⚔️ I Watched GLADIATOR II and Felt Nothing... | Movie Review

[@ImpressionBlend]

Will you be watching "Gladiator II" in theaters?? Are you a fan of the original "Gladiator"? ☕ And thanks again to Trade Coffee! Get a FREE bag of fresh coffee with any subscription purchase here: drinktrade.com/impressionblend

[@andrewgrove1691]

You are very beautiful. I love this channel

[@TorontoJon]

Honestly, the instant I saw the trailer for 'Gladiator II', I had ZERO urge to see the movie. Despite it having Denzel Washington in it and some glimpses of galley ships in battle, etc, I had no desire to see it.

[@SumDumGy]

Love the original. Won’t watch this…ever.

[@moondog2681]

I enjoied for me is just a movie to watch swords and sandals genre ❤🎉

[@peterpetrov4809]

Visually impressive?!? The movie looks awful-the worst cinematography I have seen on awhile and an amazingly bad CGI just a ton of sh*t on the screen.

[@Trey-s6r]

"The visuals are great, I feel nothing". The sentence that define almost every blockbuster of the decade

[@talmanes4589]

I think that's true for all time, not just this decade. Only a small percentage of anything, movies, books, songs, w/e, are good enough to really make me feel something. Still plenty of others that are entertaining, but truly making you feel something is special.

[@Shadowmonkey1689]

If you feel nothing during this movie, there is something wrong with you.

[@bigtechisbigbrother8690]

@@Shadowmonkey1689 I felt like it was crap.

[@jadwiga220]

The whole retcon with Lucius now being the son of Maximus CHEAPENS Maximus' arc as an honorable man. Yes, he had something with Lucilla in the past but that was iirc before she and he got married to other people, and when they reconnected after years he marvelled at how both of their sons were around the same age. To overcome the loss of his wife and son, and to show this kindness to the son of his old female friend just makes him even greater of a character. You do not NEED to be blood-related to a person to impress such kindness, admirability and drive for strength and honor onto them. This retcon literally bothered me throughout the movie.

[@ecclesiaxxi6210]

Yes, also I think she was honourable to her husband, there is no need to inject degeneracy like that, it wasn't THAT common before, it was very rare, you assume people are faithful, there was a past with Maximus, it seems the father disapproved of them before which is why they didn't end up together, he clearly felt betrayed by her for leaving him [I got that from their first interaction], but there was never any indication that she was unfaithful to her husband in any way, it was obvious Lucius had a father and liked his father and he looked like her. She and Maximus had something and rekindled but after both had lost their spouses ... so this honestly cheapens it for me on both ends Lucilla was never hinted as unfaithful in the original either.

[@Jindmeri1]

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who felt like that. I felt that everything we admired about Maximus as a man was cheapend by making Lucius his son. They smeared the character of Maximus in my eyes. I also felt nothing watching the movie. There was no emotional attachment. Disappointing.

[@summertyme5748]

"The whole retcon with Lucius now being the son of Maximus CHEAPENS Maximus' arc as an honorable man." This happens over and over again..... *somehow Palpatine lived.* Somehow *Newt* died so Ripley failed. Somehow the dead Shark's relatives *remember* (???) Sherriff Brody and want revenge. Somehow Wanda wants to bring back the magical children she let go of in the 1st place. Somehow Logan is alive again, but don't worry - it's not the same Logan, but a different one who is otherwise.....the same. The studio needs more money but has no ideas, so they basically vandalize the previous work. They will never stop doing this, as you can't fix artistic bankruptcy.

[@diorszzle]

@ecclesiaxxi6210 I wouldn’t say it’s surprising that she was unfaithful during her marriage. She got married at like 13 to her co-ruler since she wasn’t able to make that choice on her own and there were no feelings between them. Maximus and Lucilla were around the same age so it was easier for them to fall in love, but he became a roman general and she was the daughter of the emperor so both had their duties to follow. Eventually Maximus found himself a wife and had a son, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t love Lucilla before all this… It’s obvious from the original movie.

[@007Julie]

Feeling nothing after seeing a $300 million dollar movie is the norm now. After 2010, most hollywood movies have slowly become hollow, empty, just spectacle and cgi. Ugh I’m just so tired of the same garbage

[@GeneralFactCheck]

They got rid of all of the Males who were running Hollywood when the MeToo movement happened and then replaced them with female DEI hires. Basically, Hollywood can never come back now. If the movie industry recovers, then it won't be through Hollywood, a completely new Epicenter for film would have to be developed from scratch.

[@AndriyValdensius-wi8gw]

It might explain Lucius' Girl Boss Warrior wife.

[@huwguyver4208]

​​@@AndriyValdensius-wi8gwnot saying it was a great movie, but come on- an archer who dies from a random enemy in the first act and exists only to provide motivation for the male lead qualifies as a 'girl boss' now?

[@sgtjarhead99]

"Are you not entertained!!!". Classic line. I shouted that in a board meeting one time. It didn't go very well.

[@65g4]

😂😂😂

[@hoibsh21]

bored meeting...

[@VladislavBabbitt]

@@hoibsh21 He must have been the chair man of the bored.

[@cobra8888]

That was before or after you threw your sword at the board members?

[@hansenbee123]

you for sure did not. but cool story bro.

[@victorduncker5267]

The main reason Gladiator II bothers me is because it kinda ruins the magic of the first one by forcing Lucius to be Maximus' bastard son. This wasn't necessary but more importantly it paints of different picture of Maximus that is not consistent with the man we all grew to respect. Here are a couple reasons why Lucius being the bastard son of Maximus does not work. When Maximus prays to his ancestors, he is always holding two figurines who clearly represent his wife and only son. He says "blessed father watch over my wife and son (singular) with a ready sword..." If Lucius was also his son, he would have said "my wife and sons" (plural) and he would be holding a 3rd figurine to represent Lucius. In order for the honorable Maximus to have gotten Lucilla pregnant with Lucius, he would've had to have slept with Lucilla while she was married to Lucius Verus and potentially while he (Maximus) was also married. At the very least, this means that the honorable Maximus disrespected the co-ruling emperor of Rome. This goes against the values and principles that Maximus stands for. In every conversation he and Lucilla have regarding their sons, they are always spoken of as belonging to them separately. When Maximus refers to Lucius, it's always "your son" and when Lucilla speaks of Lucius it's always "my son". This is not the language of parents who share a child. In a conversation with Lucilla in the first movie, Maximus says "I heard of your husband's death, I mourned him". This means Maximus respected her husband. How the hell does that line even work if he was shagging her behind his back? Next, in his conversation with his friend Juba about seeing their families in the afterlife, Maximus says this "You see, my wife and my son are already waiting for me." Does this sound like a man who has another son? Nope, Maximus has one goal. Avenge the death of his family and see them again in the afterlife. He does not mention Lucius, or pray for him, or try to stay alive to see him. The only reason Lucius is remotely important to him is because he cares for Lucilla. By killing Commodus, Maximus avenges the death of his family, saves Rome from the corrupt emperor, and unburdens Lucilla from fear of her son being killed. So, Ridley Scott's devotion to historical inaccuracy extends to his own stories, haha.

[@VictoriaB801]

THIS!

[@thatsbollox]

Lead actor has no gravitas, no charisma. Needed an actor who was believable for such a strong part...especially if they wanted to constantly compare to Crowe's original.

[@Jindmeri1]

Yes. He didnt have anything to make him standout at all.

[@jeanclaude2794]

i'm actually speachless about the mutant monkeys...this movie doesn't look serious to me. it kinda looks like a high budget parody

[@rjzavala87]

That monkey scene was just awful. It was especially bad when the main character screamed at one and it yelled back.

[@NineOneOneFx]

Marianna was not entertained! 😂

[@ImpressionBlend]

I mean... I was, but not as entertained as I was hoping to be haha

[@mariamtchokho7499]

Saw it yesterday and felt like, it was not a second part, but a poor remake of the original. The audience were laughing (me included) at the last scene with Denzel , that's how unconvincing he was. I think Denzel is a great actor in general, but for this role, he was not a good choice, he didn't embody a man from ancient Rome.... conclusion is that there are classics that shouldn't be touched. The original Gladiator is a masterpiece with amazing cast, music and original plot.

[@PrimerCinePodcast]

Had the same experience with the ending, watching in Imax. Not a pleased crowd in my theatre

[@himoverthere6716]

Why because he’s Black?

[@markgalushkin7854]

​@himoverthere6716 Yes, Rome was European white. It was not the diverse mixing pot that the Western world is today.

[@himoverthere6716]

@@markgalushkin7854 You clearly don’t know your history. Might I suggest looking into it a little further and not basing it on fictitious movies.

[@greglee1465]

@@himoverthere6716 No because he always plays the same guy. Training day in Rome.

[@emmanuelardron]

My favourite part of the film was when Caracalla appoints his spider monkey as first pro-consul.

[@JonathanFujii]

BUT SHARKS IN THE COLOSSEUM

[@ImpressionBlend]

Ridley is just asking for that "movie jumped the shark" comment at this point

[@GareBare90]

Hey fam

[@elijah0208]

We all know u two hang out together

[@cosborne06]

They’re gonna need a bigger colosseum! 🦈

[@briangreene7085]

Did they ever capture Sharks..... me brain good! comes to mind

[@sauronthegreat5799]

As usual, it's not the cgi and special effects that make a movie. It's the story and character development that most important.

[@Anthonycheesman2024]

A movie in 2024 being just okay is an absolute win these days lol.

[@waverlyking6045]

We could also include music, videogames, publishing, the internet, politicians, etc.

[@SaberRexZealot]

Depends. Do you watch a lot of indie films or just Hollywood?

[@joebond545]

The thing is, a Asian 7/10 is MILES better than a western 7/10, if gladiator 2 is a 7/10 then I urge you to watch Korean and Japanese movies and shows😂

[@JD43232]

@@SaberRexZealot both are contaminated with the mindvirus.

[@secretd2503]

Thank you. I watched it yesterday and I relate to everything you said about the film.

[@johnschannel449]

it was never going to be as good as the original

[@yukimamapogiii]

Well of course, the first one is regarded as one of the best movies of all time... it will be extremely hard for any movie to reach that to begin with lmao

[@GalaxyaSpeaks]

@@yukimamapogiii So true

[@kh7688]

Not being as good as the original and being mediocre are vastly different things. This film is mediocre. Especially, when you consider the best elements are when it harkens back to the original. So much so, that it uses the foundations of the original as a crutch. Barely limping along. This film will be lost amidst the sands of time. Whereas the original became that much more legendary, simply because this sequel didn't measure up.

[@yukimamapogiii]

@@kh7688 Ridley Scott confirmed a third movie might happen hehehe

[@kh7688]

@@yukimamapogiii And that will be as bad, if not worse than the sequel.

[@sovereignty14]

After 24 years, we did get a lesser copy of the original, while watching Denzel singlehandedly kill Geta & Caracalla, which was totally absurd. She's right, it all didn't “feel” and Lucilla's death was terribly handled.

[@NP-zt6hy]

I haven’t seen it yet, but if I heard correctly that there are sharks in the coliseum… we can’t even get tiger or bull or great whites sharks into the biggest aquariums today. Nitpick, but still.

[@neomohoto8861]

I completely agree about Paul. He lacks that energy.

[@lordcrayzar]

I don’t even want to watch this. Gladiator never should have gotten a sequel. Unless it was that insane one where he goes to hell or whatever ha

[@barry4649]

It isn’t a bad film and the performances are pretty good. 7/10 imo

[@RedAndYellacuddlyFella]

It was a bad film. 3/10.

[@Reflectionmaterial]

How would you know if you did not watch it....

[@cobra8888]

Dealing with the afterlife was Ridley Scott's idea for the sequel back in 2001. He even wanted to bring back Maximus somehow. Kind of like Obi-Wan from the OG Star Wars.

[@aokiQ]

I just came out of this movie, it’s terrible! Skip it and save your money & time

[@TorontoJon]

I guess Ridley Scott missed one of the concepts of the original 'Gladiator'; that being, "Win the crowd." I'm not shocked that 'Gladiator II' will fall like the Roman Empire itself. ;)

[@travisspazz1624]

I don't get how you can watch Denzel parade an emperor's head around with max rizz and feel nothing.

[@KBez73]

Loving everything you do so much. Please continue to feed us more obscure content as well. That and your unique opinion on film is so refreshing. I genuinely love your work.

[@GalaxyaSpeaks]

Russell Crowe one and only forever❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@terrancecloverfield6791]

Save yourself the money and go watch the first one if you're really wanting a good epic. You won't get your money's worth on the ticket price and popcorn. But a $4 rental (right now) for the 2004 version is instantly going to get you a better time/money value in every single way.

[@Jindmeri1]

I totally agree

[@hoibsh21]

Twould be a better movie if Lucius was a werewolf.

[@drakirolopez7859]

That would be so gloriously gay!

[@Skoora]

Ridley’s movies as good as they look rarely have emotional depth or something to really care about. He gets lucky from time to time but I’m not sure he likes people all that much….lol. The way she described this movie is how I felt about the first Gladiator honestly.

[@melodychest9020]

Just watched the original Gladiator today again and the whole cast was brilliant. For any successful movie the villain has to be really good and boy the "crazy" Commodus by Joaquin Phoenix was too good and he has carried with that iconic crazy streak is other movies too. The movie had so much emotion that Russell Crowe just literally breathed to life. The music was awesome too and really touched a nerve. Ok, so I will go and see Gladiator II for the fun of it but I already know the original movie cannot be beat by a hundred miles.

[@1fayelove]

It Didn't bring you in the story. The original you felt Maximus pain

[@ImpressionBlend]

very true

[@Viewer20222]

This felt like a LifeTime made for TV movie with a bigger budget for the visuals but a smaller part of that budget for the script. It's an odd way to describe it but it was both slow at time and rushed at the same time. The villains were just annoying... maybe that's why the story felt a little disjointed. On the Denzel's character, I actually felt his Training day character was just copy and pasted into this movie. Sure it worked but it was a let down the way it resolved.

[@jamuss01]

It's refreshing to see a review that aligns with my own thoughts. I've come across so many glowing reviews of Gladiator 2 that I couldn't quite believe it!

[@johnthornton3863]

The first movie was a romance, the second a political story. Think this movie equal to the first. Denzel role and performance was center of movie and he delivered.

[@robertcrawford1791]

I think it’s totally fair to hold a director of his caliber up to comparison with his previous work. It’s disappointing to hear this, and it should have been Ridley nurturing the movie to form even more so than other directors do.

[@arc683]

I agree, it could have been something way more but it settles just for being an action spectacle and nothing more.

[@ImpressionBlend]

I'm baffled that the best story they could come up with was just a copy past of the basics of the first film

[@arc683]

@ImpressionBlend the Gladiator 2 script by Nick Cave seemed more original and wacky than this!

[@thesilentknight4554]

​@@ImpressionBlend the force awakens enters the chat😂

[@TheMovieDive]

Unfortunately I completely agree. Great review!

[@annadenardis6429]

Watched it last night, and frankly I agree word for word with you. Absolutely spectacular, entertaining and impressive. But Mescal does not pierce the screen like Crowe did, and ultimately Lucius does not connect emotionally with the spectator as he should. A missed opportunity , methinks. A lesser version, albeit still a great cinematic experience overall.

[@sbowesuk981]

Loved the first Gladiator like most people. Watched Gladiator 2 and it just felt like a hollow echo of the first film. Same basic plot, but without the charm, charisma, and magic. It's not a disaster, but it doesn't bring nearly enough new to the table to justify its existence.

[@KayDauda]

I walked out of the cinema… it felt like I was watching 300:Rise of an Empire, mixed with that Amazon prime gladiator show… Glad Denzel had fun, but we didn’t need a sequel!

[@ValentinG23]

Best Ridley Scott movie for me is ,, A good year “, i find myself rewatching it at least once a year !!!

[@cobra8888]

Totally random, but are you German?

[@sergeromero2099]

Romans did flood the coliseum to represent naval battles, but that was decades before this time. When these movies happen they had already built all the tunnels and polys system underneath the arena and they never flooded it again since that's where they kept the animals and it would have been a mess to get the water out of all of that. One thing is to take creative licenses, and another very different one is to do things that make you say "this is just stupid".

[@thetalentof]

Ridley deciding to shoot 'Gladiator 2' on a digital camera for the sake of convenience makes it look like a Netflix streaming movie with that actors-doing-cosplay look 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.

[@KnarfStein]

Digitally shot films can be beautiful. _The Batman_ and _Dune 1.2_ (both shot by Fraser, admittedly) look real and stunning. Personally, I've no interest in _Gladiator 2_, because unless the story is about Maximus and Lucilla, the story is finished. And Mescal's mullet is ugly AF.

[@thetalentof]

@@KnarfStein Agree that Lucias's hair didn't do him any favours, they should've done a completely fresh story with brand new characters instead of drawing and inviting as many comparisons as possible with the first one in my opinion and trying to make it a direct sequel, 'Twisters' is a great example of how this can be done well. I find that digital visibly dates a movie very quickly, whereas if you watch movies shot on film from any period, for example Lawrence of Arabia or Alien from long ago with Challengers or Oppenheimer very recently, both sets of movies have the same visually timeless quality to them, despite each set of movies having been made many decades apart. Looking at recent digital entries compared to their predecessors like Furiosa vs Road Warrior, Matrix Resurrections vs The Matrix, Jurassic World, vs Jurassic Park, Phase 4 vs Phase 1, The Hobbit vs LOTR, Horizon vs Open Range, Independence Day 2 vs Independence Day, The Dial of Destiny vs Raiders of the Lost Ark, Alien Covenant vs Alien and Fincher's The Killer vs Seven all in 4k, the difference in visual quality is still very noticeable. Comedies and Horror movies especially have suffered from digital - I watched both 'Totally Killer' and 'Ghosted' last year and it just looked like actors doing cosplay vs movies in the same genres shot on film like 'A Quiet Place 2' and 'Wedding Crashers.' Digital has slightly improved over the years though. 'I'm Your Woman' is the most impressive use of the format that I've seen so far. Some shots look very close to film but it's not there yet. Some of the dialogue and colosseum scenes in 'Gladiator 2' even looked like b-roll / making of footage.

[@Dude-oh8vq]

Bingo! After watching G2, I went home and watched clips from 1492 Conquest Of Paradise to wash the bad taste out.

[@LuckyBastardProd]

Almost everything is shot digitally and has been for quite sometime. The CGI in the first one wasn’t that great.

[@SinSationNation]

Gladiator 2 will never compare to Gladiator which was epic 🤩 in it’s own unique way. There was no need to even have a part 2 in the first place. The ending to Gladiator was perfect 👌🏻

[@ImpressionBlend]

It's true, that ending was exactly what it needed to be

[@VladislavBabbitt]

@@ImpressionBlend I agree. Maximus went to join his wife and son in the Afterlife, and Commodus was ignored and forgotten.

[@melodychest9020]

@@VladislavBabbitt Commodus was killed by Maximus and that was the revenge fulfilled before Maximus died himself. Great movie.

[@VladislavBabbitt]

@@melodychest9020 Commodus in the movie was a coward. In real Roman History he was also a worthless Emperor. In this movie. Maximus died well and was properly honoured.

[@VladislavBabbitt]

My name is Phallus Maximus, son of Biggus Dickus.

[@Snakex59]

🤣🤣🤣

[@GrosvnerMcaffrey]

Grandson of Phlacid Panius

[@omargonzales3]

Monty please come back 😢

[@tmmartinesq.6216]

Where is Suketh Dikus?

[@missratene8087]

And Father of Collossus Cockus.

[@Sanderus]

I understand you Marianna, I was at the movie theater a couple of times this month to watch something else and every time during Gladiator 2 trailer I felt apathy. No excitement, no curiosity, no disappointment or annoyance even. Just apathy.

[@Qthetar]

I just watched it. Was amazing.

[@Jindmeri1]

I agree with you. Just watched it yesterday and came out feeling nothing.

[@NP-zt6hy]

I haven’t seen it yet, but if I heard correctly that there are sharks in the coliseum… we can’t even get tiger or bull or great whites sharks into the biggest aquariums today. Nitpick, but still. Hippos and crocodiles on the other hand, that would work.

[@donna25871]

Yes there are sharks in the coliseum. Bad CGI sharks as well.

[@jackiehale3730]

Movies were once an event.. They were a special time for us all.. Now we are fed media 24 hours a day, we are numb to events such as school shootings, devastating disasters and on and on. I think Hollywood has changed for the worse, that is for sure. But I think we as a society have become shells of our own existence , so movies don't seem to touch our souls because we have lost our souls along the way.. Welp, I'm off to try and snag some likes on social media. cheers everyone!

[@lucrezia6811]

Boring film and childish script (seriously, either AI or a middle-school trainee wrote this) that limited the actors' performances (with the exception of Washington they all looked like wooden caricatures of what Victorians thought romans were like). And the action...it was usual Hollywood action. It just feels cheaply rehashed by now. Boring. Watched it in cinemas and now I want those 3 hours of my life back. Most boring film I've watched in years.

[@dukeon]

No one was cooler than Y2K Russell Crowe in Gladiator. His performance gives me goosebumps every time. Add Richard Harris, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, and one of the best film scores of all time, and the mind boggles that Ridley would want to make a sequel. Especially a bad one. Ugh 😣

[@Olphas]

This puts my thoughts into words quite well. I was entertained. Sure. Denzel is absolutely fantastic. But it just doesn't really have the impact it intends to have and both Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal - I usually really like them both - don't quite fit in here for me. I am glad that I made my rewatch of the first one a few months ago, so there was at least some distance. I was impressed how well it holds up. This new one will probably not stay in our minds as long. Still, hats off to Sir Ridley for making a movie as big and energetic as Gladiator 2 at his age. And there is no sign of him slowing down. One last thing: What the hell were those monkeys?!?

[@travisnaganuma2542]

Just got done watching this movie. I wanted to love it too. I just thought it was OK. I thought every point you made in this review was dead on.

[@tazz426]

I dreadfully feel the same way

[@cobra8888]

I went in comparing it to Napoleon, which that movie has a historical pace issue for me. This one came out the better movie. Gladiator came as a surprise. Story, performance and soundtrack. And it was complete, people didn't feel it needed a sequel. To be fair Ridley Scott always wanted a sequel as far back as one year after the release of this movie but had issues with different writings. So I guess this is him just getting it out of his system. Has the first movie didn't exist, this movie might have fared better. Not as the first movie, but better than what it is now. But being compared to its sequel, this movie gets lower marks than before.

[@modernjosephus356]

The revenge didn't hit because his wife died in battle as opposed to being murdered like in Gladiator

[@drizer4real]

Carracalla was a murderous psycho, but actually quite effective, he managed to be emperor for 19 years

[@agxec2932]

After watching Gladiator 2, we realized after Lucilla's admission to Lucius that Maximus cheated on his wife to sire him with her - that Maximus's famous dialogue in the original should've rather been: “My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, and loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius (while banging his daughter). Deadbeat father to a murdered son, cheating husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next” So much for Maximus's "strength and honor" from the first film. Denzel Washington meanwhile replayed Alonzo Harris from Training Day as Macrinus in ancient Rome. The story in Gladiator 2 is crap and just an overCGIed rehash of the original.

[@billyroberts6774]

great balanced review. They denigrated the original Gladiator, nobody wanted this sequel, how do you improve on a near perfection with story, characters (and you failed to mention it, Marianna) utterly stunning musical score. One example, the scene when Commodus asks for his name. As Russell Crowe turns and removes his helment, there is perfect words and background music.."My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius, father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife, and I will have my vengeance in this life or the next ".This is what makes epic movies EPIC. Still gets chills at this scene. My fav movie.

[@mybindis3592]

Thank you to all the people in the comments. Just saved 19.99. I was literally about to order it and decided to check out the reviews first.

[@rameeez111]

I just watched this movie and this is a very accurate review

[@310Dannr]

How did they get water and sharks inside the coliseum anyway?

[@Kickinthescience]

Everybody knew Denzel would carry this movie

[@El_oh7199]

For a movie called Gladiator II, the Colosseum battles weren't very compelling. There is one late in the movie that is effective because of the personal stakes involved. As for the performances, Pedro Pascal was more compelling than Mescal (whom I still haven't warmed up to) and Denzel was suitably hammy.

[@mallaryroberts3346]

I’m so sad it’s not great 😕 My husband and I were going to have a date night with this one. May wait and just stream it. Have you watched Dune Prophecy?!

[@Jindmeri1]

I would. Waste of money.

[@slc2466]

So far, it looks as though "Wicked" is set to score biggest this week, both in box-office terms and critically- it will be fun to follow both films' progress, in any case.

[@ImpressionBlend]

Releasing "Gladiator II" and "Wicked" the same weekend was certainly a CHOICE, I guess they're hoping for that Barbenheimer effect?

[@slc2466]

@@ImpressionBlend Looks that way- a friend just brought up to me both pics could do spectacular business during Thanksgiving- point taken and it will be interesting to watch (I'm on board for "Wicked" first, then probably will be "Glad II" check out the other movie).

[@juliantruitt4037]

Ridley Scott’s movies at least tried for historical accuracy in the past. The Duelists is one of the most accurate period films ever made. Now he just couldn’t care less about the content of his films.

[@spartan2188]

I loved Gladiator mainly because of the story and drama. The action was just icing on the cake. If the story takes a backseat on Gladiator 2, we all know it's inferior to the original.

[@thewatcher8573]

idk why they cast paul Mescal as the lead, hes a good actor but hes kind of dull, doesn't have that magnetism as you mentioned of Crowe. I think he would be great in supporting but to carry the film im not sure.

[@ShqipeKnocksMMA]

He probably gave up his a-hole to old Ridley and producers that’s why

[@svetlanaandrasova6086]

Just like Joker. This didnt need a sequel.

[@carolinavizcarra-zn4mk]

FINALLY I NEEDED A GIRL TO MAKE MOVIE REVIEWS

[@YeshuaR.]

Gladiator already has a great spiritual successor in Vinland Saga. There’s a name drop scene just like the one Maximus gives, and it’s every bit as epic.

[@blondegirlsezthis8798]

Wait OK OK I got one: "Alien vs Gladiator: Straight Outta Crapton" SETUP: This time, the Alien is an illegal alien who eats pets (but CARTOON pets) to pull in the masses of maga sub 80iQ fans, and Gladiator is the name of a trash compactor (The GE Gladiator Mach 4 or just "Gladiator" to internal management at GE) but it has expressive and even empathic eyes animated on its control panel, ya know, for the kids. STORY When the Gladiator model is discontinued due to its terrible selection of colors and door that sometimes flies open suddenly injuring children, in a sad turn it realizes it is unloved, and it sets out on an epic journey and after a montage of sad city scenes in rain (Think: Blade Runner but with Burt Bachrach's "Raindrops Keep Fallin on My Head" playing in the background). When Gladiator falls asleep at a spectacular gothic train station we fade to black but then the action starts when he is suddenly bolt upright woken up in a POV shot with the Alien spray painting it a kind of pleasant mauve, and then plugging it in behind a potted fern by the magazine rack. It goes on like that for a while until Frances Ford Coppolla injects 130 million into it to allow the studio to hire a midget in a rubber alien suite and a LOT of cocaine. So, THEN... (DOOR FLIES OPEN) "NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION!"

[@josephinefv130]

Watched it last weekend, only time I got emotional was when they showed flashbacks from the first movie and Hans Zimmer’s score kicked in, and that have everything to do with the greatness from the original and nothing to do with the new…

[@babyyoda6549]

I think it comes down to the actors. You can have a mediocre script and if you’re actor is not good, it won’t work, very good actors can make a mediocre script and make it into something iconic. That’s what’s lacking here not so much the Director. 3:20

[@alienlv426ify]

Sharks in the Colosseum? Seriosly? How were the sharks captured and transported to Rome with so much seawater? With this in mind I have no intentions to watch this movie. What is happening to Ridley Scott?

[@jehaustin]

I think what worked in “Gladiator” that was peak Russell Crowe at his most star charisma and power. While I do, love, Paul Mescal I just don’t think he had the gravitas to take on such a grand scope of a movie. he had very big shoes to fill and I think it was too much for him. I agree, though Denzel Washington totally steals this movie and you can tell he’s having a total blast !

[@jacobdisioux]

These two movies are 24 years apart. The second one of course is not supposed to be watched shortly after the first one.

[@marlon363]

The lead actor looked like Logan Paul and I couldn’t unsee it. He was terrible, the twin emperors were terrible. The movie lacked depth and basically was the same lines and plot as the first one.

[@returningtoperfection]

The colloseum being flooded I can understand. But "who will catch the sharks and have the titanium cajones to carry them to the colloseum"? In the interest of being real, should have kept the sharks out of it.

[@veehill4769]

Your review of this film is very helpful and entertaining. Thanks

[@RB.4125]

The gladiator movie needed to be left alone with its Oscar trophy 🏆. They should have done Gladiator ll with another story not associated or having connection with the first one.

[@charleenmalone6651]

Well, good for you. I watched it twice and I loved it. We just canceled each other out.

[@searay83]

It’s in Russell Crowe’s eyes. He has a on screen command presence, and it wasn’t his height or his build. Because in gladiator Russell Crowe was not some muscle bound tall giant, He was an average height man, yes he was in shape but he wasn’t ridiculous. But he had a very stowed away personality but you could feel his anger, you could feel his sorrow, You could feel his need for vengeance. He just has that really good acting with his facial expressions and his eyes. Like there’s a small scene in the first movie right before the battle, Maximus is looking at a little bird. You can tell for that small little moment he’s at peace and appreciating the beauty of nature, He almost has like a child like smile on his face of fascination and happiness, I don’t think this other actor could pull this off. Russell Crowe was just a gift to the screen of our times.

[@AWDTH1111]

Couldn’t feel Russell Crowe’s anger at all in that one either. Felt too forced like he was trying to be a white knight.

[@KingDanny9]

Denzel was better, but Maximus is still great

[@missratene8087]

When Pedro Pascal would not play the role of Tribun Acacius but the role of Lucius Verus, than we would have a more authentic Gladiator II.

[@hazabazza7425]

Plot: Guy taking revenge for his boss babe wife after he placed her in harms way on a battlefield. Tell me again, why were we meant to feel sorry for Lucius?

[@RedAndYellacuddlyFella]

And we, the viewer, feel nothing for the loss of his wife or his redemption arc because she is killed at the very beginning, and we've had no time to feel the connection between them.

[@cobra8888]

I don't know why, but Paul Mescal didn't make me believe in him being a leader here. He took stoicism seriously I guess instead of a Man seeking revenge.

[@RedAndYellacuddlyFella]

​@@cobra8888I agree. He's a good actor but he was badly cast in this role. He excels in dramatic roles, not the action thriller genre.

[@leonardobraynen1524]

He didn't place her anywhere. In that culture and society, she was a soldier and an equal on the battlefield.

[@drakirolopez7859]

⁠@@leonardobraynen1524Awesome answer. Chances are she wanted to fight on her own accord.

[@danielsweet858]

I felt the same way. ❤ your channel. You are the most civilized KZbinr I've met so far.

[@matthewmatt5285]

After watching Napoleon I have ZERO faith that Ridley Scott can make another Good Movie : (

[@isaacrichter3269]

Maybe it's because I was never that big of a fan of the original Gladiator (except for Russell Crowe's performance, which is amazing), but I enjoyed this one a bit more. Part of it is that this film doesn't take itself as seriously as the first film (there are moments of very deliberate camp... this is where the twin emperors come in), and I feel Ridley Scott is currently at his best when he doesn't take the material as seriously. I was, however, disappointed that they were setting up a very interesting conflict between two characters we're supposed to like, and then they resolve that conflict at the 90-minute mark for a more traditional hero vs. villain arch, but maybe that would have been too complicated a conflict for a 21st Century blockbuster film.

[@KingDanny9]

Gladiator 2 is the best film of the year. I said it. It's now in my top 6 favorite films all time. I'm honestly debating if it's better than part 1.

[@blarni9034]

Can someone please explain if there was any goal or point to Denzel/Macrinus riding out way ahead of his own army towards the attacking one? It really just seemed to be to put him in the right place for the boss fight. Did I miss something, anyone?

[@markkavanagh7377]

I think the problem was Mascall, he just couldn't pull it off. I think Scott leaned into the campness and ridiculousness of old Rome but the lead man couldn't add any depth to the character and just impersonated Crowes performance.

[@myothercarisadelorean8957]

I walked out 40 mins in. The problem I had is Denzel Washington is playing a character in 200 A.D. But he still acts like it's the movie Training Day. I love Denzel but he’s typecasted as either a cop or drug dealer character, not a slave owner in 200 A.D. Rome. Also, the pacing of story was too quick. In the original, Marcus loathes over the death of his family and is resistant to comply as a slave until he’s finally pushed. This movie, ok my wife and land were murdered and slaughtered. Put me into slavery and open the doors up so I can be a gladiator.

[@ZachAttackReviews]

Im super excited for this film after watching the first one recently, but now im scared. Great review as always

[@its_rick_james_bich2575]

I’ve not seen Paul Mescal in any of his previous films, and based on this performance..that’s a pleasure! Absolutely dour and uninspiring in the lead role! The actors aren’t given a Shakespeare script, but at least Denzel makes the best use of it! Connie Nielsen is only marginally better in her reprised role! I thought Ridley couldn’t hit any lower after his Napoleon debacle..but oh boy was I wrong!!

[@pete8492]

I was so bored. The CGI monkeys took me out and I left the cinema.

[@tabbymrp]

I agree! Especially on the main protagonist’s lack of the alpha energy, I just didn’t get it. Make me wonder if I were one of the soldiers or gladiators, I’d be like: who are you telling me what to do, what do you know? What made you better than any of us? Unlike Maximus in the first film, you felt that leader energy. And “Prince of Romania”? Is that what they called the heir of the Roman Empire?I zoned out ….

[@Italiano_Strawhat]

They should have went in the total opposite direction. Give us a Hannibal Lecter in the coliseum. Someone who is killing for sport because he wants to, pretending to be a pawn of the powerful but owning a staggering mental acuity over himself & others such that he can leave whenever he wants to. Now that's a movie I'd go watch.

[@edwingoodson8820]

Horrible movie, mediocre dribble,no substance no real friendship no bonding, it wasn't enough of the twins, I felt absolutely nothing from none of the characters. Denzel was King for 5 minutes😂😂😂😂😂 straight trash I'm call it how it is. 💯 💪🏾

[@mamalannightshyaman]

the action was separated by these super long winded narratively-repetitive dialogue scenes that went on way too long. I didn't buy the main character, he didn't feel imposing. It might have been because he just never got a good backstory aside from the guy from 300 telling him he "learned everything they had taught him" or some similar trope. He felt like a major league 2 character. There weren't any stakes because we don't really care about lucious. I dozed off several times and I almost left the theater when they filled the coliseum with water and sharks, like how insulting to our intelligence is that scene? And how many times does he have to grab the sand off the ground before we say "yes, we liked the first one better"

[@NoNamePerson18]

0:27 to 0:37 that's so America.

[@rohintonmistry1314]

Extraordinary movie experience. The sets, the costumes, the fight direction etc etc. Just one thing looked out of place was sharks in the Colosseum . I give this movie 4 /5

[@fantasiazplatkami]

Spoilers > > > Maximus's wife was an innocent civilian , Lucius wife was a figher who got killed in a fair battle. That makes a big difference. The film lacked the big reveal who " Hanno" is. It should be done before arena fight to defend Lucilla.

[@ImpressionBlend]

spoilers . . . . . No, it doesn't. She still isn't a real character, it's still fridging. It's honestly comical if they actually thought swapping a wife and kid for wife with bow and arrow was somehow "better".

[@fantasiazplatkami]

@ImpressionBlend I meant that made negative difference towards G2. Lucius had no reason to put blame on the general. What was the general supposed to do? Of course he eliminated enemy fighters. Lucius behaved like total ignotant.

[@ImpressionBlend]

@@fantasiazplatkami Oh I see what you mean, my bad, read that wrong. I still think it's an outdated plot point to include that doesn't improve the story but yea, I agree - killed in battle isn't the same as murdered in cold blood.

[@fantasiazplatkami]

@@ImpressionBlend there were many weird scenes, like Lucius getting beaten with spiked glove with no harm. In reality , his face and face bones would be a mess. To enjoy this film , one must really switch off common sense. Yet, I did like some scenes, like one when Geta tried to talk to " Hanno" and got thrown off by his silence. I liked the acting.

[@ImpressionBlend]

@@fantasiazplatkami YES! I didn't want to mention this because of spoilers, but I can't stand it when movies show someone getting beaten with something that could clearly inflict major damage just to have them walk away with a few scratches. "MaXXXine" had a similar scene/result as well.