Filling the Colosseum and other arenas with water to recreate naval battles was actually a thing. Even though there isn't any record of this occurring during Caracalla's and Geta's rule, the naval battle in the movie is still based on something that actually happened in the Colosseum (except for the sharks)
Ridley Scott should not make historical movies, all his historical movies flop. However his science fiction movies are good. I already knew this movie would be bad based on the trailer.
If the original is a classical composition, this new one is punk rock. Nowhere near as emotional or well-written as the first entry, but man is it a blast the entire way through. I was entertained. Great review, Sean!
Agreed so accurate especially with the villains, they don't hold up to the masterfully played Commodus, but, god, these new Emperors are fucking hilarious
Even though the writing is laughable, the villain is cartoonish, but yeah, a good popcorn flick. Which is not what the first Gladiator was, nor is it what this should have been. This ain't fast and furious, where you expect brain dead writing and just brainless action
I just have to put this information out in the world. Ridley Scott is turning 87 years old at the end of this month, which is pretty old to say the least. Gladiator II is his twenty-ninth feature film and even though he’s about to enter his late-80’s, he doesn’t have plans on slowing down in Hollywood. His next film is going to be a film adaptation of a post-apocalyptic novel titled The Dog Stars. Paul Mescal, the star of Gladiator II, is currently in negotiations to star and production is expected to begin in Spring 2025. After principal photography wraps on The Dog Stars, Scott will be directing a Bee Gees biopic for Paramount titled “You Should Be Dancing” and it looks to begin filming in Fall 2025. There’s also Bomb, an action thriller based on a short story, as well as Big Dogs, a financial thriller which has a completed script. Scott is set to direct both of those as well. Oh, and in September, he said he’s planning to do Gladiator III to the point where there are about ten pages of it already written. And less than two weeks ago, he said he would like to direct a western as well as a musical. When it comes to producing, he’s a producer on Echo Valley and an executive producer on Trap House, both of which have already been filmed. When it comes to the Alien franchise, it looks like he’ll be part of developing the Alien: Romulus sequel and he’s an executive producer on Alien: Earth which is set to release on FX on Hulu next year. But that’s not all Scott’s got for television. He’s also an executive producer on Blade Runner 2099, a Blade Runner miniseries set to be an Amazon Prime Video original. To say the least, that’s a lot for a nearly 87 year old man to be working on over the last couple years.
@@zacharyschenk430hope so, Prometheus and Covenant were peak. David is my favorite character in the franchise, and Covenant is my favorite Alien movie
@@zacharyschenk430dude I really hope so. Super unpopular opinion but Prometheus and covenant are my favorite of the entire franchise (i didn’t grow up with them) and really want a third.
@@_Vaal_Hazak_fr man Prometheus and covenant are my favorite of the entire franchise (i didn’t grow up with them) and really want a third. I know that’s controversial but i didn’t see a single one till I was 18 and because of strict parents
My man you put a spoiler timestamp for something a trailers said for folks like me who want no spoiler… my favourite content creator for a reason❤️ The GOAT
I think your point in “The Bad” are spot on. I’ve just watched the film for a second time and I thought it was excellent. I watched the first film for the first time a couple of weeks ago and thought it was decent, but I have no emotional attachment to the first film. I think a lot of people who don’t like this film probably have too big an attachment to the first film that they’d never enjoy it anyways I really enjoyed GladIIator- I felt like the politics really elevated the film into something so different and interesting compared to the first film
Filling the Colosseum with water is something that they would actually do back then. I know it seems hard to believe but that would actually happen back then
I’m seeing this tonight at 8:30pm with my dad on opening night and I can’t wait! So much so that I’m about to rewatch the 2000 original before I go to see the sequel and it’s not one of my favorite movies ever but, I do enjoy it a lot and when Russell Crowe asks the colosseum audience “Are you not entertained?” My immediate answer is of course yes, so I’m not going in expecting this to be as good as the original because, I feel like that would be a fallacious mentality to have going into a sequel that was 24 years in the making so, yeah I don’t expect the same level of greatness but, I do expect a solid follow up with some good gladiator action and from your review Sean it sounds like that’s exactly what I’m in for tonight.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much i liked the movie! I went in expecting a good time since you can't really mess up this formula but i actually really enjoyed the story and was happy they didn't just completely copy the first one.
I definitely have a few reservations going into this, so I'm glad to hear that this has been getting a lot of positive reviews. This is the exact same director and same writer that gave us last year's Napoleon, which was a disappointment at best. Ridley Scott in particular is one of those directors who went from a 100% great track record to maybe a 50/50 hit or miss with his more recent releases, and even the "hits" were not all that great. Also, it's not very common for an Historical-Period-Epic to get a sequel (can't remember it ever happening to be honest), but I'm a little more optimistic that I'm going to enjoy this.
i wish they delved into who the twins were and how they got into power because after the first movie, it seemed like there was peace and no more conflict once maximus delivers marcus arialius’ dream for rome. but after gladiator 2 ends, it feels like there should be more conflict and unrest in the roman people than the first one. hope im making sense.
I thought this movie was incredible 9/10 I enjoyed every single second. I see people saying it's kinda rushed but I thought it was very well paced. I don't really have any proper criticisms for the movie and I'm kinda suprised I'm not seeing more love for the film. I also never really mind any historical inaccuracies.
they actually did flood the colloseum with water to reenact ship battles using gladiators...no evidence or mentions of using sharks though but they did use baboons
I saw Gladiator for the first time about a week ago (I also saw this movie last week too), and knowing who Lucius was going into it, I was able to notice some details in Gladiator 1 that could be important going into Gladiator 2, that I probably wouldn’t have noticed beforehand
I don’t know why it’s getting a lot of bad reviews, it’s a really good movie, epic blockbuster, entertaining and very well made. Paul Mescal is no Russel Crowe but he has his own charm and I think he was very well cast.
I think a lot of people are going into this with the mindset that this is a sequel that didn't need to exist after a long list of belated sequels that may or may not have warranted their existence. I understand that mindset and I'm inclined to agree, but that isn't entirely fair to the work itself. Regardless of whether or not anyone was asking for it, it exists, and it deserves to be judged on its own merits. It definitely does have its flaws for which I can understand some people not liking it, but I don't think they're so egregious that they overshadow the things this movie does do really well.
Honestly, I only ever watched the first trailer when it came out and totally forgot. I "figured it out" about 20-30 minutes before the movie revealed it not long after they reintroduced Lucilla.
The water in the colosseum is something the Romans actually did. There was naval battles taking place back then. I don't know how they got sharks in tho 🤔 SPOILER I think the movie might have been better if Paul Mescal was just the character he was at the beginning before we knew he was Maximus son and he was just on a revenge mission and the gladiators and himself look up to Maximus as motivation to stay alive and somewhat carry his name sort of like Batman he's not a man he's an idea
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...
SPOILERS Lot of Bad. Monkeys Sharks Denzel Wife death Mom death Marcus Acacius death Not enough music or emotional scenes. Not enough Empereur scenes Overall a 7/10 because it is a sequel and throwbacks to the first one. Which is a 10/10
Great review, I appreciate you covering all perspectives of good, bad and mixed. Unlike some reviewers who go all in on their single opinionated view in one direction
I loved gladiator 2 .. my favorite film of this year .. that opening battle scene was insanely good. Original gladiator was one of my favorites next to braveheart… this very good not as good as those
I wasn't sure what I dared to expect from this film. The original is in my Top 5 all-time movies, so a pretty steep hill to climb for a sequel coming 24 years later. But I think this movie excelled my expectation - especially the second half of the movie where it dares to make som bold plot-decisions. I'm really hoping for a third film, now, preferably not with a 24-year wait.
I graduated High school the same year Gladiator came out here in Ireland too, Quick question, what is your background lighting set up dude?, keep up the great work.
Awesome Job Sean, I'll Definitely check out Gladiator 2 when comes out on Friday, cuz I Love The 1st Gladiator 2000, that's 1 of my All Time Favorite Movies, Great Action, Russell Crowe, Djimon Hounsou, & Joaquin Phoenix did a Great Job, Great Tension, Well Written & Directed, Great Villain & Likable Characters Definitely 1 my Favorites of Russell Crowe & Ridley Scott, my Only Issue is I don't like Russell Crowe dying at the End, but I Still Love the Movie, I was Optimistic about Gladiator 2 but I'll still check it out cuz I heard alot of Good Things about it
Gladiator 1 is my favorite film in Ridley Scott’s filmography. While I’m still thinking if a sequel was really necessary, hearing all the initial reactions and crazy spectacle waiting for me and my cousin has me very excited. WE WILL BE ENTERTAINED! 🔥
The original gladiator is my favorite Ridley Scott film and I wasn't excited for this but the second trailer specifically sold me and then the early reactions are hyping me up watching this with my dad and uncles Thursday afternoon I'm guessing we will all be entertained Edit: how gory is it I just found out my younger brother wants to go with us but me and my dad aren't certain because it's rated R
Depends how young he is, if he’s 10-11 let him. Kids play video games with gorier things like myself when I was that young, it will prob be cooler to them for that reason.
Regal does a mystery movie Monday for 5$ and it’s usually something pretty dumb and low budget. Movies like fly me to the moon. but it makes a nice date night for me and my girlfriend. BUT THIS PAST MONDAY BOY WAS I SURPRISED. We saw Gladiator 2 four days early for 5$! My girlfriend had never seen the first and ended up loving this one (I think she just like looked at Paul Mascal and Pedro for 2+ hours lol)
Just watched it and this exceeded my expectations. I went in thinking it would be a rehash with some good action. I am surprised to say that I actually thought the plot was really good - they did a good job of following up the original and continued a lot of the political themes from the first. The power struggle was done very well and really worked - Denzel was great. The fights were good too, but I liked what was going on around the coliseum and how it culminated at the end. 8/10 and I was very happy with it!
Great vid as always, Sean! MINOR SPOILERS But on your point in the bad section about Lucius being a bastard, I personally always thought that in the first Gladiator it is hinted at a past realtionship between Lucilla and Maximus. Therefore, Lucius would be Maximus' son without him being a bastard, considering he was concieved or even born before Maximus establishes his family. It might be a strech, considering it is pointed out in the first Gladiator that Lucius is about 8, the same as Maximus' son. However, this might be a slight retcon, as in a conversation in Gladiator II, there is a discussion about Lucius' age, and if i remember correctly it is stated he was between 10 and 12 during the events of the original movie. This is all just my interpretation though. I see how Lucius being a bastard hurts the movie for some, but if you interperet Lucius not being a bastard, the fact that Hanno is Lucius improves on the story, rather than deducting from it.
Paul Mescal is fine but he's probably the least interesting character / performance in the movie. Everybody else outshine him - Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen. And when you compare to Russell Crowe, he's so forgettable
LOVED the first one. The second is a rehash of the first that just didn’t leave the same impact on me. Thats really obvious to say probably but I don’t think I’ll ever rewatch the second one again. I watch the first at least once a year. I’d still recommend going to see it but for me it’s a 6.5/10 at best. Denzel as brilliant in it I have to say. First ones a 10/10 for me. Top class
To your point about the Colosseum's aquatic events. They were "possibly" able to have battles with warships and retain water in the Colosseum. Again possibly. They wanted to do some of that in the first movie but didnt have the technology and extra budget to fufill that part of history. The sharks may have been a stretch though 😂. But who knows the Romans were crazy. Heavily enjoy your takes Sean always logical and well explained.
I was about 7 when I first watched Gladiator. Safe to say it left a massive impression on me lol. It’s a legendary film, of course the sequel is not gonna be a patch on it, but as long as it’s fun and massive in spectacle then I’m more than likely gonna be pleased enough. I’m not expecting prestige drama with this one
I have to say I have seen the original theatrical trailer but, other than that, I don’t think I’ve seen any of the other marketing for that purpose because, I was worried they’d spoil the reveals and sounds like they did so, I’m glad I stopped after watching the first trailer and deciding I wanted to see the film for myself, I will say the original gladiator is probably my favorite Ridley Scott movie alongside the original 1979 horror classic Alien and I might watch it again with my dad when he gets home from work tonight for a refresher before seeing part 2 tomorrow night
Oh yeah, like they had a whole system that they could fill the entire Coliseum in less than an hour with water for entire battles. It was seriously cool. Then drain it away. Completely and totally historically accurate. Sharks, that part maybe not, but they regularly re-enacted famous naval battles in the Coliseum.
It's such an unnecessary film that goes as far as retconning the end of the first in order to justify Its own existence and ends with achieving what was already achieved prior to the retcon. Whilst doing it all in a completely rehashed way, and with no gravitas at all.
It’s interesting you say you should watch Gladiator before you see the sequel (which make sense), but I’ve seen several people say this works as a stand alone movie. I haven’t seen the original yet and I’m mildly curious about this movie. I’m surprised it’s not on one of the streaming services.
A beat for beat retread of the original, that is inferior in every regard. Also, they absolutely defecated on Maximus' legacy by making Lucius his son. In the original film, when they meet there is no mention of this young boy being his son. He is only focused on joining his wife and son in the after life. If Lucius is his son, why did he not make any intention to stay alive for him? Why did he not intend to be with Lucilla again? I mean his wife is gone, his son is gone. Here he had an opportunity to start again. With a woman he was with before he met his wife. This is my biggest bugbear with sequels that aren't well thought out. You get ideas that are thrown together and often contain elements that contradict what came before. This movie is worse than disappointing. It's completely unnecessary.
I think my biggest issue with the film is that they used so many iconic quotes from the first Gladiator and the way Russell Crowe said those lines will forever be iconic. when it was said throughout the film, I felt like it was meh. it didnt have the same impact, the same way it felt in comparison to the first film. Also I didnt connect Paul Mescal and his loss at all, it didnt have the same emotional depth as the first one.. also seems like the first half was rather rushed.. it was basically a speed run of the first Gladiator. With that being said "Was I not entertained?" & I can honestly say yes. Is it up there w/ the original? No... to me this film was like a 7.5 🤷♂️
Totally agree Gladiator is a 5 out of 5 film, Gladiator 2 is a 4 out of 5 film. It has the same problem Dark Knight Rises has, it is a great film (maybe not quite as good as DKR) but is following an all time movie so is a steo down.
This is probably the most defense I've seen a UA-camr give this movie. It was crazy to me how a 24 year old movie was able to deliver more realistic and practical gladiator battles than this one, they looked fake and cheap at times. Blaming fans for expecting too much is also a pretty wild stance.
so i thought the first 45 mins- 1 hour was not really good. Didn’t like the characters as much and the story was so similar to the first it was crazy. but in the middle and end when it had its chance to shine as its own movie wow! was really great! I give it an 8! original is still the best though
I mostly enjoyed this movie quite a bit more than I expected. This is my favorite Denzel Washington performance since his roles in Fences and The Book of Eli. I get the problems people are having with Lucius. I don't think the problem is the casting, though. The problem is the movie's breakneck pacing in a story that doesn't fully warrant it until the final act. Whether this is because the story is trying to do too much at once or because it's trying too hard to keep the attention of what it considers an ADHD addled audience, I don't know (it could be both tbh). it doesn't allow very many of the lulls between the action to breathe, and it results in characters feeling less developed than they should be. Like far too many movies today, it feels like it's in too much of a rush to get from one scene to the next. If they slowed down now and then, the characters and the world would have felt a bit more properly fleshed out. Fortunately the plot is interesting enough that the pacing doesn't ruin it, at least imo. I personally would have sacrificed a few minutes from a couple of the battles in order to dedicated more time to fleshing out some of these characters, though. On the subject of the action scenes, it did feel like it was a bit extra for the sake of being extra at times, but you'd be surprised how believable they actually are. People were thrown to wild animals in the arenas, and believe it or not, we even have evidence that they did actually reenact naval battles with water in the Colloseum. The sharks were the one touch that stretched believability because there is no conceivable way that they could have gotten them in there, lol, but I can live with that as a tall tale fantasy element inherent to all of Scott's historical epics. I've heard complaints that the emperors were too cartoonish, and I can agree to the extent that they deserved to be further fleshed out, but that's a consequence of the story needing to slow down and have better focus on character. The emperors themselves aren't unbelievable at all, though. Rome had more than a few Ceasars who were completely out to lunch and drunk on violence and hedonism to the point of absurdity. I personally wasn't bothered by the ways in which it reminded everyone of the original. It kind of needed to have another revenge story at the core of the narrative like the original in order to give any emotional staies as a sequel to Gladiator, and doing another coup attempt is just true to what was going on in the late stage Roman empire. I think it's similarities mostly work because they do take it in such a new direction in the latter half. The Lucius reveal of his true father isn't completely beyond belief since it's pretty well implied that Maximus and Lucilla had a romantic history in the original film, but I can see how it might raise a lot of questions about whether or not Maximus was cheating on his wife when he was already shown to be so dedicated to his family. The concept of Lucius's true parentage isn't completely unfounded, but the timeline of events to make that work stretches believability a bit without further explanation. I agree that making him the son of Maximus didn't need to be there, though, and making Lucius a bastard does introduce complications that the story just doesn't care to address. All in all, it doesn't touch the original, imo, and it is a messier film than the original, but I definitely still enjoyed my time with it.
My friend’s dog’s name is Maximus named after 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. Will any dogs be named Lucius? Absolutely not! Watching Gladiator II, for the first couple of hours at least, is a lot like hanging out with an old friend who is trying to remember what happened in the first film, but who keeps getting the details a bit wrong.
The entire story relies on Lucious being Maximus’ son. The film does a TERRIBLE job with the reveal and it falls flat. It’s mentioned by Lucilla in a very anti climactic way as if we’re supposed to know this information and Mescal has zero reaction to it. Once that came off as more of a retcon than a reveal, the film lost me.
My problem with Gladiator II is that it ruins ending of first movie. Lucilla lied to Maximus about Lucius being safe. She sends her son away from Rome. The revelation that Maximus is Lucius' father makes him a cheater, and this makes his afterlife reunion with his wife and son feels hollow. Gladiator is much better as stand alone movie.
It's not as bad as the UA-camr content parasites claim, and it's not as good as the original, and that's fine. I still liked it. My biggest critique is ironically gladiators themselves. I think a political thriller about the violent politics of Rome, with the rise and fall of the mad emperors, would have been more compelling. Who is willing to follow Lucius, a complete stranger? Who is staying behind the current regime? I just dunno how they're gonna call the third film, "Gladiator III" now that Lucius is an emperor.
Here is my two cents. Intro color paint sequence was terrible looking and distracting. I knew right away this was not going to be an emotional ride loke the first movie. Scene on the water in the first battle did not have enough movement and looked like they were on a immobile sound stage. Animal scenes and gore was way over the top. Spartacus tv show had better character development and since or realism that this movie didn't have. Thought everything you mentioned about sharks, water, and monkeys. They borrowed to much emotional movements from the first movie to bring this movie up to speed emotionally. I didnt have a sense of caring for any characters. Didnt even know the main characters gladiator name. Couldn't understand the crowd chants. Russell Crowe spent time becoming a great fighter and lucus was admired in his first fight and became instantly a crowd favorite. This movie falls far short of the first and doesn't stand on its own. If you want a over the top epic go see 300. That is also far more epic. This movie was okay at best and way over the top decisions were made that hold this back and unbelievable. Crazy monkeys that get blow darts in the to turn them crazy. Only Hollywood would think that is interesting. Or the fact this guy let his wife fight in a war and then couldn't protect her. His mom the same thing. Is this guy a main hero? Let his own family die...yeah i dont think so. Thanks for the review. Hollywood do better.
Ridley deciding to shoot 'Gladiator 2' on a digital camera for the sake of convenience gives it that actors-doing-cosplay look that makes it look like a Netflix streaming movie 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 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.
I’m one to say that when people like you say gladiator is this brilliant film… I don’t get it. Like it’s a great film, but I think the nostalgia goggles might be a bit thick tbh. With that being said, gladiator 2 is definitely a worthy follow up that is a worse movie… I tend to like it more than the 1st one despite it.
It's a best picture winner and huge box-office hit. If you agree it's great, I'm not sure I understand just attributing its success to nostalgia.....when it was incredibly successful when it came out.
Filling the Colosseum and other arenas with water to recreate naval battles was actually a thing. Even though there isn't any record of this occurring during Caracalla's and Geta's rule, the naval battle in the movie is still based on something that actually happened in the Colosseum (except for the sharks)
Ridley Scott should not make historical movies, all his historical movies flop. However his science fiction movies are good. I already knew this movie would be bad based on the trailer.
It was stupid, they could of used 🐊 alligators at least it would of been better
@@gaboyjenn Crocodiles would have been more historically accurate as they could just bring them up from Ancient Egypt.
If the original is a classical composition, this new one is punk rock. Nowhere near as emotional or well-written as the first entry, but man is it a blast the entire way through. I was entertained. Great review, Sean!
Agreed so accurate especially with the villains, they don't hold up to the masterfully played Commodus, but, god, these new Emperors are fucking hilarious
Even though the writing is laughable, the villain is cartoonish, but yeah, a good popcorn flick. Which is not what the first Gladiator was, nor is it what this should have been. This ain't fast and furious, where you expect brain dead writing and just brainless action
Whoa man your throwing stones at I punk rock😂😂
I couldn't be more disappointed by this movie
I just have to put this information out in the world. Ridley Scott is turning 87 years old at the end of this month, which is pretty old to say the least. Gladiator II is his twenty-ninth feature film and even though he’s about to enter his late-80’s, he doesn’t have plans on slowing down in Hollywood. His next film is going to be a film adaptation of a post-apocalyptic novel titled The Dog Stars. Paul Mescal, the star of Gladiator II, is currently in negotiations to star and production is expected to begin in Spring 2025. After principal photography wraps on The Dog Stars, Scott will be directing a Bee Gees biopic for Paramount titled “You Should Be Dancing” and it looks to begin filming in Fall 2025. There’s also Bomb, an action thriller based on a short story, as well as Big Dogs, a financial thriller which has a completed script. Scott is set to direct both of those as well. Oh, and in September, he said he’s planning to do Gladiator III to the point where there are about ten pages of it already written. And less than two weeks ago, he said he would like to direct a western as well as a musical. When it comes to producing, he’s a producer on Echo Valley and an executive producer on Trap House, both of which have already been filmed. When it comes to the Alien franchise, it looks like he’ll be part of developing the Alien: Romulus sequel and he’s an executive producer on Alien: Earth which is set to release on FX on Hulu next year. But that’s not all Scott’s got for television. He’s also an executive producer on Blade Runner 2099, a Blade Runner miniseries set to be an Amazon Prime Video original. To say the least, that’s a lot for a nearly 87 year old man to be working on over the last couple years.
Apparently that final ALIEN prequel film is also getting developed again, though whether it sees the light of day remains to be seen.
My goat never stops doin shit 😭
@@zacharyschenk430hope so, Prometheus and Covenant were peak. David is my favorite character in the franchise, and Covenant is my favorite Alien movie
@@zacharyschenk430dude I really hope so. Super unpopular opinion but Prometheus and covenant are my favorite of the entire franchise (i didn’t grow up with them) and really want a third.
@@_Vaal_Hazak_fr man Prometheus and covenant are my favorite of the entire franchise (i didn’t grow up with them) and really want a third. I know that’s controversial but i didn’t see a single one till I was 18 and because of strict parents
My man you put a spoiler timestamp for something a trailers said for folks like me who want no spoiler… my favourite content creator for a reason❤️ The GOAT
I think your point in “The Bad” are spot on. I’ve just watched the film for a second time and I thought it was excellent. I watched the first film for the first time a couple of weeks ago and thought it was decent, but I have no emotional attachment to the first film.
I think a lot of people who don’t like this film probably have too big an attachment to the first film that they’d never enjoy it anyways
I really enjoyed GladIIator- I felt like the politics really elevated the film into something so different and interesting compared to the first film
Yeah I think there's a lot of fresh stuff to enjoy in the politics, but on the surface it's so easy to compare
Agreed. I actually think this one is an objectively better film than the first one. Never understood the hype for it.
Totally agree, well said. A very good film
Here's an Idea: Top 10 duels in films.
Hector vs Achilles in Troy. Doesn't have to be number one, but it has to be on the list.
Neo vs smith. Not sure if that counts as a duel but that’s up there
That would be awesome
👍🇺🇸
Great review. I'm seeing it in IMAX this weekend...can't wait!
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Filling the Colosseum with water is something that they would actually do back then. I know it seems hard to believe but that would actually happen back then
I’m mainly interested this film happens to have both Reed Richard’s & Johnny Storm before their debut in the MCU.
I’m seeing this tonight at 8:30pm with my dad on opening night and I can’t wait! So much so that I’m about to rewatch the 2000 original before I go to see the sequel and it’s not one of my favorite movies ever but, I do enjoy it a lot and when Russell Crowe asks the colosseum audience “Are you not entertained?”
My immediate answer is of course yes, so I’m not going in expecting this to be as good as the original because, I feel like that would be a fallacious mentality to have going into a sequel that was 24 years in the making so, yeah I don’t expect the same level of greatness but, I do expect a solid follow up with some good gladiator action and from your review Sean it sounds like that’s exactly what I’m in for tonight.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much i liked the movie!
I went in expecting a good time since you can't really mess up this formula but i actually really enjoyed the story and was happy they didn't just completely copy the first one.
I definitely have a few reservations going into this, so I'm glad to hear that this has been getting a lot of positive reviews. This is the exact same director and same writer that gave us last year's Napoleon, which was a disappointment at best. Ridley Scott in particular is one of those directors who went from a 100% great track record to maybe a 50/50 hit or miss with his more recent releases, and even the "hits" were not all that great. Also, it's not very common for an Historical-Period-Epic to get a sequel (can't remember it ever happening to be honest), but I'm a little more optimistic that I'm going to enjoy this.
i wish they delved into who the twins were and how they got into power because after the first movie, it seemed like there was peace and no more conflict once maximus delivers marcus arialius’ dream for rome. but after gladiator 2 ends, it feels like there should be more conflict and unrest in the roman people than the first one. hope im making sense.
TOTALLY agree. This was the biggest gap for me.
I thought this movie was incredible 9/10
I enjoyed every single second. I see people saying it's kinda rushed but I thought it was very well paced. I don't really have any proper criticisms for the movie and I'm kinda suprised I'm not seeing more love for the film. I also never really mind any historical inaccuracies.
they actually did flood the colloseum with water to reenact ship battles using gladiators...no evidence or mentions of using sharks though but they did use baboons
I've seen it twice. I liked it even more the 2nd time.
Apparently they used to fill the Coliseum with water and battle in ships in those times.
It would've been cool around 2005 if they did a movie about Maximus in the afterlife.
That was an idea circled around for a while
I saw Gladiator for the first time about a week ago (I also saw this movie last week too), and knowing who Lucius was going into it, I was able to notice some details in Gladiator 1 that could be important going into Gladiator 2, that I probably wouldn’t have noticed beforehand
Pascal is the hero of this movie
I don’t know why it’s getting a lot of bad reviews, it’s a really good movie, epic blockbuster, entertaining and very well made. Paul Mescal is no Russel Crowe but he has his own charm and I think he was very well cast.
I think a lot of people are going into this with the mindset that this is a sequel that didn't need to exist after a long list of belated sequels that may or may not have warranted their existence. I understand that mindset and I'm inclined to agree, but that isn't entirely fair to the work itself. Regardless of whether or not anyone was asking for it, it exists, and it deserves to be judged on its own merits. It definitely does have its flaws for which I can understand some people not liking it, but I don't think they're so egregious that they overshadow the things this movie does do really well.
My theater erupted in applause when it was “reveled” Maximus is the father, even though it was spoiled in the trailers lol
Honestly, I only ever watched the first trailer when it came out and totally forgot. I "figured it out" about 20-30 minutes before the movie revealed it not long after they reintroduced Lucilla.
Probably gonna see this next week
Very excited for the ridley scott ranking i am trying to watch through some of his films as well
The water in the colosseum is something the Romans actually did. There was naval battles taking place back then. I don't know how they got sharks in tho 🤔
SPOILER
I think the movie might have been better if Paul Mescal was just the character he was at the beginning before we knew he was Maximus son and he was just on a revenge mission and the gladiators and himself look up to Maximus as motivation to stay alive and somewhat carry his name sort of like Batman he's not a man he's an idea
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...
SPOILERS
Lot of Bad.
Monkeys
Sharks
Denzel
Wife death
Mom death
Marcus Acacius death
Not enough music or emotional scenes.
Not enough Empereur scenes
Overall a 7/10 because it is a sequel and throwbacks to the first one. Which is a 10/10
it honestly looks like the best Scott Brother - Denzel Washington collab since Unstoppable back in 2010
I was born in 2000, but I love Gladiator. Among my favourite films, and easily my favourite Ridley Scott film (alongside Alien).
Great review, I appreciate you covering all perspectives of good, bad and mixed. Unlike some reviewers who go all in on their single opinionated view in one direction
I loved gladiator 2 .. my favorite film of this year .. that opening battle scene was insanely good. Original gladiator was one of my favorites next to braveheart… this very good not as good as those
I wasn't sure what I dared to expect from this film. The original is in my Top 5 all-time movies, so a pretty steep hill to climb for a sequel coming 24 years later. But I think this movie excelled my expectation - especially the second half of the movie where it dares to make som bold plot-decisions. I'm really hoping for a third film, now, preferably not with a 24-year wait.
Gladiator is the first R-rated movie I ever saw (I was 9). It blew my mind. I don’t expect the sequel to be as amazing, I just hope it’s good.
It is very good
It is
Filling up the Colosseum with water then staging naval battles with ships really did happen in Ancient Rome.
....with sharks?
The visuals and action was stunning but the storylines and characters were heavily underdeveloped
The part where Lucilla says “He sees the way” made me think of the The Mandalorian, especially with Pedro Pascal in this movie
I graduated High school the same year Gladiator came out here in Ireland too, Quick question, what is your background lighting set up dude?, keep up the great work.
Awesome Job Sean, I'll Definitely check out Gladiator 2 when comes out on Friday, cuz I Love The 1st Gladiator 2000, that's 1 of my All Time Favorite Movies, Great Action, Russell Crowe, Djimon Hounsou, & Joaquin Phoenix did a Great Job, Great Tension, Well Written & Directed, Great Villain & Likable Characters Definitely 1 my Favorites of Russell Crowe & Ridley Scott, my Only Issue is I don't like Russell Crowe dying at the End, but I Still Love the Movie, I was Optimistic about Gladiator 2 but I'll still check it out cuz I heard alot of Good Things about it
Gladiator 1 is my favorite film in Ridley Scott’s filmography. While I’m still thinking if a sequel was really necessary, hearing all the initial reactions and crazy spectacle waiting for me and my cousin has me very excited. WE WILL BE ENTERTAINED! 🔥
I was a freshman in college in upstate New York when Gladiator came out, I liked it a lot.
Fun fact: they actually did fill the Colosseum with water and reenact naval battles in it. Otherwise great review as always!
The original gladiator is my favorite Ridley Scott film and I wasn't excited for this but the second trailer specifically sold me and then the early reactions are hyping me up watching this with my dad and uncles Thursday afternoon I'm guessing we will all be entertained
Edit: how gory is it I just found out my younger brother wants to go with us but me and my dad aren't certain because it's rated R
Depends how young he is, if he’s 10-11 let him. Kids play video games with gorier things like myself when I was that young, it will prob be cooler to them for that reason.
@@turtlesnail9824 he's 11 and he's seen the original but I heard this one is more vicious
@ I’m seeing it in an hour so I’ll see
I think I’ll wait for streaming for this one. Just not interested enough to spend the money on going to the cinema
Regal does a mystery movie Monday for 5$ and it’s usually something pretty dumb and low budget. Movies like fly me to the moon. but it makes a nice date night for me and my girlfriend. BUT THIS PAST MONDAY BOY WAS I SURPRISED. We saw Gladiator 2 four days early for 5$! My girlfriend had never seen the first and ended up loving this one (I think she just like looked at Paul Mascal and Pedro for 2+ hours lol)
I saw Fly Me to the Moon at one of those too! I’m surprised they did Gladiator II normally it’s smaller films
Im so happy that I watched this movie without having a connection to the original. Gladiator II was amazing!!!
Just watched it and this exceeded my expectations. I went in thinking it would be a rehash with some good action. I am surprised to say that I actually thought the plot was really good - they did a good job of following up the original and continued a lot of the political themes from the first. The power struggle was done very well and really worked - Denzel was great. The fights were good too, but I liked what was going on around the coliseum and how it culminated at the end. 8/10 and I was very happy with it!
B+ is the perfect rating for this film you’re the goat Sean
Gladiator 2 was one of the best movies i’ve ever seen. i absolutely loved it.
Great vid as always, Sean! MINOR SPOILERS But on your point in the bad section about Lucius being a bastard, I personally always thought that in the first Gladiator it is hinted at a past realtionship between Lucilla and Maximus. Therefore, Lucius would be Maximus' son without him being a bastard, considering he was concieved or even born before Maximus establishes his family. It might be a strech, considering it is pointed out in the first Gladiator that Lucius is about 8, the same as Maximus' son. However, this might be a slight retcon, as in a conversation in Gladiator II, there is a discussion about Lucius' age, and if i remember correctly it is stated he was between 10 and 12 during the events of the original movie. This is all just my interpretation though. I see how Lucius being a bastard hurts the movie for some, but if you interperet Lucius not being a bastard, the fact that Hanno is Lucius improves on the story, rather than deducting from it.
I watched the movie recently and really liked the movie and some of the scenes were even filmed near me in the uk!
Sean - They did fill the colosseum!
Paul Mescal is fine but he's probably the least interesting character / performance in the movie. Everybody else outshine him - Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen. And when you compare to Russell Crowe, he's so forgettable
Totally agree with this. Thought he was very forgettable
i think your review is VERY generous!
LOVED the first one. The second is a rehash of the first that just didn’t leave the same impact on me. Thats really obvious to say probably but I don’t think I’ll ever rewatch the second one again. I watch the first at least once a year. I’d still recommend going to see it but for me it’s a 6.5/10 at best. Denzel as brilliant in it I have to say. First ones a 10/10 for me. Top class
To your point about the Colosseum's aquatic events. They were "possibly" able to have battles with warships and retain water in the Colosseum. Again possibly. They wanted to do some of that in the first movie but didnt have the technology and extra budget to fufill that part of history. The sharks may have been a stretch though 😂. But who knows the Romans were crazy. Heavily enjoy your takes Sean always logical and well explained.
I am very intrigued to watch this especially after the trailers definitely made it look epic!
I was about 7 when I first watched Gladiator. Safe to say it left a massive impression on me lol. It’s a legendary film, of course the sequel is not gonna be a patch on it, but as long as it’s fun and massive in spectacle then I’m more than likely gonna be pleased enough.
I’m not expecting prestige drama with this one
I have to say I have seen the original theatrical trailer but, other than that, I don’t think I’ve seen any of the other marketing for that purpose because, I was worried they’d spoil the reveals and sounds like they did so, I’m glad I stopped after watching the first trailer and deciding I wanted to see the film for myself, I will say the original gladiator is probably my favorite Ridley Scott movie alongside the original 1979 horror classic Alien and I might watch it again with my dad when he gets home from work tonight for a refresher before seeing part 2 tomorrow night
I thought it was better than the first. Better battles, more interesting characters. Just my opinion but l was really into this movie.
Oh yeah, like they had a whole system that they could fill the entire Coliseum in less than an hour with water for entire battles. It was seriously cool. Then drain it away. Completely and totally historically accurate.
Sharks, that part maybe not, but they regularly re-enacted famous naval battles in the Coliseum.
It's such an unnecessary film that goes as far as retconning the end of the first in order to justify Its own existence and ends with achieving what was already achieved prior to the retcon. Whilst doing it all in a completely rehashed way, and with no gravitas at all.
It’s interesting you say you should watch Gladiator before you see the sequel (which make sense), but I’ve seen several people say this works as a stand alone movie.
I haven’t seen the original yet and I’m mildly curious about this movie. I’m surprised it’s not on one of the streaming services.
I didn't watch any of the official trailer. Only caught the teaser and the twists and turns were the best.
A beat for beat retread of the original, that is inferior in every regard. Also, they absolutely defecated on Maximus' legacy by making Lucius his son.
In the original film, when they meet there is no mention of this young boy being his son. He is only focused on joining his wife and son in the after life. If Lucius is his son, why did he not make any intention to stay alive for him? Why did he not intend to be with Lucilla again? I mean his wife is gone, his son is gone. Here he had an opportunity to start again. With a woman he was with before he met his wife.
This is my biggest bugbear with sequels that aren't well thought out. You get ideas that are thrown together and often contain elements that contradict what came before. This movie is worse than disappointing. It's completely unnecessary.
I think my biggest issue with the film is that they used so many iconic quotes from the first Gladiator and the way Russell Crowe said those lines will forever be iconic. when it was said throughout the film, I felt like it was meh. it didnt have the same impact, the same way it felt in comparison to the first film. Also I didnt connect Paul Mescal and his loss at all, it didnt have the same emotional depth as the first one.. also seems like the first half was rather rushed.. it was basically a speed run of the first Gladiator. With that being said "Was I not entertained?" & I can honestly say yes. Is it up there w/ the original? No... to me this film was like a 7.5 🤷♂️
Totally agree Gladiator is a 5 out of 5 film, Gladiator 2 is a 4 out of 5 film. It has the same problem Dark Knight Rises has, it is a great film (maybe not quite as good as DKR) but is following an all time movie so is a steo down.
This is probably the most defense I've seen a UA-camr give this movie. It was crazy to me how a 24 year old movie was able to deliver more realistic and practical gladiator battles than this one, they looked fake and cheap at times. Blaming fans for expecting too much is also a pretty wild stance.
so i thought the first 45 mins- 1 hour was not really good. Didn’t like the characters as much and the story was so similar to the first it was crazy. but in the middle and end when it had its chance to shine as its own movie wow! was really great! I give it an 8! original is still the best though
Filling the collosium with water was a real thing
....with sharks?
I mostly enjoyed this movie quite a bit more than I expected. This is my favorite Denzel Washington performance since his roles in Fences and The Book of Eli. I get the problems people are having with Lucius. I don't think the problem is the casting, though. The problem is the movie's breakneck pacing in a story that doesn't fully warrant it until the final act. Whether this is because the story is trying to do too much at once or because it's trying too hard to keep the attention of what it considers an ADHD addled audience, I don't know (it could be both tbh). it doesn't allow very many of the lulls between the action to breathe, and it results in characters feeling less developed than they should be. Like far too many movies today, it feels like it's in too much of a rush to get from one scene to the next. If they slowed down now and then, the characters and the world would have felt a bit more properly fleshed out. Fortunately the plot is interesting enough that the pacing doesn't ruin it, at least imo. I personally would have sacrificed a few minutes from a couple of the battles in order to dedicated more time to fleshing out some of these characters, though. On the subject of the action scenes, it did feel like it was a bit extra for the sake of being extra at times, but you'd be surprised how believable they actually are. People were thrown to wild animals in the arenas, and believe it or not, we even have evidence that they did actually reenact naval battles with water in the Colloseum. The sharks were the one touch that stretched believability because there is no conceivable way that they could have gotten them in there, lol, but I can live with that as a tall tale fantasy element inherent to all of Scott's historical epics. I've heard complaints that the emperors were too cartoonish, and I can agree to the extent that they deserved to be further fleshed out, but that's a consequence of the story needing to slow down and have better focus on character. The emperors themselves aren't unbelievable at all, though. Rome had more than a few Ceasars who were completely out to lunch and drunk on violence and hedonism to the point of absurdity. I personally wasn't bothered by the ways in which it reminded everyone of the original. It kind of needed to have another revenge story at the core of the narrative like the original in order to give any emotional staies as a sequel to Gladiator, and doing another coup attempt is just true to what was going on in the late stage Roman empire. I think it's similarities mostly work because they do take it in such a new direction in the latter half. The Lucius reveal of his true father isn't completely beyond belief since it's pretty well implied that Maximus and Lucilla had a romantic history in the original film, but I can see how it might raise a lot of questions about whether or not Maximus was cheating on his wife when he was already shown to be so dedicated to his family. The concept of Lucius's true parentage isn't completely unfounded, but the timeline of events to make that work stretches believability a bit without further explanation. I agree that making him the son of Maximus didn't need to be there, though, and making Lucius a bastard does introduce complications that the story just doesn't care to address. All in all, it doesn't touch the original, imo, and it is a messier film than the original, but I definitely still enjoyed my time with it.
My friend’s dog’s name is Maximus named after 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.
Will any dogs be named Lucius? Absolutely not!
Watching Gladiator II, for the first couple of hours at least, is a lot like hanging out with an old friend who is trying to remember what happened in the first film, but who keeps getting the details a bit wrong.
Mr Washington was incredibly good too
7/10 but 6/10 if you were expecting and comparing to The original.
I am seeing this tonight I’m so excited the original is one do my favorite movies ever
Not as good as the original film, but still a fun, worthy sequel.
TERRANCE OUT
Awesome film. Perfectly acceptable sequel
I skipped that part you said to skip, but by my luck it ended up in the spoiler hahaha 😅
Glad 11 was a waste of time ..boring and forgettable to say the least ..
The original has a place in my heart nothing could ever touch. As long as this one doesnt ruin the firsts legacy...Ill be entertained 😂
I couldn't be more disappointed by this movie 😢 doesn't hold a candle to the original
The digital waves in the opening scene kinda took me right out to the movie.
The entire story relies on Lucious being Maximus’ son. The film does a TERRIBLE job with the reveal and it falls flat. It’s mentioned by Lucilla in a very anti climactic way as if we’re supposed to know this information and Mescal has zero reaction to it. Once that came off as more of a retcon than a reveal, the film lost me.
19:20 the naval battles were real they really did fill the coliseum with water their wasnt sharks tho but they did have whales sometimes
Denzel Washington completely ruined the movie and Pedro pascal was also terrible. But the emperor brothers and Lucilla were spectacular.
Miscast besides no one can compare to Russell Crowe 😍
Amazing sequel
I loved Gladiator 2
My problem with Gladiator II is that it ruins ending of first movie.
Lucilla lied to Maximus about Lucius being safe.
She sends her son away from Rome.
The revelation that Maximus is Lucius' father makes him a cheater, and this makes his afterlife reunion with his wife and son feels hollow.
Gladiator is much better as stand alone movie.
the first movie heavily implies that maximus is lucius's father
Gladiator 2 is my favorite movie of 2024 i love this movie
Ridley Scott for star wars pleaseeee
Nice.
3:06 maybe Thor Ragnarok?
Calling it that Alien will be number 1 in the ranking.
people still talking about filling colosseum with water need to move on. The movie was bs.
It's not as bad as the UA-camr content parasites claim, and it's not as good as the original, and that's fine. I still liked it. My biggest critique is ironically gladiators themselves. I think a political thriller about the violent politics of Rome, with the rise and fall of the mad emperors, would have been more compelling. Who is willing to follow Lucius, a complete stranger? Who is staying behind the current regime? I just dunno how they're gonna call the third film, "Gladiator III" now that Lucius is an emperor.
I thought it was a good movie but the last 45 minutes to an hour left in the movie it turned into a Julius Ceasar-esqe type of story.
Here is my two cents. Intro color paint sequence was terrible looking and distracting. I knew right away this was not going to be an emotional ride loke the first movie. Scene on the water in the first battle did not have enough movement and looked like they were on a immobile sound stage. Animal scenes and gore was way over the top. Spartacus tv show had better character development and since or realism that this movie didn't have. Thought everything you mentioned about sharks, water, and monkeys. They borrowed to much emotional movements from the first movie to bring this movie up to speed emotionally. I didnt have a sense of caring for any characters. Didnt even know the main characters gladiator name. Couldn't understand the crowd chants. Russell Crowe spent time becoming a great fighter and lucus was admired in his first fight and became instantly a crowd favorite. This movie falls far short of the first and doesn't stand on its own. If you want a over the top epic go see 300. That is also far more epic. This movie was okay at best and way over the top decisions were made that hold this back and unbelievable. Crazy monkeys that get blow darts in the to turn them crazy. Only Hollywood would think that is interesting. Or the fact this guy let his wife fight in a war and then couldn't protect her. His mom the same thing. Is this guy a main hero? Let his own family die...yeah i dont think so. Thanks for the review. Hollywood do better.
Not in the same league as the original. Character development was pretty poor, Ridley’s films all have this flaw for the last decade at least.
Ridley deciding to shoot 'Gladiator 2' on a digital camera for the sake of convenience gives it that actors-doing-cosplay look that makes it look like a Netflix streaming movie 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 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.
I’m one to say that when people like you say gladiator is this brilliant film… I don’t get it. Like it’s a great film, but I think the nostalgia goggles might be a bit thick tbh. With that being said, gladiator 2 is definitely a worthy follow up that is a worse movie… I tend to like it more than the 1st one despite it.
It's a best picture winner and huge box-office hit. If you agree it's great, I'm not sure I understand just attributing its success to nostalgia.....when it was incredibly successful when it came out.
@ I see your point, but I don’t understand its cultural impact at all.