Historian REACTS to 'Gladiator II' Trailer

[@AlexArdenti]

I laughed so hard when he said “ aah yes, the old throw the dust in the eyes of a rhino trick” Brilliant!

[@GeoPePeTto]

I never understood this scenes. The wall was there before he threw dust in its face. He was going full speed anyway. Absurd, but entertaining nonetheless.

[@RobertOlds.630]

It's entertainment. People don't pay money to be educated. For most folks I've met, the Hollywood version is good enough.

[@jakobquick6875]

In the movie they explain… How Romes A.I. Came up with that defensive tactic… Works every time, every generation😂 Bloodsport…wait…didnt work😢 made him STRONGER somehow😅

[@luckyspurs]

Film turned into James and the Giant Peach for 5 seconds.

[@wambokodavid7109]

@@luckyspurs ahhh... someone who remembers that classic ✌🏿✌🏿

[@drzoidbergmd3200]

I think the North Africa bit was in Egypt. Just a vibe i was getting... Ok maybe the pyramids in the background gave it away

[@eyepatchpirate7726]

haha

[@dlpaul345]

pyramids were/are in more places than Egypt

[@Wulfrygg]

Tbh I thought is was the same place as in the first movie, look at the arena there and compare it to the one from the first movie. Looks pretty darn similar. So I'd wager Numidia, maybe Lybia.

[@TheOrangeRoad]

Yeah I wasn't quite sure if he was doing a bit here or something

[@Juanisheremdfk]

it might be the pyramid in Bosnia 🗿

[@MildPsychedelic]

I don't really get Caracalla's depiction. He was supposed to be a soldier Emperor who had little patience for politics and the court. The whole reason he was regarded as a bad Emperor was because he lavished the military, and absconded his duties as Emperor to go on campaign all the time. The depiction we see here looks more like John Hurt's Caligula from I, Claudius.

[@BruceBoyde]

It also just doesn't look anything like the depictions we have. While his general "gruffness" might have been exaggerated, he has a beard in every single adult depiction I could find.

[@MK-gv1wd]

i love the Severan dynasty because of their chaos, but yeah, this depiction is not... great.... But Ridley Scott is just not great at accuracy.

[@Horus1688]

@@MildPsychedelic I think you mean "eschewed" where you said "absconded"

[@ThutUPB]

If this was Elagabalus, then maybe ok...

[@MK-gv1wd]

@@ThutUPB Literally when I first saw the pics, I thought for sure one of them was Elagabalus. I don't follow any kind of entertainment news so I had no idea what the plan was. it confused me a lot when I saw one of them was Caracalla.

[@nowvoyaging8881]

(Rhino Enters) “Right. Okay. Yes. Um. Sooo…” British Historian Ennui summed up in one moment 😂

[@MK-gv1wd]

I burst out laughing at the rhinos too. I think I'll have to get SUPER DRUNK to watch it for funsies.

[@travisspazz1624]

Ridley wanted rhinos and the original. Cool full circle moment.

[@Сайтамен]

Someone watched Black panther...

[@Marveryn]

@@Сайтамен believe me if they could had figure out how to ride rhino the same way they figure out how to domesticate elephants. we would had rhino calvery.

[@jacksfacts20]

As much as I roll my eyes at sharks in the naumachia scene, I feel confident that the romans would've absolutely put sharks in if they could've. Edit: I'm going to summarize the point that everyone is making below. While there are great white sharks in Mediterranean. They had no way of transporting and sustaining sharks at that time, considering how difficult it is to transport large sharks using today's technology. Additionally, the colosseum was filled with fresh water from the Tiber, not sea water as Rome is not a coastal city. Saltwater fish have evolved to deal with sea water's high salt content by constantly drinking the water and excreting the excess salt through their gills and urine. This is the exact opposite adaptation used in freshwater fish which are trying to conserve the salt they collect. Putting a shark in freshwater would cause it to lose all its salt and die, and one of the few sharks that can survive in freshwater, the bull shark, isn't found along European coastlines and in the Mediterranean.

[@Lame_Duck]

sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads 😁😁😁

[@MK-gv1wd]

i laughed so hard at the sharks. It was so stupid and awesome.

[@olorin3815]

i imagine they filled water with aqueducts so idk if sharks would have survived

[@kevinhurley6919]

It would be impossible for sharks to have been in the coloseum. The water came from aquaducts meaning its fresh water.

[@kevinhurley6919]

​@@olorin3815it did come from aquaducts. It was the ones used to fill neros massive pool in front of his palace and after neros death the coloseum was built where the pool was. Archeologists have explored up the tunnel underneath the coloseum. Sharks would have died almost immediately

[@alexcanduci3824]

I can see the pitch to Denzel - "So Denzel, you'll be playing Macrinus, he becomes emperor after the death of Caracalla". "Great, so is he a great sexy, brooding military hero?" "Not quite - he was Caracalla's principal financial officer on campaign and became emperor after murdering Caracalla while Caracalla was on the toilet." “Hmm - rewrite that”.

[@gingercake0907]

If Denzel Washington wasn’t in the movie a lot of people wouldn’t even go to see it. They wrote a juicy character just for him and he played him like the top A list Actor he is.

[@johnsontamati8991]

Gladiator didn't need a second movie.

[@paillette2010]

@@johnsontamati8991 it barely needed a first

[@David0Perez0]

At leastvthey have done an smart historical based story and didn't resucitate the main character like in sooo many other movies that everybody watched (avengers, Fast&F, extraction, john wick anybody?)

[@ihavegymnastics]

Exactly.

[@hello7032]

I mean sure but we also didn’t need a first. But fuck it, rule of cool applied

[@JZsBFF]

There's nothing to add to the first, so I guess that it's just free-riding on the success of the title of the first. Most of the public aren't very picky anyway. Let's hope the production can survive on its own merits. Historical accuracy isn't an issue so for those who care about that, choose to pay the ticket anyway and are disappointed only have themselves to blame.

[@OgYokYok]

They need to do one of these “Historian Reacts” episodes for the Spartacus TV series, and then just show him every sex scene out of context and out of order.

[@carlyalakija4703]

They need Kate Lister as well for that

[@richardbradley2335]

i wasnt interested in watching the arena series but after they escaped i loved it.

[@OgYokYok]

@@richardbradley2335 The only drawback in the show was the real-life death of the hottest man on the planet. Aside from that, the show was way better than it had any business being. Quality throughout including the final season, makes it better than GoT in my book.

[@richardbradley2335]

@@OgYokYok GoT...over praised...it relied on sheer nastiness at times...guts /c word etc.

[@trubblegum5787]

Sooo many dongs...

[@bravao3233]

I fear this will change peoples perception of the original Gladiator which should have been left to age like a fine wine, It didn't need a sequel.

[@luckyspurs]

Do we know for certain Ridley Scott didn't just get Caligula and Caracalla mixed up. Given the casting.

[@theastral1909]

Very Caligula-esque, right?

[@CATDHD]

i won't be surprised, given the fact Ridley Scott doesn't read history books because "nobody really knows what happened" (Napoleon is an exhibit A)

[@kiely4561]

If we look back to the original gladiator Joaquin phoenix didn’t really look like commodus either, i think Ridley has always been loose with historical accuracy

[@lord-licht]

This just made me crack up so much, thank you. (I feel like that is...highly possible.)

[@nathanrussell-raby5460]

I worked with the Art Director of one of Ridley Scott's historical epics. She told me she had frequent disagreements with him over historical inaccuracies. Ridley settled things by telling her "we're not making a f***ing documentary."

[@tearsong8744]

To be fair I see his point. He's interested in what looks good on screen and telling a good story because that's what brings audiences to the theatres. As a history nerd though I do appreciate when filmmakers try to get the details right.

[@bsaneil]

@@tearsong8744 He stretched this point rather too much with Napoleon though. To make a movie and just call it 'Napoleon' implies that it is to be a definitive version of his life and career. Sadly it was anything but. Often Ridley gets something wrong when in fact the authentic version would have been more interesting and more of a spectacle.

[@tearsong8744]

@ I haven’t seen it so I’ll have to take your word for it. If you’re open to providing some spoilers would you elaborate further? You’ve got me curious now.

[@tearsong8744]

@@bsaneil lol, Hollywood does love that grey filter. Thank you for the link I’m looking forward to seeing what the reviewer has to say.

[@PhillipBlackburn-ik5bb]

He's right though

[@ahmedfouda5500]

The 'mound of mud with sticks on the side' is also commonly present in Egypt as rural pigeon coops. Still used till today

[@rajeshVengadesan]

So Egyptians pegion coups are more sophisticated than african ,rings tombs

[@ArseniyShved]

as hinted by the Pyramids just behind the 'sticky mud', there is a possibility it IS Egypt =)))

[@IK3A]

A prequel would have been better about Maximus and his origins to becoming a general.

[@TobyLarwood]

Yes, yes ,yes ,yes Brilliant idea.

[@MiguelParajon-m7v]

Would have been great. His family fighting against the Celts in Iberia.

[@donnabecker9724]

And the romance and conception of Lucius. Unfortunately Russell Crowe would be far too old and fat to play Maximus.

[@gingercake0907]

@@donnabecker9724 You would need an A list actor to play Marcus Aurelius to get people into the theater and I can’t think of any. In fact I would dare say if they hadn’t gotten Denzel Washington to play in the movie a lot of people wouldn’t go to see it. No offense to the actor who played the gladiator, but he had no charisma.

[@spitfire4sergi]

Until Spielberg’s Stanley Kubrick Napoleon series comes out, I’ve just given up all hope. I still think Dan Snow secretly wants to punch Ridley Scott in the face for duping him and all of us into having any shimmer of hope for Napoleon to be accurate in any way prior to it’s release.

[@LannLannister]

Nobody cares about any of that 😂 spielberg is trash, and Napoleon wasn't supposed to be a history channel episode anyway.

[@mozer8035]

Yesss !!! I held off to excitedly watch Napoleon and it was soooo horrible I just lost interest and didn't even finish the last third of the film. It reminded me of that Rock me Amadeus vibe. This looks at least equally as bad.

[@LannLannister]

@@mozer8035 when your level of Cinema is Teletubbies & Finding Nemo, of course it's bad 😂 embarrassing to say the least. Go sleep

[@tomtruyens7998]

"I wonder if it's a nod to the historical..." It isn't. It's what Ridley Scott had laying about.

[@Hykje]

Cassius Dio is also known for a collection of poems called "Holius Diveus".

[@MarkBeezBlogs]

😂

[@jliller]

Qui rokit rokes?

[@darrenjosephgregory]

The real question is do the sharks have fricking laser beams?

[@digitaljanus]

Of course, Caracalla believes every animal deserves a warm meal!

[@meandmyEV]

No but they arrive via tornado.

[@austinatcheson1303]

They are certainly ill tempered

[@firingallcylinders2949]

I have a feeling Pedro and Denzel will do their best to carry this movie, but it'll probably struggle to be good and get a Napoleon like criticism for Scott again.

[@coldworld5]

Denzel is playing Denzel. Terrible choice.

[@thunderboltproductionsshpk]

​@@coldworld5i love Ridley and im all in for this, but yeah, denzel is a terrible choice unfortunately...his mannerism and facial expressions are phenomenal, the problem is when he talks, like wth?!

[@dguthrie1]

@@coldworld5man shut up

[@Nickeltony]

I highly doubt that

[@evanwalker3513]

You underestimate Paul Mescal. He’s a legitimately great actor and will be a star if this movie does well at the box office.

[@TobyLarwood]

I'm not going to pretend that I know anything about the Roman Empire becase I don't, however I love Gladiator (it's my 3rd favorite film of all time and I was done watching it through for the seventh time before ths trailer came out) it's one of the most beautiful films ever made. I am also very into films and story structures as well as detailed critisizm. After watching this trailer twice, in my own opinion (compared to it's predecessor) this looks like absoulute glossed up nonsense which is sad because thats a harsh truth that adorns many modern films. The first film (while by no means historically accurate in any regard) was perfectly fit together into a masterpiece. The cinematogrophy, the composition, the locations, the dilouge, the goals and intentions, the theme, the characterisation and the music (I listen to Now we are free at least once every day it's such a beautiful piece of music, speaking of which who puts a slowed rapper's corus as the theme to a trailer about the Roman Empire) it all just fits together like a jigsaw creating a perfect image, one of a Father/Husband's undbounded love for his Wife and Son. This just looks like they took all the epicness, special effects, CGI and Sound effects they had availble and crammed it all into the same jar and forced the lid on. Now I obviously haven't seen the film, none of us have yet. But based on what this trailer is offering for the film, it feels dissapointing. P.S When the Gladiator riding the Rhino entered the frame, I was laughing histerically because it felt like the Tigris of Ghaul from the first movie (don't worry I know that he is probably dead by this point) walked back into the Colleseum and was like 'Hello boys, I'M BACK!!'.

[@shaunmclorie5929]

Ridley Scott is the biggest hack going. Whatever magic he managed to make with the original gladiator he's long since lost, this looks even more stupid than Napoleon

[@JayzsMr]

I mean he is almost 90 , for sure everything he once had is long gone

[@skycat04]

Lmfao get a life.

[@TheSleepyowlet]

What magic??? The first Gladiator movie was an ahistorical mess and everyone who knew even a _little_ about the actual history hated it. I was an Ancient History student back then and we had a weekend class about it. Literally none of us liked it.

[@ArgenYargen]

@@TheSleepyowlet The film is great, despite the ahistorical aspects of it. Why are you going to Hollywood films for accurate depictions of anything? It's about being entertained.

[@TheSleepyowlet]

@@ArgenYargen If you make a film about history *and advertise it as historically accurate and well-researched* it better fucking be, aye? The first Mummy film by Stephen Summers wasn't advertised as historically correct at all, but they actually did their research to the point of characters actually speaking Ancient Egyptian. Gladiator also wasn't even a fun movie. Once Marcus Aurelius was dead, good writing and acting had left the chat.

[@stevenhiestand3520]

I am so glad that trailers now tell me when they start. Previously I would click on one and an ad would play. This would confuse me to no end. "Why are they wearing Hokas in Ancient Rome? Do the characters in A Quiet Place only use meal delivery services?"

[@domagojgreguric6957]

17:55 I love how he laughs at seeing emperor Geta going absolutely ham, basically bringing Commodus' madness to a new level. What a fun experience it must've been for the actors to play the young emperors...

[@TheColonelKlink]

Hollywood never gets history right. Even the original Gladiator was full of mistakes and nonsense but at least it looked good, had compelling characters and was entertaining. Now even entertainment is outside of Hollywood's wheelhouse.

[@ISawABear]

Alexander would like to have a word.

[@abedmick2267]

Bro at least watch the movie

[@tearsong8744]

My first thought when I found out they were making Gladiator 2 was "Hollywood must be getting desperate if they are trying to capitalize on the popularity of a film released decades ago."

[@wizarddragon]

@@tearsong8744 Gladiator 2 started shooting 20 years ago but it got canceled due to the Iraq War. Do you people ever do an once of research before you become internet snowflakes?

[@OliverTwist1898]

It’s not about getting it right. They don’t care. It’s a good movie.

[@carlyalakija4703]

So originally Joseph Quinn was playing Caracalla BUT 3 weeks ago the names without any announcements got switched because the IDMB/interviews got changed and personally I still think he’s technically playing Caracalla because he seems more psychotic and more like the one controlling the empire compared to Fred Hechinger who just seems happy to be there (I mean did replace Barry Keoghan)

[@ethancoster1324]

Would make sense given Quinn is the older of the two.

[@sebastianmaharg]

I agree, but it was clearly stated in the Vanity Fair piece. I doubt they got that wrong.

[@3rdsmite766]

I love how this guy is very down to earth and isn't snarky or pessimistic against movies like this just because of the historical inaccuracy, I do appreciate historical accuracy, but this is still entertainment and you should view it as such, u'll have way more fun ;)

[@TheSquad4life]

Yes he’s been gracious and that’s difficult for lots of academics

[@hannibalb8276]

​@@TheSquad4life no its not

[@luckyspurs]

I do think sadly they were wrong at the end of the last video when they said it was be a box office hit. But yes, like the optimism.

[@lord-licht]

Would love a Historian Reacts for the whole movie at some point! PLEASE

[@1chadbook]

I will remain very skeptical after seeing Napoleon. The trailer for Napoleon made the movie to look better than it actually was. That movie had so much potential and most of it was based off of his relationship with Josephine. So disappointed in that. When a movie comes out on one of the greatest military strategists of all time, we expect more battle scenes than the small clips we got in that movie. At the end of that movie, I honestly wanted my money back. Lol I really hope Gladiator II makes up for it. 🤞

[@cardroid8615]

@@1chadbook you're going to be so very disappointed

[@Keeper_Lock]

I switched Napoleon off more woke tripe

[@TexanAstarte]

Definitely made Josephine look far more important than she actually was.

[@wallythewondercorncake8657]

And the battle scenes were awful too.

[@LannLannister]

Battle scenes were absolutely EPIC and stunning, visually speaking that movie was top tier level, cinematography, colour grading, superbly directed from a technical point of view, sure the writing was not as good as the visuals but those 3/4 battles were epic to see on screen nonetheless. Gladiator II looks epic too, lets hope the writing is alla par with the visuals.

[@mammajamma4397]

I can't get past Pedro Pascal looking like he's headed to watch a NASCAR race in every role he plays, regardless of time period or location.

[@jakoporeeno4654]

I remember a good comment from a critical video of 'Napoleon': "Turns out the guy who had Commodus fighting to his death in the arena isn't that good at the whole history thing".

[@Nozylatten]

Somethings should be left alone.

[@SterfGoogle]

That's what I'm thinking, yeah..

[@TheOrangeRoad]

I said that after watching Prometheus.

[@TheSquad4life]

I agree , leave that classic alone . Maybe make another movie set in that era but not a part 2

[@fleatight8221]

There was a slave riot in rome 73 B.C. most people know the name of the "leader" of this riot, Spartacus. This could be a very interesting topic, even though it is a bit earlier. In those times the romans had a few slave riots, Spartacus was only the most famous I belive, so lots of potential stories, even with a relatively similar premise.

[@asterixdogmatix1073]

@@fleatight8221 Why tell the Spartacus story again? The Kirk Douglas movie and more recent raunchy TV series has already been done.

[@dorothyevans3864]

Maybe the Greek helmet and siege tower on the ship were specific to please the emperors, given the fascination with Alexander. And if it’s not a named battle the organisers could and would, presumably, borrow from any period of their history. Them’s my theories and I’ll happily believe them when I’m watching the film. I can’t wait either! 😊

[@peepeevs]

Historian: "This typical artcitecture of this mud hut potruding with straw-like stuctures suggests this might be taking place in North-Africa somewhere" Me, seeing the giant pyramids in the background: "You don't say.."

[@Gillemear]

As with all historical blockbuster movies, the historical accuracy is all over the place. Best to think of them as alternative history or being in a parallel universe. I find it helps

[@dim391]

Good strategy. And yet, some gullible, naive, and/or pseudo-intellectual people will believe it’s true just because it’s shown in a movie 😒😑

[@poopoosplatter99]

​@@dim391this is the problem. 10 years from, Alfred the Great will probably be black in movies and 10 years after that, people will believe it. Sick of it

[@giacomoskeate5468]

"Excuse me, mate, were you there? No? Well, shut the fuck up then." - Ridley Scott

[@bikeanddogtripsvirtualcycling]

most people would assume the 1:42 part to be in Egypt due to the pyramids in the background

[@DrTerryBooth]

Didn't realise they had diesel back then. Useful for the explosions though.

[@swunt10]

It's called greek fire.

[@Samuelsnowdon-l7y]

@@swunt10 not with romans at that tim this aint eastern roman empire aka Byzantium

[@swunt10]

@@Samuelsnowdon-l7y Greek fire is quit old, also they did use petrol bombs and stuff like that. perfectly plausible.

[@michelleg7]

Well the costumes are one of the first wrong things, yikes. We all know that they didn't wear leather that was black or white like that. Just absurd.

[@trudibrown4772]

I was also intrigued by the two brothers wearing heavy make up. I know ancient Egyptian men wore cosmetics, but have never heard of Roman men doing the same.

[@pabloznotti6883]

macrinus was of berber ancestry, he was not subsaharan African.

[@PoloGo]

It's that descriptor "African" that they continue to distort; they have done the same with Augustine of Hippo.

[@d-SonOfWill]

Except he didn’t say he was from subsaharan African. He said he was from North Africa and Cherchell Algeria is where Macrinus is believed to have been born.

[@smyers9052]

@@d-SonOfWillI think the complain here is that Algerian Berbers overwhelmingly do not look like this. Quickly googling Algerian Amizagh and reading about the history of the Berber people, and the genetic history of North Africa more broadly is worthwhile. Casting him as a Black man is as inaccurate as casting him as a Swede. The notion that indigenous African people are by necessity “Black” is just another example of Western ignorance.

[@markmorris7123]

​@@smyers9052but wasn't North Africa more black at this time,,, Pre Arab conquest?? I don't know,, just guessing

[@smyers9052]

@@markmorris7123 It was less Black because before the Arab conquest was also before the Islamic slave trade. Of course, it depends on where you’re talking about. Mauritania is North Africa, as I understand that and to an extent parts of Morocco have always been more of a mix. But the ancestral Berber population is not Black. Their ancestors - who are best represented by the Guanches of the Canary Islands - migrated back to Africa much later in human history. If you look up the Canary Islanders or the Amizagh of Algeria or Tunisia - who are not Arab - you’ll have a good sense for what I’m referring to. The Arab conquest brought a ton of population churn to North Africa and the Sahel, as did colonialism. Those were major factors in bringing more ethnic diversity to North Africa. Of course, there have always been Black people in those places as well, don’t misunderstand. But the genetic record shows less, not more, in ancient times.

[@travisspazz1624]

Joesph Quinn is indeed playing Caracalla. Fred Hechinger plays Geta.

[@ethancoster1324]

And yet on IMDB it's the other way around? A typo perhaps?

[@travisspazz1624]

@@ethancoster1324 interesting, got my info on the letterboxd page.

[@sebastianmaharg]

Not according to the Vanity Fair "first look" editorial.

[@Panthror]

Am I the only one confused by a historian not noticing Denzel incorrectly using the term 'Colosseum' in the trailer? No one at that time would've called it that, as it was known as the Flavian Amphitheater to them.

[@TheSquad4life]

Oh yeah I caught that too but just an over sight 🤷‍♂️

[@websurfer8670]

The general public dont know what the fuck that means

[@gradynick]

Why would it be referred to as something that no one in the audience would recognize?

[@Panthror]

I get why in the movie they would call it the Colosseum, the point is that the historian didn't talk about its actual name.

[@ALT3REDB3AST]

And yet Proximo called it the coliseum in the first movie. Just stop.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

How would the Romans have caught and transported live sharks ? The Colosseum was also fresh water not salt. Records indicate they may have had Crocodiles in the water though.

[@whyjnot420]

Fresh water will not kill a saltwater species immediately just because it swims in it. It will end up causing it, but not immediately. Also, freshwater sharks are very much a thing. Not giant great white looking sharks, but still freshwater sharks do very much exist.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

@@whyjnot420 I'm Australian, I know several species are capable of tolerating brackish water. How do you think the Romans caught and transported large sharks 2000yrs ago in oxygenated salt water without killing them ? Think about it, it's even difficult NOW !!

[@PortilloMoment]

@@whyjnot420 They do indeed exist. However, many sharks are notoriously fragile in terms of transportation and the Bull Shark, the only shark that fits the bill (maneater, freshwater tolerant) is found quite some way from Rome, the closest being parts of the Persian Gulf and off the coast of what is now Morocco and Western Sahara. Not that Rome didn't get around - we know there were animal catching expeditions that went past Roman boundaries - but this is too much of a stretch. The crocodile thing is correct though (I think) but it's 30 years or more since I was at uni.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

@@PortilloMoment Thank you for the extra detail. I didn't bother typing it all out, as I sensed I was talking to someone who had a very poor grasp of the logistics..

[@whyjnot420]

@@PortilloMoment Yeah, the transportation aspect is the real kicker. I completely agree with questioning that part of the movie, hence why I didn't touch it.

[@CL-kn1rq]

Can't see another comment addressing this but amphitheatre in trailer has wooden poles on it for canvas that the Romans hung between the poles for shade, so it's a trivial thing but I'm disappointed they did not hang canvas.

[@luckyspurs]

Tristan on the previous video: "just don't do naval battle re-enactments in the Colosseum". Oh.

[@calvinogden9127]

Ok now do a Ridley Scott reacts to this video video.

[@GeraldH-ln4dv]

I knew there were going to be problems as soon as I heard that they were making a sequel. Scott already went off the historical rails by having young Lucius Verus still alive. He died very young, before Commodus became emperor. Never mind the historical inaccuracy of Commodus' death. And I was certain that there was no way Scott (and screenwriter David Scarpa who helped Scott turn Naopleon's story into a romance) was going to do justice to the Year of Five Emperors or the end result being the short-lived but at least longer Severan dynasty.

[@absolutelypositivelyme]

I smiled when I saw the rhino because it was like "good for him, he got to do what he couldn't before."

[@saidtoshimaru1832]

12:32 - "Ah, yes, the throw dust infront of the rhino trick".

[@djbillybopdjbillybop2817]

Clever Clogs, the reason why Lucius (Paul Mescal) threw the dust or sand is because Rhinos have bad eyesight.

[@modestlyneutral]

I am so glad you guys made this video! Was hoping you would

[@carlhassler5336]

"Probably Numidia" - seemingly ignores the giant pyramids in the background.... ;P

[@gorkat260]

It does not necessarily mean the same scene location. As not every city or town is always Rome.

[@smyers9052]

In the movie, it is Numidia

[@carlhassler5336]

@@smyers9052 Ah of course, its right by the Giza-level pyramids in Numidia,. I can't believe i forgot those.....

[@smyers9052]

@@carlhassler5336 Lol, I don’t have an explanation for the pyramids in the background of that shot. But what I can tell you is that a cursory review of the film’s plot will make it clear that, in fact, the story does take place in Numidia.

[@carlhassler5336]

@@smyers9052 I can understand that The province of Numidia (being right next to the province of Africa proconsularis; the home province of the Septimians) would heavily feature in the movie. But it having any pyramids seems dubious. If these movie producers want to show any semblance of historicity then I hope to god this particular scene is unrelated and does not depict Numidia.

[@ImNotGregGraffin]

I want to watch a film that depicts that construction of an ancient coliseum. That would be sick!

[@xwiirastusx]

Golden armour I could understand, but why are Caracalla and Geta wearing such gawdy makeup?

[@sebastianmaharg]

I think R. Scott wants to blend them into the character of emperor Elagabalus.

[@theastral1909]

Its possibly also a nod to the madness of the film 'Caligula'

[@tastygravy6880]

Caracalla was a large man, bearded and a former soldier, at first I thought they were potraying Nero but it didn't match with the time period.

[@Nilboggen]

I don't know if Hans Zimmer was busy this time around or something, but I really hope the movie doesn't have rap music during the arena scenes. Hopefully that was just for the trailer while the score is being completed (fingers crossed). I don't dislike rap music or anything it just seems out of place here.

[@noreligionisthebestreligion]

Well I don't think that ancient Roman music was close to Hans Zimmer either

[@Nilboggen]

@@noreligionisthebestreligion That is actually a pretty good point.

[@kassi420]

It’s just a trailer… the original trailer wasn’t Zimmer either they used Conan The Barbarian - The Anvil of Crom (I remember because when I heard the song playing with the Universal logo I thought they were going to show a trailer for Conan 3 then I saw Russell Crowe and I was like WTF…)

[@urszulabieganska2177]

Love your podcast and thanks for this commentary!

[@jjohnsonmarine]

Just what Tristan wanted.......naval battles in the Colosseum!!!!

[@nevisstkitts8264]

Echoes of water world

[@luckyspurs]

First thing I thought. It's literally in the first minute of the trailer.

[@Serenami98]

“Right… okay” when the rhino popped up lmaooooo, should we talk about the monkey with the modern dress and nappy? 😂😂😂

[@sar4806]

I was half expecting Denzel to be Septimius Severus tbh

[@Joel-bg3cf]

Netflix gladiator

[@icemanespoo2977]

Then you cound not have really white guys portraying his sons. Considering what has been written about the two emperors background the casting looks weird. Why not cast actors that would look believable if you claim them to be historical figures?

[@jangosavdjdubsak1079]

The Black Pope

[@seanbinkley7363]

@@icemanespoo2977 Yeah, all folks have to do is google "the Severan tondo" to see what the two brothers Carcalla and Geta would have looked like. Call me crazy but I'm skeptical a North African man and a Syrian woman would have two produced two pasty blond English boys.

[@Wulfrygg]

It get's more and more confusing because the timeline is the last thing they care about.

[@speedking1353]

Gladiator is one of the best ever movie experiences I ever had. I hope Gladiator 2 does not mess it up.🤔

[@landonweldy5468]

Fairly confident that Pedro and Paul will team up against their true foe

[@davidstrother496]

I'm glad you admit that this is Hollywood entertainment. If anyone out there really thought Gladiator was a documentary, they are really gullible. Same goes for Gladiator II. Probably will be entertaining, but not accurate as history.

[@feibdegrassi1646]

A movie can be entertaining and historical accurate. History itself is pretty much entertaining without change it.

[@dalic24]

I bet it's gonna be a shit show like napoleon

[@aleksandarmikovic9422]

There is a list of Roman emperors in Wikipedia, with their busts, and it is clear that Geta was not a child when he was killed by his older brother Karakala. Geta was 22 when he was killed. Also a look at the Macrinus bust tells us that he was caucasian.

[@blurkid33]

Cassius Dio described him as a “moor”.

[@martinvulu1848]

What race was 'Draba' in Spartacus? Or how about Juba in the OG with Crowe? Oh yeah, they were characters in WORKS of FICTION so them not being Italian wouldn't matter.

[@lisastanhope2403]

After Napoleon I’m expecting to see Lucius with a laptop and a mobile phone!

[@McVet3]

I hate when the pyramids get into walking around North Africa getting all in movies

[@Sanj1n]

I believe it’s for general audiences to understand that the scene is taking place in North Africa

[@MeHungy136]

I think Ridley Scott's issue is he hasn't adapted to the fact that pretty much everyone who's going to watch this movie has access to all the knowledge of the universe in their pockets. Gone are the days that you just rolled with what you saw on a film, because you didn't have all ten volumes of "The History of Rome" to fact check, and he needs to understand that dumb, jarring historical inaccuracies really takes people out of the experience and ruins what could be an incredible film, with amazing bits of subtle historical detail (like HBO Rome). I'm sure Ridley also has the knowledge of the universe in his pocket, so it just comes across as lazy when he willingly ignores these things.

[@gingercake0907]

I didn’t go to see the movie for historical accuracy because I knew it wasn’t going to be that. I went to see Denzel Washington play a Roman politician and he didn’t disappoint.

[@vigokarnebeek9856]

the rome 2 total war gastraphetes throwback made me crack up. i imediately thought of that. hahahah

[@RealTrentertainment]

Love Tristan and the Ancients! Love these reactions! I can't believe they made a sequel to Gladiator. I'm excited to see it!

[@SugarFreeMisery]

Numidians were not sub-saharan black, they would resemble modern day Algerians/Amazigh

[@websurfer8670]

No such thing as subsahran black

[@jimmyfingers227]

He's as much of an historian as I'm astronaut.

[@ConiiCeltici]

there are also the tuaregs tho

[@mrdeurknopp]

There were plenty of black Africans living in North Africa back then, there still are plenty still living in North Africa today, have a look at the Berbers for instance. North African demographics have been drastically altered by many events since that time, the Arab incursions for instance had a huge influence, populations would have been more diverse.

[@tlilmiztli]

@@mrdeurknopp The only problem is - we know exactly how Macrinus looked thanks to sculptures, coins... He didnt got black person features. Sure was probably dark skinned but looked nothing like Denzel. Funny you mentioned Berbers because Macrinus was indeed of that origin. And look how Berbers are portrait - they were not black - not all of them anyways. Neither Macrinus or King Massinissa whom Berbers consider their forefather looked black. I am sure Denzel will do a good job but fact is that black Macrinus is as truthful as riding rhinoceros.

[@OliverTwist1898]

It’s a movie. Loved it. Who cares about how accurate it is.

[@mrdozey7361]

Rhino's have a similar temperment to Labradors which makes this trailer all the more disturbing.

[@rotteneggconcept]

Rhinos don't charge people? you cant agitate a Rhinos overly judgemental shut up

[@edwardfletcher7790]

Hilarious...🙄

[@biseinerheult78]

A rhino sized Labrador would be absolutely deadly, though not on purpose!

[@annika5893]

Brilliant video, thank you. When I saw the water filled Colosseum, I was "yeah right, they had to do something this inaccurate...". And it's historically accurate, at least partially! And a friend of mine was certain the rhino scene was true of those times and we learn no, not quite like depicted here. So without your video, we would have been very wrong about the trailer.

[@Botrytis18]

This trailer shows exactly the kind of Hollywood movie making practice I hoped we have already got over with, it looks like a terrible sequel, over the top and it already appears to be all over the place storytelling-wise, just like the way Ridley Scott does in the last decade.

[@MFZ0dd]

I mean, Napoleon was trash so I don't expect this to be that great either. When was the last time Ridley made a good movie?

[@Botrytis18]

​@@MFZ0dd Probably The Last Duel, it had an interesting narrative. But historical movies never was the strongest genre from Ridley, even though from visual/cinematography aspect they are top-notch, but man, he just can't tell a straightforward story.

[@dan5626]

@@Botrytis18 MONEY!!!!!

[@redmed10]

Came here for the killer monkeys but got the trained rhino.

[@stephanottawa7890]

I might criticize the criticism. Even at the beginning Tristan is being very careful. He does not want to dismiss the intended africanism. The Romans living in Africa (which is a Latin word) lived as Romans. They would have built Roman structures and lived in Roman ways. What is associated with Black Africa today was not there and still is not. In fact the Moslem Arabs living there today are very anti-black and do not have any sort of architecture that resembles anything from south of the Sahara. This africanism is more for the American audience. The Romans in northern Africa were very Roman. In fact they maintained speaking Latin and many other Latin customs when the Romans in Latium or the area around Rome had been somewhat Hellenized.

[@smyers9052]

Most of the people living in Roman North Africa were either Punic descendants of the Phoenicians or Berbers, neither of which would be Black populations, though there would have been Black Africans as well. And yes, Romans living as Romans. North Africa was and is a multiethnic, multiracial mixing pot. There is anti-Black racism in that part of the world now, but it’s not because Black people are absent from that part of the world. Cursory review of the history would teach you this.

[@wambokodavid7109]

How can u be so wrong and loud at the same time😂😂the very building style u see ha called Egypt (which aint).the ones with sticks pointing out is actually a west african style that extends up north.also arabs only built mosques and bazars but most of thm live in tents....i get the "blacks"put u off but try to keep it in your pants

[@smyers9052]

@@wambokodavid7109 You need to watch again. There are pyramids in the background. The pyramids that would have existed in Algeria at this time looked very different.

[@smyers9052]

@@wambokodavid7109 Most Arabs do not live in tents. And West Africa is not the same as North Africa. Culturally or ethnically

[@stephanottawa7890]

@@wambokodavid7109 Sorry to say that since your English is so poor and disorganized, I really cannot respond to what you are trying to say. Would you care to try again?

[@mikegeyer4138]

lost me with the sharks ....ridiculous. might as well be sharknado at that point

[@Ash_Hudson]

How on earth would the Romans have been able to transport sharks and keep them alive during that time?

[@AlexanderTullis]

Hey, they created cement and greek fire, I don't doubt anything

[@abedmick2267]

They put them in their water channels and ride them because it's cool

[@CrypidLore]

It's actually a little known fact that the Romans revolutionized the study of marine biology.

[@nigelnyoni8265]

If you take this approach to watch films I'm afraid you're robbing yourself of great joy.

[@Ash_Hudson]

@@nigelnyoni8265 I'm not a historical accuracy nerd. I'm able to suspend disbelief, but this is a genuine question I'm asking. If this actually happened, then how?

[@walk2146]

Now I want to see a historian reacting to total war games.

[@AW-kr9fl]

Ridley Scott has no interest in making anything historically accurate. The true story of the two emperors would’ve been a superb epic and would’ve made a more interesting story than what we got in Gladiator 2.

[@Castorcato]

Total war shoutout

[@Renoistic]

I'm very interested in knowing how the heck they managed to transport sharks to the Colosseum without killing them. We can barely do that today.

[@hughjass8430]

Admittedly, I'm older and much more cynical than the 19 year old who was captivated by Gladiator in 2000, but this trailer did little for me. I suspect this film will have 10 times the spectacle but very little of the soul of the original.

[@roelhodzelmans1004]

Nothing on the white everywhere? (statues, pillars etc) Nothing on the horrible armor? Nothing on the acenstry of Caracalla, who was of Punic / Arab ancestory, thus likely not red haired and white? Edit: nothing on scale armor being prolific, when it was extremely expensive? Ok, the end does redeem why you didnt speak about it.

[@pogo8050]

Arabs have red hair too dumdum

[@wolf9895]

Riddle Scot will probably tell you to get a life for that

[@Yuuki_Asuna]

I mean this is not a documentary, so wanting a history lesson is just plain stupid

[@cinematography513]

​@@Yuuki_Asunaagreed, people don't even know what "entertainment" is nowadays. Im Italian and i saw the first Gladiator when it came out, we all knew it wasn't historical or any of that, just nobody cared and everyone enjoyed it.

[@TheSoberBear]

This is going to be Gladiator: Covenant.

[@user-wi6cz4hh5b]

Lol

[@kylemclean4064]

Love this guys enthusiasm !! Can’t wait to see this movie 👍

[@sinisterplank3113]

Can't say the prospect of Gladiator 2 being historically inaccurate even begins to bother me. If its even half as entertaining as the first one, im going to love it.

[@bennysbigtalk]

So... It does begin to bother you?

[@sinisterplank3113]

@@bennysbigtalk good catch! :) Corrected it

[@matthewmckever2312]

No one ever mentions that the 1st film, brilliant though it is, is a nigh perfect remake of The rise and fall of the Roman empire... Everyone is in it, everyone but me😢

[@300spartans-x8g]

Rise and Fall is better :-)

[@nyr14]

Don’t be surprised when battle scenes last 30 seconds 😂😂

[@johannpetersen1727]

He commenting that it was North Africa because of the wooden structures. Meanwhile the literal pyramids in the background 😂😂😂😂

[@SaltyMaltyMo]

Didn't realise they had hip hop in ancient Roman times.

[@tortepasti2]

What kind of dumbed down comment is this?

[@rotteneggconcept]

oh Shut up we get it , you don't like the music they didn't have Cameras in Roman times wala we have a movie ,just shut up

[@PentaRaus]

@@tortepasti2 Probably referring to the sound track. To go from Hans Zimmer soundtrack in the first movie, to a hip hop sound track is quite a fall.

[@ImotekhtheStormlord-tx2it]

@@tortepasti2 what kind of ignroance is this? so youre ok with using stupid easy dumb genre of music in such movies? clown

[@seanbinkley7363]

Not a fan of it either in the trailer but I'm not sure why so many commentators fixate on it.

[@JordisYoutubing]

‘Connie Neilson reprising her role.’ My favourite part of the whole video, I think.

[@suzannehughes8697]

I don't really think people watch these films for their historical accuracy, they watch them for the spectacle and over the top content of them, I loved the first Gladiator, and will be interested to see this one, but will take it with a pinch of salt, does anyone know when it being released, xx

[@Ayns.L14A]

about the sharks, it would have been more believable if they had been crocs...

[@brendankelly9789]

Rhino's can barely see, so why would you use sand to blind it? Maybe I misinterpreted the scene.

[@overbuiltlimited]

Would a gladiator know that though? I mean how would he would he learn that rhinos are nearsighted?

[@djbillybopdjbillybop2817]

It would be the clever thing to do with the dust to make it even harder for the Rhino to see.

[@HistoryandHeadlines]

Will it be worth seeing in the theater?

[@Kandisz_nora]

I think the intro is set in Egypt. Just a hunch.

[@resh..]

What makes you think you're in a postion to disagree with a qualifed Histor... Oh wait, I see. 😅

[@olorin3815]

@@resh.. he probably missed the pyramids and editor froze on pyramids frame to troll him

[@JC-ys4jf]

Loved it! Learned a lot, thanks!

[@Packyboy]

Denzel will do anything ,if you pay him , Ridley will make anything if you pay him enough, and the only reason that Crow isn’t in it ,is because they wouldn’t pay him what he wanted. I know I haven’t seen the movie, but I will hazard a guest that there is absolutely nothing new here… Plastic film making at its best. Nobody does it better than Mr Scott.

[@hughjass8430]

Exactly. Historical accuracy aside, I love the original. For me it follows in the footsteps of the 1950s and 60s sword and sandal epics. But a large part of that has nothing to do with Ridley Scott and everything to do with the team of talented scriptwriters that they hired to clean up and flesh out a very poor first draft script. Most of Scott's films since the Alien rehashes have been just cash grabs. From what I've seen here, this appears to be a rehash of Gladiator with a new lead actor and a bigger budget for spectacle. How predicable. Its basically made to look and feel just like the first movie to get bums on seats.

[@gogreen7794]

How could Maximus be in this movie?? Flasbacks where they de-aged Russell Crow?

[@brandoncraddock8846]

Im surprised nobody has either noted or put together that Denzel is portraying Macrinius. Probably the dispute between Macrinius and Caracalla after Caracalla has Geta assassinated.

[@abdlrahimm6035]

Denzel is one of my favorite actors but.. "Once again, we're seeing historical blackwashing with the casting of Macrinus, a Roman emperor of Numidian (Amazigh) descent, being portrayed by a black actor" (I am North African)

[@ConiiCeltici]

well a black complexion amazigh/berber is not out of the table tho if you look into the tuaregs but ye the person in question seemed to be of a more light complexion...

[@ehsfb20011]

Someone said blacks appear in Morocco and Algeria. Most of those are descendants of black women brought to harems much later. Numidians would have looked like Algerians.

[@JayzsMr]

North Africans get totally shafted by Hollywood for some reason even though the region was a big part to Mediterranean civilizations.

[@d-SonOfWill]

Oh please, spare us that grandstanding pseudo-contrarian for the sake of contrarianism bs. There exists people of dark complexion from Algeria and Morocco, and the berbers were no exception to this with some having darker complexions going back to antiquity.

[@infin8ee]

The first Gladiator movie was such a enjoyable watch and a stand-alone film with a distinct ending but I suppose with todays lack of originality and penchant for sequels we can't be surprised at another one.