@@crysischampion3530 not bait, i saw both in the same week and gladiator 2 is obviously better. People are conditioned to claim a first movie of a franchise is superior, especially when it's a movie people have so much nostalgy for.
@@CocoonCast-Rebekah the acid trip that would have been if they went with Maximus becoming Dick Cheney would have been 100x better especially since Russell Crowe already looks like him
My favourite parts of the whole film was him drowning in silks. He was constantly preening and adjusting his robes and, in tandem with his Shakespearean line deliveries, i simply couldnt take my eyes off him!
I respect that he didn't even try to fit in with the rest of the actors trying to channel ancient rome and just said naw fuck it yall getting Alonzo Harris again
Yeah... alot of 'fridging' happened in this with very little room for the emotional impact to sink in. I am curious if, this would be helped if we get to see the supposedly 4 hour cut of the film.
I feel like Paul Mescal actually did pretty good considering his characters motivation changes like 3-4 times in the last hour. Denzel was able to give a better performance because his characters motivation and goal of gaining power never changed.
A Denis Villeneuve historical epic would be dope. I'd see just about anything he makes at this point, but I'd love to see this once he's fully satisfied the Dune itch.
Honestly, this film proved (to me) that Paul Mescal is one of the best actors of his generation because he was able to give a fine performance when having absolutely nothing to work with. Glad he got the money from this and hope it’s used to keep doing the great smaller films he’s done.
I found him to be a very dull bootleg Crowe. He conveyed none of those subtle glimmers of soul and spirit that made Rusty one of the best of his gen. Maybe that’s down to bad script with no character depth but it all seemed to highlight how we can only peer into the past and do a pale imitation to diminishing returns.
His performance was abysmal imo - the least inspiring human on the whole set. Dudes supposed to be motivated people to fight to the death and sounds and looks like he just got out of bed. Unreal
@@elise4287 there was no performance he...... delivered... every... fucking... line... like... this... unless... specifically... instructed TO SCREAM at mom or chuckle
I’ve seen a lot of people praising Fred Hechinger (probably misspelled that), and what I find amazing is that he literally joined last minute after Barry Keoghan dropped out. I’d never heard of him and just watched him in Thelma and agree. Fantastic actor! He has fantastic screen presence and he was absolutely lovely in that movie. Knowing that he is one of the emperors in the movie is making me more excited to see it.
I was shocked with how much the plot tried to imitate the first film but was so all over the place at the same time, the whole storyline had more inconsistencies than a hedgehog has spikes
Bad ideas for Gladiator III 1. Have Lucien voluntarily return to the ring to fight this time 2. Make there a bee hive combat type. For example, the ring is covered in open beehives, who have been agitated by the bee keepers, so that the gladiators have to fend off these angry killer bees 3. Have the arena set up with multiple lighting rods, and have the gladiators fight in a lighting storm, dodging between lightning strikes. 4. Lastly, have them fight alchemists, who are throwing jars full of chemical hallucinogens, disorientating the gladiators and giving them visions
The 2nd one should have been where Lucius becomes a general since he was inspired and just have him go to war with another roman army or something. They could still use the arena a little but seeing other places would have been better for a sequel
Honestly it'd be pretty fun if they had some light mythological elements in this. Imagine if the final battle was just straight up a minotaur. Maybe that's a terrible idea, I don't know, but it would get people talking about the movie.
This movie's very existence kind of pisses me off to the point that I refuse to watch it on principle. Why did it need to be a Gladiator sequel? Why not try telling a new story set in ancient Rome? Why does absolutely everything need to be sacrificed on the altar of the franchise?
its better than most mainstream bull that's coming out these days. but I did miss some of that soul and a bit of originality, hence why I loved denzels character.
@@olivercoulter260 general direction and visuals were great and this has better dialogue at least. I distinguish it mostly by the movie taking itself serious, instead of having every scene be interrupted by quips and jokes Targeted towards the audience.
I strongly disagree. Everyone expects sequels to be smash hits but you cant recreate lightning in a bottle. The movie was well written with solid action and done with enough historical cohesion to entertain. The main character was an excellent heir of Maximus. I recommend all check it out.
No way to surpass but I would have liked it to at least be competently assembled with maybe something original to it. A reason for existing. The only good writing it had were the beats from G1 that it still managed to mangle
The thing that made the first Gladiator work so well was that it was it's own self contained story. Sure, it was inspired by Hamlet and Conan the Barbarian, but it still managed to work in both to tell a cohesive story, with a main protagonist and antagonist. Sure, but Maximus and Commodus have their set of followers and allies who all have their own motivations or goals, but these two are meant to be the primary focus. Thus the big climatic spectacle and heart wrenching finale fits. But in this "sequel", it feels dissonant. Not only does it have way to many characters that don't have enough focus, nor a strong connection for the protagonist, that we want to see the two battle it out in the climax.
I was actually pleasantly surprised by the score! I was sad that Hans wasn’t doing it, but I actually thought Harry did a good job (I haven’t seen the movie yet, just listened to the score) with what he had. Nothing ground breaking or anything, but I thought the music was solid imo!
@@_OUTOFBOUNDS_ actually a misconception. His contributions to Metal Gear are pretty limited, and most of the scores are done by Norihiko Hibino and later Ludvig Forsell.
I mean like yeah in comparison to the first, not as good but goddamn was it a joy to watch throughout. We don't get Swords and Sandals films anymore thinking back to stuff like Prince of Thieves, Three Musketeers or Count of Monte Cristo and I love that we finally got something like that. Scott has been very messy the last decade so I got to give him credit for doing something I've liked for the first time since probably Robin Hood. As a Mescal fanboy, was a bit disappointed, found him one note and I adore his work in everything from Aftersun, AOUS and Normal People. But Denzel, Joseph Quinn and Pedro were all really good and interesting. Shoutout to Tim Mciennerney too. People can give me shit but I enioyed it. Small Things Like These is still my No.1 of the year so far though. Highly recommend that
Modern Scott is only hampered by mediocre scripts, which has always been the case, hence why Martian was so good. It’s the issue with being a director and not a writer/director - your technical skills can only take a film so far.
All of the critiques you had with the film I sort of get but I actually really liked this film. I felt like it had a lot of emotional and character development which I feel like a lot of people are missing in simply comparing it to the original and saying “it’s worse” which actually made this film move me when I watched it which was really what the first one missed for though the first film does have a lot of magnetism to to which this one does miss for more interesting characters I’d argue.
Pedro Pascal was easily the best part of this movie, the movie literally spiked downhill so much after some certain parts. Def could have been like 30 mins shorter.
Why do a sequel for a self-contained film? Gladiator isn't open-ended, it tells everything in the span of the film, and doesn't leave ANY loose plotlines. If it wasn't 2024 and all major studios weren't creatively bankrupt, I'd have thought of the same kind of fakes that roamed the web for Titanic 2, or Fight Club 2... What a bleak era of forgettable blockbusters. At this point, even AI could be better.
i read a review on slate by patrick wyman that suggests almost the opposite of what you say, that gladiator 2 is more nuanced and critical of the roman empire than gladiator 1 is. haven't seen either movie but wyman's review got me interested.
Yo Karsten! It was so dope to meet you at the Gladiator screening, I was legit starstruck. And welcome to Los Angeles! If you're looking for a homie to check more movies out with, hit me up dawg 🔥
As someone with no attachment to the original (saw the original Wednesday and the sequel yesterday), I agree with a lot of the criticism. Was I entertained? Yes. Did I also handwave a lot of the elements in the story that either didn’t make sense or was underbaked? Yes. It’s unfortunate that it’s essentially a retread of the first since it always had large shoes to fill without such a direct 1:1 comparison in tow
My local cinema re released Gladiator on the big screen back in October. Whilst being in awe watching, I often said to myself, "Why make a sequel to this masterpiece?"
Based on this and other discussions on the Internet, seems like this one is more of a “catch later on streaming with my dad” than a “go see in theaters” kind of movie
One pattern I have seen is that Ridley Scott is a great visionary but not a great expander. Whenever he returns to his own previous property he can't tap the same magic. Ive seen it with alien prometheus and especially covenant and with this one. Thank God he didn't return for blade runner. Otherwise I bet that one would have been worse than what Denis pulled off. All his greatest works have been singular visions.
I disagree that Denzel's character is more fit for a protagonist, I think he makes an extremely captivating antagonist - the film just lacks satisfying interactions between him and Lucius (who himself is uninteresting)
I agree with so much of this review. Definitely an underwhelming experience saved from being a total disappointment by an excellent Denzel Washigton's performance. Paul Mescal did not have much to chew on and, as a young actor, he doesn't have Washigton's talent to squeeze juice from a dry script. The plot is derivative from the first film, which becomes annoying as you are expecting for this film to be able to stand on his own without constantly remind us that it is a sequel. Also, this was clearly made by an old English white male who believes that Empires can be a good thing, which becomes problematic when the villain is literally a former slave.
It sounds dumb but i feel like all the scenes just happened, like it was a 2-hour highlights video of a tv show, nothing in each scene connected, i didn’t feel any threat of danger, I didn’t feel immersed in the moment at all, each scene and set piece lasted like a minute long
I hate that they made him the son, I felt like it cheapened his love for his wife, sure they flirted in the first movie but he ultimately rebuffed her. Was a movie I doubt I will ever watch again. Gladiator is timeless,
To me, the first is infinitely better, but the second captures the spirit of the first. But yeah we did not need this film. I could never turn down a Denzel performance though.
It was basically the same plot as the first movie, copy and pasted. Why even bother making a sequel if it's going to be virtually the same film? Denzel Washington should hopefully receive an Oscar nomination.
Funniest part about this movie is the marketing surrounding pre release. I remember like a year before the release there were rumors about time travel resurrected Russel Crowe to it being the best movie of the of the century surpassing the original a week before release from the supposed test screenings only for it to turn out to be another mediocre Ridley Scott slop is so funny to me
@@gustavohernandeza.890 Remember, most of these reviews are from like 20 year old kids. Most adults over 35 that watched the original Gladiator enjoyed this movie. Reviews nowadays are critical of every, little imagined thing. Initially bad reviews are what kept me away from The 2019 Hellboy. Saw it a few months back and actually thought it shredded. Ignore the reviews, people. See the flick for yourself
The hidden backdrop is the fall of Rome. Marcus Aurelius was the last emperor of Rome's golden age, and it will never again bask in the glory of his rule. All the talk of the "dream of Rome"--but we know those days will never come. Those speeches ring hollow. In this way, the film instead becomes a tragedy, in spite of itself. Denzel is the hero, his rejection in favor of the hereditary rule and false promises of Lucius is symbolic of Rome's fall. At least that's my reading, whatever the creators intended I don't care
It’s weird that the audience scored it higher than the critics yet the UA-cam content creators are the only people I see having pretty decent sized issues with it. Just odd
paul mescal should have been gay and the focus of the film would be around his relations with the men around them: his dead "husband", the dead leader that paul did not care about for the rest of the film which is weird that he felt nothing for someone looking for revenge, the general that he wants to kill, russel crown as just a father figure( NOT the real father), his late father, denzel Washington, I think that would be fun!
your comments on Denzel's character's story vs. Paul's are interesting! do you think Scott might have been feeling the pressure as a lot of directors are rn to not alienate the chud side of the internet by making the story too "woke" (their words) by focusing on a black character with an infinitely more interesting story? like I don't want to be a conspiracy theorist but IDK I think a lot of these directors have kind of realized who their core audience is.
Your Napoleon review made me feel less alone. It's such a batshit insane take on that story and I thoroughly enjoy it whenever Ridley gets weird and lets his hair down (The director's cut improved its pacing problems too.) I love The Counselor, I love the Alien prequels, and I thought All the Money in the World was shockingly underrated. I wanted a lot more weirdness in Gladiator II - I didn't hate it but Denzel aside, it should've landed a lot harder. I would compare the nostalgic elements to those in T2 Trainspotting but without the layers of emotional depth and self-awareness. Gladiator II paid lip service to the idea. Pascal's character was too underdeveloped and Mescal was too subtle for what was required. Napoleon is a bold swing and a miss that's thoroughly enjoyable if you choose not to take it seriously. I enjoyed Gladiator II most while it was on, but his last few movies were dare I say more memorable. Should've gone with Christ Killer instead.
this movie is basically deadpool & wolverine if you actually make it an official sequel to Logan and take out deadpool out of the equation. And without the jokes you can actually see how much it disrespect the past as well your brain cells
All of the criticisms in this review are bang on but for me I feel the film did succeed at using good spectacle and an over exaggerated look at the decadence of Rome (idk that’s my take)
Should it have been better? I mean, honestly, I think anyone expecting much from Gladiator II, from a Scott film (have you followed his last 10-12 years) was setting themselves up for disappointment. The most i would expect from it is that it'd be passable. You want great Denzel roles in solid movies, with cool action, from a Scott, you should watch Tony's films, not Riddley's.
i literally went to see it today in my first solo trip to the movies 😭 gotta say, as much as i loved it and without seeing the first movie (which i will after tonight), the ending was very underwhelming. i love pedro but denzel was the real star
@@anthonymartensen3164 pls go! overall, it's a good experience. some ppl say that they got bored at times but i was HOOKED esp when denzel was on screen. it has flaws but u dont think of them until it ends
@@anthonymartensen3164 i did! ive heard the bad comments too, but imo and as someone who hasn't seen the first yet, i was very entertained esp when denzel was on screen. u should see it! i think its the type of movie that u see its flaws once u finish it, overall, its a nice experience
Gladiator II is the greatest advertisement for watching Gladiator I
fitting seeing how ridley scotts career began in advertising
this is true for me because I havent seen the first one. i only watch it after watching the trailer for the part 2 lmao.
Gladiator 2 is superior in nearly every single aspect from choreography, to cinematography, editing, acting, pacing or plotting
@@Kosiduss The NAV profile picture really gives the bait away lmao
@@crysischampion3530 not bait, i saw both in the same week and gladiator 2 is obviously better. People are conditioned to claim a first movie of a franchise is superior, especially when it's a movie people have so much nostalgy for.
Paul mescal is a subtle actor in a film with no subtlety
Pretty much summarises the movie perfectly. He’s a phenomenal actor, but I didn’t entirely buy him in the role.
And today, you win the Internet, sir.
Charismatic actors can usually elevate a bad film, though. He's just not a leading-man type of actor
That is exactly right
@@johnjungkook2721 Pedro Pascal was right there too . Idk y they went with him
Crazy that after 20 years in development the best they could come up with is “the first one again.”
They had a really strange script at one point for Maximus reincarnating across time. THAT would have been better THAN THIS
@@CocoonCast-RebekahI haven’t seen the first one but I love high concept shit like this, I’d kill to see that movie
@@CocoonCast-Rebekah the acid trip that would have been if they went with Maximus becoming Dick Cheney would have been 100x better especially since Russell Crowe already looks like him
Whoever styled Denzel did their big one. He looked sooo good
the only good thing about the film lol
My favourite parts of the whole film was him drowning in silks. He was constantly preening and adjusting his robes and, in tandem with his Shakespearean line deliveries, i simply couldnt take my eyes off him!
@@lowlowseeseeoh stop it - the movie was great - you letting some damn UA-camr make up your mind is embarrassing
Props to Denzel for knowing what he's in, Training Day in a toga
Hey now, that's not fair..... some scenes were The Equalizer with hoop earrings and lots of rings rings...
barely
I respect that he didn't even try to fit in with the rest of the actors trying to channel ancient rome and just said naw fuck it yall getting Alonzo Harris again
i like the part where he goes "King Nero ain't got shit on me!"
@@motor4X4kombat Ma Gladiata
Paul mescal did not give off the vibe of a burdened man who watched his wife die. He seemed pretty jolly and chill the whole time lol
That's what I thought. And even him wanting vengeance feel pretty flat when his wife tried to kill Acaceus during the battle.
Yeah... alot of 'fridging' happened in this with very little room for the emotional impact to sink in. I am curious if, this would be helped if we get to see the supposedly 4 hour cut of the film.
I feel like Paul Mescal actually did pretty good considering his characters motivation changes like 3-4 times in the last hour. Denzel was able to give a better performance because his characters motivation and goal of gaining power never changed.
I think Denis Villeneuve probably would have made a better Gladiator sequel just like he did with Blade Runner
That would actually be interesting and would love to see it
A Denis Villeneuve historical epic would be dope. I'd see just about anything he makes at this point, but I'd love to see this once he's fully satisfied the Dune itch.
Totally, a director in their prime with a different perspective would have been great for this. Shame it felt like we got a film that was rushed out.
I mean the man has already made one of the best gladiator stadium sequences ever in Dune Part Two. Villeneuve would’ve cooked so hard with this.
@ so true! Man this has just got me depressed now 😂
Honestly, this film proved (to me) that Paul Mescal is one of the best actors of his generation because he was able to give a fine performance when having absolutely nothing to work with. Glad he got the money from this and hope it’s used to keep doing the great smaller films he’s done.
I found him to be a very dull bootleg Crowe. He conveyed none of those subtle glimmers of soul and spirit that made Rusty one of the best of his gen. Maybe that’s down to bad script with no character depth but it all seemed to highlight how we can only peer into the past and do a pale imitation to diminishing returns.
His performance was abysmal imo - the least inspiring human on the whole set. Dudes supposed to be motivated people to fight to the death and sounds and looks like he just got out of bed.
Unreal
@ 😂. Too true. He’s Chauncey Gardner from Being There, people can see whatever they want to see on a blank canvas. I saw zzzzzzzzs.
@@elise4287 there was no performance he...... delivered... every... fucking... line... like... this... unless... specifically... instructed TO SCREAM at mom or chuckle
Gladiator 2 is AMAZING… I can’t understand how people didn’t like this movie… genuinely.
6:58 before you head out.... 😭😭😭
underrated comment
Haha oof
I’ve seen a lot of people praising Fred Hechinger (probably misspelled that), and what I find amazing is that he literally joined last minute after Barry Keoghan dropped out. I’d never heard of him and just watched him in Thelma and agree. Fantastic actor! He has fantastic screen presence and he was absolutely lovely in that movie. Knowing that he is one of the emperors in the movie is making me more excited to see it.
I think Fred Hechinger is underrated and I'm glad to hear you giving him his flowers
I was shocked with how much the plot tried to imitate the first film but was so all over the place at the same time, the whole storyline had more inconsistencies than a hedgehog has spikes
Justice for May Calamawy 🍉
Bad ideas for Gladiator III
1. Have Lucien voluntarily return to the ring to fight this time
2. Make there a bee hive combat type. For example, the ring is covered in open beehives, who have been agitated by the bee keepers, so that the gladiators have to fend off these angry killer bees
3. Have the arena set up with multiple lighting rods, and have the gladiators fight in a lighting storm, dodging between lightning strikes.
4. Lastly, have them fight alchemists, who are throwing jars full of chemical hallucinogens, disorientating the gladiators and giving them visions
😂😂😂
At that point why not literally reincarnate maximus and pull a "Somehow Maximus returned"
@@ddebnath11 I love it
The 2nd one should have been where Lucius becomes a general since he was inspired and just have him go to war with another roman army or something. They could still use the arena a little but seeing other places would have been better for a sequel
Honestly it'd be pretty fun if they had some light mythological elements in this. Imagine if the final battle was just straight up a minotaur. Maybe that's a terrible idea, I don't know, but it would get people talking about the movie.
All i walked away watching this is that Denzel took this role to the bank and feasted, he eat the scenery. The rest vary cause they are given crumbs.
Denzel still carrying movies into his 70’s. Thank you legend 🙏🏽
This movie's very existence kind of pisses me off to the point that I refuse to watch it on principle. Why did it need to be a Gladiator sequel? Why not try telling a new story set in ancient Rome? Why does absolutely everything need to be sacrificed on the altar of the franchise?
its better than most mainstream bull that's coming out these days. but I did miss some of that soul and a bit of originality, hence why I loved denzels character.
I don’t know how you distinguish it. This seems exactly on par for sad mimicry that Hollywood dumps out.
@@olivercoulter260 general direction and visuals were great and this has better dialogue at least. I distinguish it mostly by the movie taking itself serious, instead of having every scene be interrupted by quips and jokes Targeted towards the audience.
This was definitely not a disappointment
it literally fucking was tf?
@CSorgini nope
@@CSorginino it wasn’t stop it
I'm here for Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal looking hot. The rest is just for fun
ur so real tho
the bar is so low. watch better movies and save your time.
@@nafischowdhury7375 people can watch and enjoy anything they want
When Lucilla says “He sees the way” made me think of the Mandalorian, being that Pedro Pascal was also in this movie.
2:32 This movie looks so much fun! Is this Aftersun? Gonna save this one for when I'm having a bad day ☺
Depends, you wanna make that bad day better or worse?
Oh, it has Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie! That's my favourite song
I strongly disagree. Everyone expects sequels to be smash hits but you cant recreate lightning in a bottle. The movie was well written with solid action and done with enough historical cohesion to entertain. The main character was an excellent heir of Maximus. I recommend all check it out.
No way to surpass but I would have liked it to at least be competently assembled with maybe something original to it. A reason for existing. The only good writing it had were the beats from G1 that it still managed to mangle
this sequel was trash
Pure quality cinema
I agree with everything you said in this video, but I still really loved it. Hope more films of this scale come out because it's become rare nowadays
Anyone else thinks it’s odd that Karsten reviews movies and up until now has never seen the original Gladiator?!?!
The thing that made the first Gladiator work so well was that it was it's own self contained story. Sure, it was inspired by Hamlet and Conan the Barbarian, but it still managed to work in both to tell a cohesive story, with a main protagonist and antagonist. Sure, but Maximus and Commodus have their set of followers and allies who all have their own motivations or goals, but these two are meant to be the primary focus. Thus the big climatic spectacle and heart wrenching finale fits.
But in this "sequel", it feels dissonant. Not only does it have way to many characters that don't have enough focus, nor a strong connection for the protagonist, that we want to see the two battle it out in the climax.
@@osmanyousif7849 first one was a highly inspired film that had the best people in their prime behind it, second one is pure algorithmic content
from what I've heard, Harry Gregson-Williams delivered a pretty underwhelming score as well, which is such a shame because he composed freaking NARNIA
I was actually pleasantly surprised by the score! I was sad that Hans wasn’t doing it, but I actually thought Harry did a good job (I haven’t seen the movie yet, just listened to the score) with what he had. Nothing ground breaking or anything, but I thought the music was solid imo!
And all of the mainline Metal Gear Solid games since Sons of Liberty !
@@_OUTOFBOUNDS_ actually a misconception. His contributions to Metal Gear are pretty limited, and most of the scores are done by Norihiko Hibino and later Ludvig Forsell.
I mean like yeah in comparison to the first, not as good but goddamn was it a joy to watch throughout.
We don't get Swords and Sandals films anymore thinking back to stuff like Prince of Thieves, Three Musketeers or Count of Monte Cristo and I love that we finally got something like that. Scott has been very messy the last decade so I got to give him credit for doing something I've liked for the first time since probably Robin Hood. As a Mescal fanboy, was a bit disappointed, found him one note and I adore his work in everything from Aftersun, AOUS and Normal People. But Denzel, Joseph Quinn and Pedro were all really good and interesting. Shoutout to Tim Mciennerney too.
People can give me shit but I enioyed it. Small Things Like These is still my No.1 of the year so far though. Highly recommend that
People should have expected this to be mediocre if it’s coming from modern day Ridley Scott
Modern Scott is only hampered by mediocre scripts, which has always been the case, hence why Martian was so good. It’s the issue with being a director and not a writer/director - your technical skills can only take a film so far.
@ Agreed
Modern Day Ridley Scott made The Last Duel
@@giiuulio3465 That is an exception, also all the money in the world was good
Seems like modern day Ridley Scott is a bit of a wild card. Could be bad, but could also be quite good! Who's to say
All of the critiques you had with the film I sort of get but I actually really liked this film. I felt like it had a lot of emotional and character development which I feel like a lot of people are missing in simply comparing it to the original and saying “it’s worse” which actually made this film move me when I watched it which was really what the first one missed for though the first film does have a lot of magnetism to to which this one does miss for more interesting characters I’d argue.
"Before you head out" 6:59 hahaha, well played sir
I watched “Scrooged” last night and got teary eyed. It’s a modernized adaptation of A Christmas Carol starring Bill Murray.
Pedro Pascal was easily the best part of this movie, the movie literally spiked downhill so much after some certain parts. Def could have been like 30 mins shorter.
Why do a sequel for a self-contained film?
Gladiator isn't open-ended, it tells everything in the span of the film, and doesn't leave ANY loose plotlines.
If it wasn't 2024 and all major studios weren't creatively bankrupt, I'd have thought of the same kind of fakes that roamed the web for Titanic 2, or Fight Club 2...
What a bleak era of forgettable blockbusters. At this point, even AI could be better.
i read a review on slate by patrick wyman that suggests almost the opposite of what you say, that gladiator 2 is more nuanced and critical of the roman empire than gladiator 1 is. haven't seen either movie but wyman's review got me interested.
The same director made this sequel. Ridley wanted it to go in this direction and spent alot of time to make it solid. Cant wait to buy!
How have you just seen Gladiator?! 🤯
Yo Karsten! It was so dope to meet you at the Gladiator screening, I was legit starstruck. And welcome to Los Angeles! If you're looking for a homie to check more movies out with, hit me up dawg 🔥
Not to be that guy, but I feel this would really benefit from an extended cut.
A lot of the scenes felt too short!
Jesus Christ it couldn’t even do anything with the runtime it had the last thing this thin gruel of a soup needed is more water
As someone with no attachment to the original (saw the original Wednesday and the sequel yesterday), I agree with a lot of the criticism. Was I entertained? Yes. Did I also handwave a lot of the elements in the story that either didn’t make sense or was underbaked? Yes. It’s unfortunate that it’s essentially a retread of the first since it always had large shoes to fill without such a direct 1:1 comparison in tow
My local cinema re released Gladiator on the big screen back in October. Whilst being in awe watching, I often said to myself, "Why make a sequel to this masterpiece?"
I think gladiator as a tv show series works better than a movie, they didn’t flesh out characters enough for me to care.
la has really got to you, man
Based on this and other discussions on the Internet, seems like this one is more of a “catch later on streaming with my dad” than a “go see in theaters” kind of movie
@ guess it’s too bad they didn’t make it worth going to see then
Yup. Just cuz it's near the same production team doesn't always translate to a good film. Fuck, I should have listened to my gut.
Gladiator 2 makes me appreciate gladiator 1 even more
One pattern I have seen is that Ridley Scott is a great visionary but not a great expander. Whenever he returns to his own previous property he can't tap the same magic. Ive seen it with alien prometheus and especially covenant and with this one. Thank God he didn't return for blade runner. Otherwise I bet that one would have been worse than what Denis pulled off. All his greatest works have been singular visions.
I disagree that Denzel's character is more fit for a protagonist, I think he makes an extremely captivating antagonist - the film just lacks satisfying interactions between him and Lucius (who himself is uninteresting)
I agree with so much of this review. Definitely an underwhelming experience saved from being a total disappointment by an excellent Denzel Washigton's performance. Paul Mescal did not have much to chew on and, as a young actor, he doesn't have Washigton's talent to squeeze juice from a dry script. The plot is derivative from the first film, which becomes annoying as you are expecting for this film to be able to stand on his own without constantly remind us that it is a sequel. Also, this was clearly made by an old English white male who believes that Empires can be a good thing, which becomes problematic when the villain is literally a former slave.
It sounds dumb but i feel like all the scenes just happened, like it was a 2-hour highlights video of a tv show, nothing in each scene connected, i didn’t feel any threat of danger, I didn’t feel immersed in the moment at all, each scene and set piece lasted like a minute long
With a better script this film could of been a masterpiece
I hate that they made him the son, I felt like it cheapened his love for his wife, sure they flirted in the first movie but he ultimately rebuffed her. Was a movie I doubt I will ever watch again. Gladiator is timeless,
02:19 05:16 All love Karsten, but not sure you know what literally means 😂
To me, the first is infinitely better, but the second captures the spirit of the first. But yeah we did not need this film. I could never turn down a Denzel performance though.
I’m still psyched to watch this soon. I thought the stuff with the flooded arena looked cool as hell
You nailed this review!
It was basically the same plot as the first movie, copy and pasted. Why even bother making a sequel if it's going to be virtually the same film? Denzel Washington should hopefully receive an Oscar nomination.
It is but diverts halfway
I had to pause and comment Herrigud Karsten You hadn’t watch Gladiator before, Babes what rock were you living under 😮😮😮😮
Funniest part about this movie is the marketing surrounding pre release. I remember like a year before the release there were rumors about time travel resurrected Russel Crowe to it being the best movie of the of the century surpassing the original a week before release from the supposed test screenings only for it to turn out to be another mediocre Ridley Scott slop is so funny to me
Missed opportunity to call this video: A tale of 2 Gladiators
@@gustavohernandeza.890 Remember, most of these reviews are from like 20 year old kids. Most adults over 35 that watched the original Gladiator enjoyed this movie. Reviews nowadays are critical of every, little imagined thing. Initially bad reviews are what kept me away from The 2019 Hellboy. Saw it a few months back and actually thought it shredded. Ignore the reviews, people. See the flick for yourself
The hidden backdrop is the fall of Rome. Marcus Aurelius was the last emperor of Rome's golden age, and it will never again bask in the glory of his rule. All the talk of the "dream of Rome"--but we know those days will never come. Those speeches ring hollow. In this way, the film instead becomes a tragedy, in spite of itself. Denzel is the hero, his rejection in favor of the hereditary rule and false promises of Lucius is symbolic of Rome's fall. At least that's my reading, whatever the creators intended I don't care
It’s weird that the audience scored it higher than the critics yet the UA-cam content creators are the only people I see having pretty decent sized issues with it. Just odd
Unfortunately the bar is that low and audiences have adjusted to the high fructose corn syrup slurry
paul mescal should have been gay and the focus of the film would be around his relations with the men around them: his dead "husband", the dead leader that paul did not care about for the rest of the film which is weird that he felt nothing for someone looking for revenge, the general that he wants to kill, russel crown as just a father figure( NOT the real father), his late father, denzel Washington, I think that would be fun!
Denzel actually mentioned his character kissed a man and it was cut out from the film so unfortunately I doubt it’ll happen
@@figosfigos Why though?
your comments on Denzel's character's story vs. Paul's are interesting! do you think Scott might have been feeling the pressure as a lot of directors are rn to not alienate the chud side of the internet by making the story too "woke" (their words) by focusing on a black character with an infinitely more interesting story? like I don't want to be a conspiracy theorist but IDK I think a lot of these directors have kind of realized who their core audience is.
Your Napoleon review made me feel less alone. It's such a batshit insane take on that story and I thoroughly enjoy it whenever Ridley gets weird and lets his hair down (The director's cut improved its pacing problems too.) I love The Counselor, I love the Alien prequels, and I thought All the Money in the World was shockingly underrated. I wanted a lot more weirdness in Gladiator II - I didn't hate it but Denzel aside, it should've landed a lot harder. I would compare the nostalgic elements to those in T2 Trainspotting but without the layers of emotional depth and self-awareness. Gladiator II paid lip service to the idea. Pascal's character was too underdeveloped and Mescal was too subtle for what was required. Napoleon is a bold swing and a miss that's thoroughly enjoyable if you choose not to take it seriously. I enjoyed Gladiator II most while it was on, but his last few movies were dare I say more memorable. Should've gone with Christ Killer instead.
1:00 - two equals a group?
denzel was my main take away - just utterly brilliant actor, who would have guessed!?
it's actually more historical accuracy than the first movie thought the event in real life it's not resemble like the movie
Joseph quin stood out for me apart from denzel
We gotta start calling this Glad2ator
KARSTEN
watch "I'm Still Here" one of the best of this year!!!
The Joaquin Phoenix film?
@@06dking the brazilian film directed by walter salles
The Bob Dylan movie with Cate Blanchett as Timothée Chalamet?
it's not coming out in the us until january....... also karsten seems to not give a shit about latin american cinema unfortunately
this movie is basically deadpool & wolverine if you actually make it an official sequel to Logan and take out deadpool out of the equation.
And without the jokes you can actually see how much it disrespect the past as well your brain cells
Yall are obsessed with Deadpool / grow up
i thought the moms acting in this was terribllleeee
anyways go see wicked this weekend
Ridley Scott is the only filmmaker who could direct a historical epic in his sleep.
Haven’t seen this yet but I thought it would either be great or just okay, sad it seems it’s just okay ):
Also am just happy to see Paul get a bigger role
I felt the exact same when I left the theater lol
All of the criticisms in this review are bang on but for me I feel the film did succeed at using good spectacle and an over exaggerated look at the decadence of Rome (idk that’s my take)
Should it have been better? I mean, honestly, I think anyone expecting much from Gladiator II, from a Scott film (have you followed his last 10-12 years) was setting themselves up for disappointment.
The most i would expect from it is that it'd be passable.
You want great Denzel roles in solid movies, with cool action, from a Scott, you should watch Tony's films, not Riddley's.
It was trash! I wanted to love it!
i literally went to see it today in my first solo trip to the movies 😭 gotta say, as much as i loved it and without seeing the first movie (which i will after tonight), the ending was very underwhelming. i love pedro but denzel was the real star
But you liked it though? I'm really looking forward to seeing it and all the hating is bumming me out
@@anthonymartensen3164 pls go! overall, it's a good experience. some ppl say that they got bored at times but i was HOOKED esp when denzel was on screen. it has flaws but u dont think of them until it ends
@@anthonymartensen3164 i did! ive heard the bad comments too, but imo and as someone who hasn't seen the first yet, i was very entertained esp when denzel was on screen. u should see it! i think its the type of movie that u see its flaws once u finish it, overall, its a nice experience
@@puchicaflo thank you for the response 🙂
I didn't dislike Napoleon for any of the reasons that you listed, I disliekd it because Joaquin Phoenix seemed uninterested and bored the entire time.
Romans defs used animals in crazy ways in these events. Rhino riding wasn't that out of the ordinary
The upcoming Nolan movie is a new James Bond. Come back to this comment when I’m right.
Well I really liked it😢😢 I don't know why people are hating on it😅
Ridley is no longer at the top of game...no longer at his prime.
dude you're wrong definitely wrong
you're*
trailer infinitely better than themovie sadly:(
I liked it but I didn't love it
Who would have thought Wicked would be better than Gladiator (both good tho)
soooo me not having watched thr first one in a decade might've worked in my favor??
Denzel was unimpressive to me. he is fun to watch but come on lol
Well you don’t know good acting so thank you for embarrassing yourself
Bro looks like a zombie on that thumbnail
This is where you went wrong
I really liked it ngl
The overly aggressive marketing for a sequel I never wanted has definitely been off putting
Potentially hot take: So should Gladiator.
You should do a Video on a real pain