11/31
From Carmen and St
Synopsis
After his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now rule Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum and must look to his past to find the strength to return the glory of Rome to its people. Elsewhere" to "Stranger Things," see Gladiator II stars Paul Mezcal, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn and more in TV and movie roles. In the years after the release of the first film, there were many attempts to write a sequel. Musician Nick Cave was invited to weld a version of Russell Crowe and Sir Ridley Scott. His version focused on the more mythical elements of Ancient Rome, and Maximus would have arrived in the afterlife only to encounter other souls who have yet to ascend.
Lucius: Strength and honor
He is eventually instructed by Jupiter and the other Roman deities to return to earth to find and kill Hephaestus, the former deity who betrayed them. From there he is resurrected as a Christian and ends up back in Rome to stop the spread of Christianity while crossing paths with the new emperor Lucius. The film would have ended with Maximus being cursed to live forever, and would have featured a montage of the soldier fighting in the Crusades, World War II, and the Vietnam War, finally revealing a modern-day Maximus working at the Pentagon in Washington. The studio decided not to use this version, but the script is available to read online. Featured in The 7PM Project: Episode dated July 3, 2024 (2024).
Now for the disadvantages
I was lucky enough to attend an early screening here in New York, so let’s start with the obvious. Gladiator 2 has great CGI & practical effects. At times you will feel as if you are in Rome. Denzel excels in his role and is up for an Oscar nomination, and blood & amp; gore is very entertaining. What’s not to love about a Roman gladiator who chopped off his head in THE Coliseum?
However, there was no desire to follow him at any point
Paul Mezcal, a phenomenal actor, fell short of what I wanted from him in the film. Without giving away the plot, he excels in one-on-one scenes and compliments his screen partners well. However, he could have worked better in a group setting where he needed to be the catalyst of the scene. As a "leader" throughout the film, inciting mutiny, rebellion, etc., we expect a draw from him. It may be petty, but when the one character I’m excited about doesn’t make me want to jump into combat, it’s missing the mark.
which is a masterpiece
The story is better than average but could be better. It builds on the foundations of the original film and provides some fan service, but it’s by no means a stand-alone marvel compared to its predecessor. The musical score was solid, but they could have taken some notes from Dune 2 in terms of giving the audience goosebumps during its key scenes. Overall, it’s a good match for the original Gladiator, one of the best movies of 2024, and it’s going to get some Oscar buzz, but it falls short of what it could have been.