Gladiator II - Review

[@marielozoria]

One thing about Dan murrell, he’s gonna let you know he’s a toni Collette stan

[@kh7688]

As am I. Never has an actress been so consistent, yet so often overlooked and underrated by the masses.

[@RitaAssis-h2t]

As we ALL also should be

[@TylerG13]

As everyone should!😂

[@poppetawoppet]

He’s never gonna Toni Co-lette me down

[@RabbiSteve1]

What’s a “stan”?

[@Ebony.Danielle]

"Defender of Toni Collette" Yes! 🗣 We're still not over that snub! 👏🏽

[@playedout148]

That snub will go down in history. I feel the same about de niro in awakenings but that robbery made me care less about crap like academy awards so...good.

[@KerioFive]

Never

[@TylerG13]

Never will be. Absolutely mind boggling snub. It’s like missing a layup with no one else even on the court.

[@serious261]

YES!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🤝😊

[@CJKhaos]

I’m a huge Gladiator fan, it’s my favourite film, and I agree with what Dan said. It’s a good but not great film. The score didn’t match the original and there did seem to be some stuff left out in the edit. Loved Denzels performance and I think I may have preferred a film with Pedro and Denzel as the leads.

[@JM2909]

Denzel was still in his role of American Gangster in this movie, not the North African Gladiator merchent, i love him as an actor ..but this one is fail in my opinion.

[@Davine.sounds]

Stevo?

[@tanielap624]

My biggest gripe was they landed too much on the old story and characters in the first of the film. By the time they moved onto focus on the new ones I didn't have time to care. It was okay but the first one was a lot better

[@decidueye2963]

​Nope, it's Training day one which is a manipulative guy who meets his end in the climax. He should have said that king kong dialogue​@@JM2909

[@kopec82]

@@JM2909exactly he did a New York gánster in Rome? Wth? Disappointing

[@QuirkyQuillify]

"Danus Murrelus Criticus" 😂 How Dan spoils us with these intros

[@Stinkysauce3102]

Dan is seriously becoming one of my favorite KZbinrs on the platform. I love how he gives us an honest opinion whilst also knowing a lot about movies.

[@sway6718]

There needs to be a "Top 10 pre-review jokes from Dan" list, asap.

[@CM-jn3wp]

"Owner of a dozen plaid shirts" ~Dan😅😂🤣

[@fredlusyk6741]

🎶Owner of a Dozen Plaid Shirts🎶 🎶Owner of a Dozen Plaid Shirts🎶 (Much better than a) 🎶Owner of a Broken Heart🎶 🎶Owner of a Dozen Plaid Shirts🎶

[@paulo23pd]

Dan’s intro had me coughing up my breakfast! Keep defending Toni Collette and I need to know where you shop for your shirts!

[@MatiZ815]

My take away from this film is that they should have entirely drop the revenge plot and instead establish Lucius' motivation to reclaim his heritage from the start.

[@MegaShowmaster]

I was almost crying when It ended… because of how bad it was :( I feel so bad for sir Ridley Scott 😢

[@vercoda9997]

I was on the Tube in London, and three women opposite started talking about Paul Mescal. "I'd watch him butter bread," one of them sighed. That's true love, right there.

[@yeahiagree1070]

And then everyone clapped

[@Banquet42]

I am a fan of bread tbh.

[@sancheznegi]

creep behavior

[@peterm.4355]

Ewww.

[@danf5465]

He's supposed to be hot?

[@ydenko]

I am just surprised that the movie called Gladiator II released 24 years after the original doesn't suck

[@GpkChrome888]

Just saw it, it sucks, sucks big camel toes.

[@bartboeckx7632]

It does suck, big time.. terrible and even silly at some moments.. It doesn't come even close to the original. Those 2 emperors.. what a joke, looks like the muppet show..

[@nickdriscoll6131]

@@bartboeckx7632I kind of felt this way too. Cool action scenes, but I thought the story just didn’t work

[@shugd3]

Terrible film, Denzel is acting as if he's doing Shakespeare, the 2 emperors are acting beevis and butthead, bad CGI baboons, rhino, kids playing football, senator reading a newspaper, rehash of the first film, mescal 1 dimensional acting, people were openly laughing at some of the scenes, and a few got there phones out, cinematography looks great, as the emperor would do 👎

[@kevinmaroney9819]

@@bartboeckx7632it’s literally a muppet show, that’s the point lol jeez

[@gabbodelaparrawrites]

The monkeys in the first arena were dreadful.

[@LucyLu_meztli]

Right? Hunger Games’ monkeys were more believable 😅 And the shark pool scene, I’m still like… why?

[@gabbodelaparrawrites]

@@LucyLu_meztli The sharks looked silly in a movie that wanted to play straight. I was having Sharknado flashbacks 🤪

[@LucyLu_meztli]

@ thank you for saying that! I was thinking that all the time, when did Gladiator II end, and I started watching a Sharknado spin off 🤭😅🫠

[@gabbodelaparrawrites]

@@LucyLu_meztli ✌

[@micahfisher6125]

This is a high contender for my favorite Dan intro, which is high praise!

[@katrinakeith8066]

I just really wished they hadn't made him Maximus' son... feels force and detracts from my impression of the Spaniard's integrity.

[@rige229]

Had the same thought as you. Give Gladiator 2 is Zimmer-esque level score, and you got yourself a great movie. But without it, it's just "good".

[@INRamos13]

The score is literally just a copy of Zimmer's score for the first one.

[@marcochen9117]

@@INRamos13 there is plenty of original score in there, especially the first half. They used a lot of call backs and themes and even just straight up used now we are free but i think that is expected of a sequel. Pretty much all sequels and franchises use recurring themes of the previous score

[@medalion1390]

⁠Unfortunately there’s nothing in the score that comes anywhere close to matching the “Barbarian Horde” track from the original movie.

[@Lassenissen]

Loving these intros man! This one cracked me up hard.

[@joemckim1183]

So was Pedro Pascal supposed to be one of Maximus' off screen Lieutenants back in the time of the first movie?

[@hellboy4128]

That first act is incredible. Shows an 86 year old Ridley Scott can still compete with these so called blockbuster filmmakers we have today

[@playedout148]

Is unbelievable. Scorsese etc. They're cracking them out like sausages.

[@tdoom1354]

It was? Same as ring of power I think the battle scenes where boring and underwhelming

[@bsaneil]

Did we watch the same film? It was a fantasy movie with Roman - ish costumes and a daft plot line. Visually it was good but thats about it.

[@slim420-e8v]

It shows he's a fan of Showtime's Spartacus.

[@SamtheCanuck]

@@bsaneilagree it was bad imo. If the original was S tier Gladiator 2 is like C Minus to D tier.

[@funkrobot9762]

Dune part 2 isn’t a sequel. It’s the next part of that story. Like it was planned in the beginning.

[@Ch-gq2kp]

Its the second dune movie.

[@funkrobot9762]

@@Ch-gq2kp yeah but it’s the second part of one story. A sequel is a film that was written and created AFTER the first film, often as a response to it. They were always gonna release Dune, Part 2.

[@TheGreatestJediOfAllTime]

@@funkrobot9762its still a sequel

[@ArifRWinandar]

@@funkrobot9762 Not saying I disagree with your definition of a sequel, but the Wikipedia entry for Dune part 2 states that it is a sequel.

[@takumifujiwara9181]

@@TheGreatestJediOfAllTime don't think you quite understand what ppl are trying to say and the best example of that is Game of Thrones where they were following the story of the books until they didn't... and we both know how that mess ended.

[@gabbodelaparrawrites]

"Defender of Toni Collette." I freaking cackled. 🤣 #TeamCollette

[@SamtheCanuck]

As a huge fan of the original it was probably my favorite movie for over a decade. Gladiator 2 was garbage. Special effects were bad especially the water scene. The story had 0 heart and none of the characters were memorable or made you about them. Essentially everything was several notches worse than the original. If I could get my money back I would. This is as someone that lowered their expectations going in and it still ended up significantly worse than expected. Disappointing and I wish I could get my time back.

[@benedwards1047]

Good review. I pretty much agree with you, except that Hans Zimmer's music WAS featured a lot in the film - all the big moments and especially the emotional parts used Zimmer's music, no? I was confused that he wasn't mentioned in the credits!

[@nathanhansen1846]

I got to see it at the regal mystery movie on Monday, and I loved it. Denzel was phenomenal here.

[@darkgate33]

Dan Murrell I always stick around to hear your outro music. love listening to it!

[@randyf5126]

would have been better as a 8 episode tv series. so many questions I wanted answered like how the two emperors came to power.

[@edwingoodson8820]

@@randyf5126 exactly

[@joemckim1183]

@@edwingoodson8820 I want to know if they were distantly related to Commodus. They did a real good job of greedy tyrants and being total pussys at the same time.

[@craiglosi1182]

Would Ralphie Cifaretto be a fan or not? These are the questions I need answered

[@kh7688]

Best way to summarise this film... An almost beat for beat retread of the original, that is inferior in every single way.

[@IcyScythe]

Someone said it was basically TFA Gladiator edition which I could not agree with more.

[@kh7688]

@IcyScythe That's a legitimate comparison.

[@Soupcan13]

I wish we could have gotten a Maximus prequel

[@Howzer1776]

Yeah they could have done that it would be pretty epic

[@DaftCaptain_]

Dan loves Toni Collette as much as Grace Randolph hates Jessica Chastain

[@drmattconrad77]

I missed most of the review having an internal debate about your Captain of the Enterprise line. 😂

[@TrekBeatTK]

A couple years ago I undertook the project of watching all Ridley Scott's movies in chronological order by setting, from Exodus: Gods and Kings to Alien. It's a fun exercise!

[@whitehousejayne]

I think I'll just watch gladiator again. for me it never fails to stir my heart passionately. There's emotion in it. I can't see a better actor than Russel Crowe in this role or the malevolence of Joaquin Phoenix

[@TVandManga]

Brilliant opening to the video Dan. Thank you for the review.

[@jeremycorrell2581]

I love all your videos Dan! I’ve been a fan since Screen Junkies.

[@tehanscheffer5657]

hell yeah was waiting for this. whatever the review says, it was a great IMAX experience for me and friends

[@countgeekula9143]

I really liked it. The story is good and continues what was established in the first movie while recontextualising some of it and shuffling around some of the character motivations. It doesn't have that fairly simple clean through line of Maximus seeking revenge against Commodus but mixes and muddies it up while having Denzel at the centre of it all and he's fantastic...pure Machiavellian charisma. The film looks gorgeous and the action is exciting and spectacular. But I agree with Dan that losing Hans Zimmer doing the score is a blow. The score we get is okay but when you get a hint of some of Zimmer's brilliant themes it really hits home what is missing. And for a 2.5 hr movie it flew by and had me completely invested so it did its job pretty well for me at least.

[@TobaccoRoadAI]

Who put the two men in power ? I was under the assumption that the senate took control of Rome after the first movie

[@ShoeDog-12345]

Hans Zimmer hasn't worked with Ridley Scott since 2003's Matchstick Men, that's a shame

[@jim1242]

One of the best crazy Nicolas Cage scenes - where he has a meltdown in the pharmacy trying to get his perscription..

[@Nicholasmcmath-cr1xl]

Same it’s is such a shame

[@hothotheat3000]

The ONLY reason I’m seeing this is Denzel. Gladiator does not need a sequel.

[@edwingoodson8820]

@@hothotheat3000 You're definitely gonna waste your time, I wish I can get mine time back.

[@ClassyCharity]

Completely agree with you Dan. It felt like a copy paste of the original to me minus a few CGI characters and Denzel of course. I was a little underwhelmed

[@musicmashups]

I like Denzel's performance a lot but the character is so paper thin. Doesn't hold a candle to Phoenix's Commodus. Acacius is the best character but isn't in the film for long enough.

[@alkirehomevideos]

On the Hans Zimmer note - his Pirates score is so similar to his Gladiator score (and arguably better known than his Gladiator work) that I wonder if he felt it would be instantly compared to his Pirates scores and be a distraction. The main action themes for both movies are almost interchangeable in their similarity.

[@Vulcanerd]

Holy crap, I feel a special kinship with Dan now knowing he didn’t think the first movie was all that either.

[@benzaiten933]

I also could never understand the undying devotion the first one evoked in many. it was a good and entertaining movie, but not the standout many made it be.

[@iforgot87872]

@@benzaiten933I just think the story is a great pitch.

[@avlsoc]

I have always thought it was overrated too!

[@kozzArt]

It's a mid Scott. And I love Ridley and think he is highly underrated.

[@marcochen9117]

@@benzaiten933among action historical epics, i think it is worthy of being labelled as one of the best. But action historical epics are my favorite genre and I do recognize that they are mostly production/visual spectacles with great action set pieces with great scores. Looking broadly, even gladiator and braveheart that are best picture winners are only like 60-70s in metacritic and 70s in rt with averages of like 7ish, not exactly screaming universal acclaim.

[@JeanDoeShow]

Loved the first movie, but was greatly dissapointed with the second one unfortunately.

[@k.w.a118]

Your intuition is spot on (for me at least). The first Gladiator is one of my all time favourite movies and I consider this movie as great too, just not as good as the first. I agree with the things you said about possible improvements to this movie. I generally think movies go for too long but for this one I wish it was 30 minutes longer and had the breathing room to fill in gaps that I thought the story needed.

[@k.w.a118]

To not go insane I'm gonna leave my little internet footprint here. I don't like all the comments I see about this being a copy of the original as being a negative. It plays with the themes of destiny and feels very appropriate the way it played out. There was enough elements in this and a progression forward to feel like it was worth telling this story. The only issue was since there was such a juggling of so many things the movie wanted to do they needed to commit to a longer run time. Here's holding out hope for a kingdom of heaven(esque) extended cut for gladiator 2...

[@newguyiswinning]

Imagine blaming Zimmer for not wanted to do an unneeded sequel

[@alexmaverick6647]

People want to criticize Denzel’s accent, but do they think that people were speaking English with a British accent in Ancient Rome like all the other characters do?

[@AndriyValdensius-wi8gw]

Romans and British accents may owe a lot to Shakespeare and England's theatrical legacy. The 1950s Joseph L Mankiewicz b&w production of "Julius Caesar" was very famous in its day. I think Marlon Brando as Mark Anthony was the only (?) American actor in it, and even he put on an English accent (as did Joaquin Phoenix in the first Gladiator). Assuming you won't have actors speaking Latin, with subtitles, like in "Passion of the Christ" the next best thing is an English accent. I'm sorry, but an American accent in an ancient costume, just grates. It's like finger nails on a blackboard. See also : John Wayne as Genghiz Khan. That was an old Hollywood movie. Or John Wayne as the Roman centurion next to the crucified Christ : "Truly, this was the son of Gaaaaaaaad." Ergh.😢 PS I haven't seen this movie and I won't. Macrinus (Denzel Washington) does have an American accent but it's quite subdued from the trailer I've seen and it's not obtrusive. Some reviewers say Washington is the best actor in it. I can believe that. The problem with this movie isn't Denzel Washington or his accent. It's got problems far more fundamental than that.

[@Nirual]

Plenty of people, including myself , complain about the fact that there are British accents in movies about Roman or Greek times.

[@marcochen9117]

The worst thing about the score is that gregson williams track "strength and honor" is a pretty damn good original score that uses one motif from the original zimmer track, BUT WAS NOT USED IN THE MOVIE. it was used in the end credits! There were some obvious moments to use it but it just wasn't there. Its on youtube and was advertised in their score featurette. I think the first half had a lot of original score that was pretty good though.

[@ziggy8253]

“ARE YOU MILDLY ENTERTAINED?!”

[@SydneyTravellersGuide]

This movie was held together by Denzel. If he wasn't on screen. This movie would have been EFFING zzzzzzzzz.

[@jekw23]

I liked it but didn’t love it. My friends nearly disowned me. I still remember them gushing about it outside the cinema about it being the best movie since the dawn of time. Me saying “yeah it was good” stopped the conversation dead. I’m pretty sure they would have told me to get out if we hadn’t just already walked outside.

[@historygems1190]

I released a podcast about it yesterday and we said virtually the same thing even the fact that the music was a notable step down - love your work 👍🏻

[@bsaneil]

A fantasy movie with vaguely Roman costumes and fictional characters who happen to have the same names as some actual romans. Macrinus wasn't a former slave or a sub-Saharan African, he came from a well to do Roman family of Berber origin. Caracalla was older than Geta, hated and eventually murdered his brother, was half North African and a tough, bear of a man. His nickname 'Caracalla' was never used outside his immediate family. Lucilla died long before the film's assumed date of 210 AD. I'm not sure where the ridiculously complex fortification the ships were attacking is supposed to be, but it looks more like something from a 90's platform video game than a real walled city in the Classical period. But apart from that it was quite good. Well, actually, it wasn't...

[@Tokru86]

Yeah, historically the movie is very wrong in multiple ways. The timeline doesn't add up. Like at all. Lucius would have been in his forties by the time of Caracalla's rule but the movie says he is 28. The topography of Rome, the city layout etc. is also completely wrong. It looks great as a "Fantasy-Rome" from a distance but that's it.

[@austincnadeau]

Leave it to a critic like Dan to explain what I can’t explain for myself. There were so many epic moments in this film but each facet seemed to be lacking in some small capacity. I saw this film and was wowed at so many moments but each time i was somewhat settled in my seat because i felt set up for more than I was given. Not to say the film didn’t have certain oscar qualities but for each amazing moment that hit me there were just as many, “that could’ve been a little better.” Dan been watching you for a decade and i so appreciate how well thought out yet succinct your reviews are.

[@paulgermano7837]

I had a good time seeing Gladiator 2 and can tell Denzel had a lot of fun with his role.

[@aledelgaraje]

You broke me with the last part of "on this video or the next"😂😂😂

[@jessrl8025]

Thanks you for your review! I'm looking forward to this one despite my disappointment in Scott's last few movies

[@boyceevans917]

Did anyone notice how *well fed* most of the actors looked in this movie. Besides his poor acting, the main character’s modern era gym +nutrition body really took me out of it😂

[@TylerG13]

I am also a defender of Toni Collette. She should’ve won for Hereditary. She could absolutely be nominated for her performance in Juror #2.

[@panamared72]

I’m seeing it this Friday. I too the day off and it’s supposed to be in the 60’s in south Florida so I’m looking forward to it

[@edwingoodson8820]

Don't waste your time

[@melaniesunukjian]

Gladiator is my favorite film - partly from nostalgia, as we taxied to the only English movie theatre in Rome after touring the Colosseum to see it in summer 2000 - so I'm sure I went in too excited. It was a little too over-the-top for me - sharks, monkey fangs, & Denzel's costume adjusting - oh my! I agree that Paul Mescal did fine, but has more range than the writing allowed. And where the original was nuanced, subtle, and had gradual build, this one was...not. From screaming at your long-lost mother to leave your cell to hugging and not wanting to lose her was too dramatic of a pendulum swing in too little time. And thank you for saying that not all of Denzel's acting choices were good ones. I love almost everything I've seen him do, but it seems like he walked onto the set without rehearsing and everybody just let him do what he wanted because he's "Denzel." His line delivery was distracting at times, his gestures/body language was often weird and unnatural, and it felt like he was chewing the scenery in every scene that he had a speaking part. You can attribute it to his crazy character, but watch a few of his recent interviews and it seems like that is how operates in real life. Joaquin Phoenix's Commodus is still one of the best villains in movie history and was the Masterclass Denzel didn't know he needed. I saw someone online mention Oscar buzz for Mr. Washington, but I think he ruined the film. Can't believe I'm saying that out loud, but there it is... Maximus, I was not entertained.

[@lolamalu]

This is the best comment!

[@szotakandrei]

They did re-use now we are free. I said the best part of the movie was the music from the first. An absolutely unnecessary sequel.

[@ohcaptainmycaptain771]

Fantastic open.

[@P5A100]

I haven't seen the first Gladiator (too young) so I'm glad to know I really should watch it before seeing this one

[@ZachBobBob]

Yeah I liked this movie but it agree it did feel cut down and over-edited. Every time I was getting into the action scenes it felt like they'd suddenly just end. The CGI animals were quite distracting too. Denzel really carried the movie imo, Mescal let me down a little but I feel like he was underwritten I don't really blame him.

[@dri1811ya]

I agree the arena scenes felt too short. Weird to say this about a 2.5hr movie but it can go longer.

[@ZachBobBob]

@dri1811ya The water/ship one especially. I feel like that one ended just as it was getting really good

[@arturius9715]

It was insane how they revealed who Lucius's father was in the trailer.

[@mchoneyofficial4761]

I was really surprised when I heard this movie was being made (Gladiator didn't need a sequel). Now that I've seen it, I'm still perplexed as to why it was made. 5/10.

[@bryanheilman4376]

That opening was just damn hilarious! And earned you a sub!

[@woodearthdvd]

I thought it is more an “It’s Fine” level and a missed opportunity to have the original Lucius actor reprised his role. He is the right age too.

[@rochesterproducers8847]

Only a dozen plaid shirts?

[@sagenev]

He's away for a couple of days, probably only counted what he packed.

[@omargonzales3]

I click away when you said that the two emperors are fine replacements for Commodus…no thanks. Good day.

[@ΕΥΘΥΜΙΟΣΚΑΛΙΤΣΟΣ]

Macrinus - Marcus Aurelius aint got shit on me

[@sagenev]

Thanks for the pants, Dan! is probably not something you thought you'd hear today. Got a pair, they seem great.

[@travisspazz1624]

Wicked getting a better review than Gladiator was not on my bingo card!

[@Erasureeraser]

To be fair, if you compare both movies' marketing, you can tell which one looks interesting and better. Also look at the track record of both directors, Ridley Scott is very hit and miss these days, whereas Jon M. Chu's last movie was an incredible musical so it shouldn't be a surprise that he hit another jackpot with an iconic musical

[@travisspazz1624]

@800Ms-k6n the trailers made wicked look unwatchable to me 🤷‍♂️

[@paulsidhuUK]

Loved this intro!

[@AeroDude73]

Seeing it Monday night (9:45pm!) in my Dolby Atmos theater.

[@mandikennedy7587]

I'm absolutely astounded this movie's not being panned. Script was terrible. Looked cheap in places. Character motivations changed over night. I liked all of the actors fine, and wasn't bored. I really liked Denzel and the crazy emperor brothers. I found it fine if you looked at it like a stupid comedy, but I do not think that it was intentional...I only expected to see critics saying nothing good about it.

[@lolamalu]

Trust me, people are already roasting the movie, and with good reasons! Search for more reviews and you will be entertained😂

[@clarissa182]

That intro was fantastic. 🤣

[@honestlykyle]

I thought the movie was pretty mid, but I loved being transported back to that time period and getting the opportunity to see ancient Rome in all of its glory. The ariel shots of the city are absolutely breathtaking.

[@OoOd4v3OoO]

Hans Zimmer: "If I have to do the Gladiator/Pirates of the Caribbean theme one more time, I swear to God"

[@billiethefrenchie]

100% felt Hans Zimmer’s absence. The first film had intensity but also, heart. This one actually felt too heavy without any relief. I enjoyed it but I just felt bad - not the hope I felt with the first. I’ll never forget the emotions I felt when “Now We are Free” played for the first time. Never had that moment with the sequel.

[@LucyLu_meztli]

Gotta love Dan’s intros, this one is sooo spot on, lol 🤭😅😂🤣🫠

[@tesorotesoro1654]

Saw the film last night , same old story when it comes to making a sequel, boring , predictable ,just a rubbish film compared to the first ....

[@NicoBlackwolf]

Dan, you were WAY nicer about this film than I was. I did not enjoy this movie, it was very lackluster & pandering, in my opinion. Poor character development, no chemistry between many of the characters, bad cgi animals, and “meh” tan-brown landscape cinematography made me wish the movie was under 2 hours. I can’t believe you gave it anything better than “it’s fine.” I guess it just wasn’t for me. 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@PLaw-jg6ht]

Love the introduction

[@RustyRagesRegularly]

That was a damn good opening Dan!

[@Dames529]

That intro was 👌🏿 Those are some big shoes 👞 to fill!

[@firefly4f4]

I wasn't a fan of the tan/yellow color grading. It made everything looked washed out which hid some of the details. In particular, it made it difficult for me to tell the difference between Paul and Pedro.

[@Tonyoung55]

I gave it a 6 out of 10. It just came across ok and the 3rd act just fell apart. The guy playing the lead just didn’t do it for me. Movie also didn’t feel epic

[@jarosbodytko6462]

Saw it yesterday and enjoyed it a lot. I feel like the general consensus hits it right: it’s a good Gladiator movie, but it definitely isn’t as good as the original. But overall very enjoyable, I really liked the references and callbacks to the first movie as well as the opening credits.

[@BankMoviegoer]

Prepare to say Defender of Demi Moore, Dan! It's gonna happen again this year!

[@jasonraschen1109]

Awesome & hilarious intro Dan. Thanks for this review. I'm going to try and see this on Friday. However, I have a family thing this weekend too. So might see it Thanksgiving weekend instead.

[@TC-by3il]

I always appreciate Dan's reviews, but calling the CGI animals just 'a little cartoony' is the understatement of the year. They looked horrible and were completely unnecessary for the most part. I actually think the original Gladiator had better CGI, simply due to the fact that it was sparsely used and you didn't notice it. Here, the effects felt like they belonged in a different movie all together.

[@jonathancurran5366]

Agree I don't know why CGI has gotten worse after a quarter of a century.

[@jonathancurran5366]

Agree I don't know why CGI has gotten worse after a quarter of a century.

[@TC-by3il]

@@jonathancurran5366 Legitimately. These movies cost hundreds of million of dollars and they have CGI that looks like it was made 20 years ago. Heck, Jurrasic Park was much more convincing and that featured dinosaurs.

[@jonathancurran5366]

@@TC-by3il the Jurassic movies are another case in point of the CGI being better in the first than in subsequent movies.

[@Tokru86]

The rhino and the sharks were fine, but the apes .... these should be seriously cut from the movie. They were atrociously bad and over the top.

[@fredlusyk6741]

《Gladiator Deux: Folie à Maximus》 ...Pedrian Pascalius as "Marcus Acacius"...? ...now i'm even more excited for... 《The Fantasticus Fourelius》 ...and... 《The Manjorian & Groligula》 👽 🖖 🤖 ...and i can't wait for the Gladiator Prequel... 《Gladiator Maximinus One》

[@loganlo-fi8793]

"Gaps that make me think there was more shot than we're actually seeing" Yeah, they cut all of May Calamawy's scenes from the film

[@cardboard2night]

They also cut Denzel Washington kissing a man (Macrinus was supposed to be explicitly bisexual in the script).

[@Tokru86]

@@cardboard2night He still openly says in the movie that he likes both.

[@rocky5000100]

Saw two Pedro Pascal films today this and wild robot. Was surprised the film where he plays a talking fox was the film I enjoyed more.

[@nohomers27]

Fantastic opener 😂

[@waywardmind]

Best Dan intro, says I.

[@TheFilmFanEsco]

Gladiator, Goodfellas and Godfather Part II my all time favorite films. This is a tough one. Probably one of the weirdest sequels I’ve seen yet. This one wasn’t going to come near the first. The fact that they had decades to plan a good story that would honor Maximus is kinda lacking in the final result. Yes it’s kinda of there but at a price for the audiences nostalgia. I fear Top gun maverick encouraged Paramount Studios to push this one hard on nostalgia. But was it entertaining? Thumbs up