day Algiers. Is considered the only free state in the African Mediterranean when that was not true.. yes, Roman was going through a Civil War at the time, but it wasn’t a free city

[@FTA4evr]

FYI: the sound quality is fine now.

[@Maxville2]

Spot on review for sure. I thought this movie was a cluster of half poorly thoughtout political commentary allegoric to America and half cool action movie. I think the themes of realpolitik vs stoicism or whatever they attempted to philosophically write in were unnecessary. The plot, historical accuracy, and goofy cgi ought to be forgotten about. Basically, go see this movie if you're interested in some cool action sequences. It could've been so much better. 2.5 stars is a worthy rating.

[@hori166]

After I saw the CGI baboons in the trailer I knew this was a movie I could skip, save perhaps for Paul Mezcal et al. BTW his Gladiator 2 The Musical spoof on Saturday Night Live was a hoot.

[@Austionous]

Ridley Scott does make a lot of manly high testosterone movies. He also made Thelma and Louise. I always thought that was not only a great movie, but an interesting outlier in his filmography.

[@acdragonrider]

I don’t agree but cheers!

[@LearningaboutMovies]

thank you

[@indauroleal7953]

It will make you feel smarter compared to how dumb this movie is ! 🤣

[@letsgo6042]

Did you feel smarter or dumber after watching Gladiador 1?

[@letsgo6042]

I'm super curious

[@LearningaboutMovies]

I never liked it that much, but the last time I watched it was the early 2000s.

[@letsgo6042]

@@LearningaboutMovies Thank you for the reply

[@EddieHenderson92]

Garbage movie and they do woke it up for modern day audiences because god forbid men get a movie from Hollywood these days without a lecture or some kind of message.

[@nms7872]

Woke has lost all its meaning

[@EddieHenderson92]

@@nms7872 Incorrect