⚔️ 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 worst cinematography I have seen on awhile and an amazingly bad CGI just a to 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.

[@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

[@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.

[@VladislavBabbitt]

My name is Phallus Maximus, son of Biggus Dickus.

[@Snakex59]

🤣🤣🤣

[@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. ;)

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@TheFilmDrunk]

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! 🦈

[@WilliamNeish]

Thank you, absolutely ridiculous

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@Anthonycheesman33]

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😂

[@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.

[@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?

[@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😂

[@hoibsh21]

Twould be a better movie if Lucius was a werewolf.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@matthewmatt5285]

After watching Napoleon I have ZERO faith that Ridley Scott can make another Good 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.

[@rameeez111]

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

[@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.

[@neomohoto8861]

I completely agree about Paul. He lacks that energy.

[@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.

[@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).

[@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.

[@Kickinthescience]

Everybody knew Denzel would carry this movie

[@eklund86]

Saw it tonight. At the end, 1 person in the theatre started applauding. 1...

[@ZachAttackReviews]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@rickybobbysdriver555]

Ridley Scott is on a run recently. All of his work has been remade recently. I'm waiting for the Black Hawk Down sequel, this is ridiculous.

[@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.

[@zachpajak7493]

Ah, I love the original so much. I might check out II for Denzel Washington’s performance, but I’ll temper expectations

[@syanhc]

Thanks for the honest review.

[@dkazmer2]

If Denzel apparently "steals" every scene he's in, how does that a good "supporting" actor make?

[@yzwme586]

As someone who's favorite movie has been Gladiator since I saw it 24 years ago... The movie starts off strange, like the first 30 minutes, I'll admit. To the other reviewers walking out after 30 minutes I can see why, HOWEVER the movie gets MUCH better as it progresses. It pays a lot of homage to Gladiator which I really appreciated. I won't spoil anything but I think it was a good sequel. Of course, not better than the original. Original is a masterpiece. and my #1 all time But this was great and I was entertained indeed. Also I want to add, that there is NO JAY Z AND KAYNE MUSIC IN THE MOVIE!!! Thankfully...

[@TomBombadil89]

Spoilers . . . . I was okay with the movie, but there was just no character building. Lucius not dying at the beginning of the movie when he gets knocked out and goes underwater for the rest of the battle was wild. Denzel is great, but he took me right out of this movie. He played Denzel Washington but this time in Rome. Not even at attempt at an accent. The CGI monkeys and sharks in the Coliseum were not needed to say the least. In the first one, Maximus was the general that everyone knew, the reveal in the Coliseum was one of the top movie scenes of all time. Lucius was just some guy. When they were trying to free Maximus and gather an army in the first one and they hung Cicero, it caught you off guard. The second movie telegraphed the failure of the mission too much. Even showing the archers hiding out. They wanted emotional scenes without working for them. "Hey, remember the first movie?" Dundus. All that being said, for a modern sequel to a classic, it was fine. They could have ruined it but it was a solid standalone movie. Edit: I wish Peter Mensah would have had more of a role. He was great in Spartacus.

[@secretd2503]

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

[@svetlanaandrasova6086]

Just like Joker. This didnt need a sequel.

[@VivaciousOM]

Spot on review. I saw it last night as the AMC screen unseen (mystery movie not yet out).

[@kvnd6577]

The brothers in arms brotherhood feel was strong in the movie

[@stevearnott7753]

You can’t paint the same Mona Lisa twice and expect to feel the same way you did when you saw the original.

[@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

[@drizer4real]

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

[@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.

[@siddhartharoy8880]

When i saw the movie at theatres, i didn't feel any passion. So I agree with your review. My thoughts about its shortcomings are..they just tried to rehash the original, the antagonist wasn't clear until close to end and finally no real emotion for the gladiator which we felt in the original

[@310Dannr]

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

[@fenaxtv]

It lacks an uber charismatic man protagonist who Russel Crowe or Kirk Douglas played so great in these type of movies. Its just a fact

[@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!

[@thesilentknight4554]

Most people are going to line up to theaters just to get that Gladiator popcorn bucket 🍿😅

[@ThomasMSoleau]

I enjoyed your review of the movie. I'm gonna see it next week. I knew that it couldn't surpass the greatness of the original. To me it didn't need a sequel. But the cast looks really great. I'm looking forward to seeing what Denzel Washington does with his character. Even if the movie he's in isn't good, he's always great.

[@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?!

[@TobaccoRoadAI]

I loved the movie ❤ The only complaint was the plot hole with getting the two brothers in power What happened there right after Maximus dies ? Who was trying to hunt down Lucius when he was a child ? Why not bring back Spencer Treat Clark to play Lucius again ?

[@kostar500]

Denzel with the head 😮😮😮 Me likey…

[@neomohoto8861]

I was gagged 😂

[@acerock013]

i am wholly unsurprised. when i saw the announcement of G2 there was no way it was going to be a film of any kind of quality

[@matthewmatt5285]

Ridley still makes great SETS but he doesn'thave the ability to get people invested,. Mapoleon was EXACTLY the same way.. Looks good,.Tastes Bad~

[@fictitiousart6410]

I can’t wait for Gladiator 3! Hopefully they’ll raise the budget to 300m and lose twice as much.

[@enlat2003]

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.

[@FactsNReason]

Bravo, bravo!!! What a great in-depth review!!

[@ImpressionBlend]

Thank you!

[@saeedhz2001]

I can't agree more with your review I saw it in IMAX. Visuals are impressive, especially if you have the experience of visiting Rome, Colloseom and Roman Forum. feels like a jump back to history. I was so worried about the Soundtrack, as we had the first one from Hans Zimmer. but it was actually good. with some parts of the original movie. The visual flashbacks to the first movie are smooth and sweet. Battles are good. Denzel Washington shines. It is still a good movie. Epic and entertaining. Good Music Fine Acting Great Visuals But as you said, it was emotionally empty. when he met her mother after years, when he found out about his real father, even when he saw the dead body of her wife. I think those 2 clowns were the worst. or the Monkeys Could be better? Yes Worthes watching? Yes

[@susanmctavish6639]

I think Wicked will be this way also in the sense that it's all visual spectacle but ultimately empty.

[@TheHorrorMiserMontyG]

I wasn't a big fan of the first film but I enjoyed what the film was about. This seems that is just a carbon copy of the first film, but with different actors (along with some actors from the first film). I know I'll be waiting when this film comes to streaming services since this doesn't have the same type feeling I got when I watch the first film. It reminded me of those big cinematic films from the 50's that I saw as a kid like The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur, and The Robe!

[@barry4649]

Even down to Paul Mescal’s accent in it seemed very like something out of Ben Hur or something, I think he nailed it

[@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.

[@newdivide9882]

Not gonna lie, that title is actually the WORST thing you can say about a piece of media, if you ask me. Make me happy, make me sad, make me mad, even. But for goodness’ sake, make me feel SOMETHING. Otherwise, why do you even exist?

[@Brother_Dre1900]

Your critique was nit-picky. I enjoyed the film.

[@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.

[@Yamanohikari]

This no way looks like a Netflix film.

[@LuckyBastardProd]

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

[@DG-oc2uw]

Gonna watch the movie anyway before I watch this review, I just came here for the new hairdo! ❤️

[@tuscanyjc]

This movie was to be filmed right b4 covid as they secured the rights to film at the Coliseum. Wonder how that changed the final film (I only know this as I was there b4 & tour guide gave us the skinny)

[@ImpressionBlend]

Honestly, I doubt it changed much. It seems like a complete vision, I just don't think they had a strong enough story/characters for this.

[@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.

[@GetKingShorty]

One of the opening scenes was of a girl boss gladiator, told me all i needed to know. At this point, Mel Gibson is the only person keeping traditional masculinity alive in Hollywood.

[@Reflectionmaterial]

STFU. There were no girl bosses in the entire movie. If someone is threatening to wipe out your culture you also put your girl with a bow on a wall. Because if you lose she is done for anyway.

[@BrettWB]

So it's an updated imitation. Thanks for taking the time with this movie, so I don't need to. Good enough is not good enough for me these days, and 2024 has had some incredible films.

[@riotbunny]

I agree with all your comments. I still enjoyed the movie in a 7/10 kind of way. It's not deep, but it's fun to watch.

[@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?!?

[@TheVegPie]

still better than anything disney put out this year not counting deadpool

[@shaquilleburton1611]

I enjoyed it full of action a good story nice plot twist people will find anything wrong with a good movie it's people who said they didn't like the 4th bad boys because Martin gained weight since the 90s.

[@VladislavBabbitt]

"Bad Boys"? Do you mean the one with Will Smith and Tea Leoni?

[@thegrievancegordieshow9882]

Even the advertisement seems to have Pedro Pascal fighting himself 😂

[@Willakimbo_]

Ridley Scott seems controlled by his lack of time to get as many movies out as possible in a quantity over quality approach and it’s very frustrating! Not surprised it’s from the same writer as Napoleon because the two films are quite similar with the lack of connection. Great review!

[@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?

[@BRWednesday]

I'm just glad we didn't get the time traveling Maximus script 😅

[@ImpressionBlend]

Ya know… I would have liked to see that, at least that’s original

[@aminsmit17]

What !! Really 😢 It's very disappointing..

[@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.

[@TazBo-wd2ig]

The two clowns in power fell so easily it was a joke. They were not scary, how on easy was it to have them go against each other. It was just silly.

[@donna25871]

As soon as I saw the oil painting graphics summarising the plot of the first film as the intro I knew this was going to be bad.

[@circleofshame]

Wow a reasonable review. Subbed.

[@bucky716]

My gut instinct was to avoid seeing in the theater after seeing sharks in a preview. But i went because of this cast and the first Gladiator was epic. I should have listened to my own advice. It jumped the shark and had none of that emotion of the first. Should have spent less on visual effects and more on the story. Oh well.

[@TheKeyser94]

You cant complain about historical accuracy when the first Gladiator had non, second, you are missing the point of the movie, the two Consuls that could be twins, the comment of "Let them eat war", and "This is the greatest temple that Rome ever built, where they venerate what they care the most, power.", anyone with two brain cells in their brain could see the message, clearly as day, even with the sacrifice of Maximus, nothing has changed, hell, it gotten worse, there is no literal difference between the two Consuls, and they not give a shit about the plebes, and yeah, before the western and the eastern Roman Empire, after Marcus Aurelius, and his successors decided to divide the territory in three, because the bureaucracy in Rome was a mess, and there was to many border disputes, the Empire become united again under Constantine only to be divided again, when he changed the capital to Constantinople.

[@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. I know it's harsh to judge a movie by the trailer (as I did with 'Megalopolis' and hence, avoided that movie) since it doesn't give one a full picture of a movie, but a trailer is supposed to give viewers highlights; glimpses of the most exciting or moving or hilarious sequences of an upcoming feature and above all, it is supposed to make an impression to beckon audiences to go to theatres to see the movie, but it did absolutely nothing for me.

[@bravexheart7]

Movie is absolutely incredible

[@GalaxyaSpeaks]

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

[@joebond545]

The whole time i thought "this rome sucks, why the hell do i wanna be spending 2 and a half hours here" it really felt like ridley wanted us to hate Rome, and for me tbats never going to happen, many of the amazing things we have today started in Rome. Yet ridley just wanted to focus on how badly it smelt🤨. Do i think majority of people will like this movie? Yes, but anyone who remembers true historical fantasys like original gladiator, Troy, the last samurai, where u have hot actors and actresses, epic Choreography, sweeping score, incredible production design, u get lost into the world. Then U realise how pale this movie is in comparison because i couldnt wait to leave the world

[@paulcashion8049]

I plan to watch it because the spectacle seems fun but I am disappointed at how unfairly they portray Caracalla, who was a really interesting Roman emperor.

[@cosborne06]

Braveheart 2 : Freeeeedom coming out after this 🙄

[@ImpressionBlend]

STOP, OMG NO

[@AMultipolarWorldIsEmerging]

Fun fact back then gladiators actually rarely died. They were there for combat but it was expensive to keep them so they didn’t die very often at all. The entire idea of gladiators and dying in the ring is a myth. Gladiators were like WWE now it was spectacle not always even real

[@Reflectionmaterial]

You go compete with blunt weapons and see how well you can make it through without sustaining injuries. The idea that gladiators did not die is a myth. Rome was not the WWE and the fights were not choreographed.

[@sunnyschramm9650]

thats exactly what happend to me with the teaser, trailer and most important the main cast - so bad!