Monday, 2 December 2024

REVIEW: Gladiator II, directed by Ridley Scott

Gladiator II - Am I Not Entertained?


The first film is amazing, for many reasons.
Russel Crowe in Gladiator

This one falls flat in many ways. However, I didn't hate it, as many commentators seem to have done. I enjoyed it for the spectacle of the thing. Some of the establishing shots of Rome are wonderful in the way few other directors can pull off. Ridley Scott still has an amazing eye, but his latest movies all feel rushed and lack the polish and incredible depth and detail of his earlier works.
Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal in Gladiator II

The main problems with this (and many films nowadays) is the script. Ridley Scott and great actors can't salvage a bad script and make it appear great. It can look wonderful, but it still feels lacklustre as it doesn't connect on an emotional level and, in many cases, doesn't really hang together in any logical sense either. This one feels like it was written by committee (or AI!) and given the remit to write a sequel that ticked all the boxes of the Russell Crowe movie. It succeeds on a VERY superficial level, but is not a worthy successor.
Go and see Gladiator II for some good action scenes and a great sense of place (though not really any better than the first movie, or the HBO series, Rome). Don't go for the story.
Fun fact, when we were hoping to make The Serpent Sword as a TV show, I put forward Paul Mescal as an actor who could manage Beobrand's physicality and depth of character. Was I right? Ridley Scott clearly had the same idea.

8 comments:

  1. Totally agree about the spectacle! The visual grandeur is unmatched, though it lacks the depth of the original.
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  2. Ridley Scott's Rome is breathtaking, but I feel the script could have been stronger to match the visuals.
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  3. Paul Mescal was a great choice, but the story doesn’t give him enough to work with.
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  4. I couldn’t agree more; the emotional connection just isn’t there compared to the first movie.
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  5. It's like they focused on checking boxes instead of crafting a truly unique sequel.
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  6. The action scenes were great, but they felt like they were compensating for a weak story.
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  7. Gladiator II does capture the spectacle of Rome beautifully, but it misses the soul of the original.
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  8. Fun fact about Paul Mescal! It’s cool that you predicted his potential for such a role.
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