Skip to main content

Gladiator II (2024)

 

Gladiator II is the direct sequel to the 2000s modern classic. 

Ridley Scott returns to direct. Someone in the marketing department needs to be fired as I went into the film thinking it would be horrible. It was great to get David Scarpa to write, as the story and the screenplay were better than expected. He wrote Napoleon and did the screenplay for The Day the Earth Stood Still. The CGI could have cooked a tad bit longer too.

The film is not without its flaws, Yuval Gonen has stupid tattoos on her face that are more distracting than immersive and the romance between her and Paul Mescal is not believable. Speaking of Mescal, he struggles at the beginning of the film but finds his own towards the end. He starts at a four and ends at a seven.

Pedro Pascal plays a complicated and well-written character as was Denzel Washington. Both Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger were just annoying. The character of Ravi played by Alexander Karim was unnecessary and extended this film another thirty minutes. It sits at 2 hours and 28 minutes. 

The film won't earn as much money as Wicked but it was surprisingly the better film. Result: B

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026)

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is directed by Aaron Horvath , Michael Jelenic , and Pierre Leduc , with a script by Matthew Fogel , who also worked on The Super Mario Bros. Movie . This sequel brings back the core cast while expanding the universe significantly, pulling in fan-favorite characters like Fox McCloud , Rosalina , Bowser Jr. , and Yoshi . The film leans heavily into spectacle, bouncing rapidly from one set piece to another. It often feels like a chain of “and then” moments, stitched together with references to the games rather than a tightly constructed narrative. Chris Pratt , known for Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World , returns as Mario and delivers a similar performance to the first film. He remains serviceable in the role, but the script doesn’t give him much room to grow this time around. Mario feels more like a vehicle to move the audience through the different worlds rather than a character with a meaningful arc. Anya Taylor-Joy , known for The Queen’s Ga...
Post a Comment
Read more

Whistle (2026)

Whistle (2026) plays less like a finished horror film and more like a theater kid’s passion project that somehow made it to the screen. The script tries to build emotional investment in the main character but never succeeds, and the horror elements are almost nonexistent. The scares simply are not there, leaving the film feeling hollow for a genre that depends heavily on tension and payoff. The screenplay comes from Owen Egerton , whose work here feels more like a personal self insert than a fully realized character.  The protagonist, played by Dafne Keen , comes across almost like a gender swapped version of the writer himself. Keen, known for Logan and His Dark Materials , tries to bring intensity to the role but the material gives her very little to work with. The direction from Corin Hardy , who previously directed The Nun , feels restrained by the script. It is hard not to feel a bit bad for him because there is only so much a director can do when the writing does not provi...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to Train Your Dragon (2025)

How to Train Your Dragon (2025) is directed by Dean DeBlois , who also wrote and directed the original animated trilogy as well as Lilo & Stitch . His return to the property ensures a faithful live-action adaptation that honors the tone and emotional core of the original. Visually, the film captures the bond between humans and dragons, with the exception of some controversial choices in casting presentation. Mason Thames , best known for The Black Phone , gives his best performance yet as Hiccup. He brings a believable vulnerability and growth to the role, matching the spirit of the original character while adding more emotional nuance in live-action. Nico Parker plays Astrid and is strong in the role, though the decision to light and style her to resemble a white Viking, despite her mixed heritage, has sparked justified conversation. Despite that, Parker's acting is solid, and she handles the action and emotional beats well. You might remember her from Dumbo. Gerard Butle...
Post a Comment
Read more