Said simply, Gladiator II is the movie Ridley Scott would have liked to have made twenty four years ago, if CGI would have been cheaper.
It’s more or less a remake of the original but set 18 years in the future when Maximus’ son Lucius ( by Connie Nielsen’s Lucilla ) is a grown man. Hidden in Namibia, Lucius ( Paul Mescal) is taken prisoner by a tatty haired General ( Pedro Pascal) and conscripted into gladiator school where he finds out his history and decides to become his father’s son.
Unlike the original this version bounces along at a cracking rate. The set pieces are impressive, the baddie ( an ever smiling Denzel Washington ) is fit for purpose and Mescal makes for a handsome and more charming Russel Crowe character in the lead role.
Alas impressive as he is , Crowe had a on screen masculinity and a certain beauty in his original role of Maximus that Mescal lacks, and sex on legs Pedro Pascal is underused too, and looks more of a bomb site than I can after working night shifts. (Didn’t the Romans invent hair brushes?)
The film pays homage to the original’s mighty score by Hans Zimmer and to the vocals by Lisa Gerrard
But it’s still the film Ridley Scott would have made in 2000 but couldn’t.
This sounds right up my alley.
ReplyDeleteOh er missus
DeleteOhhh yes.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to see it the Thanksgiving weekend. Pedro Pascal is daddy.
Even though they tried (hard) to make it less homoerotic (the cut Denzel in a kiss) it still slaps.
XOXO
He’s my daddy …well I’m my mind I’m still 28
DeleteNot my type of film, but I love your review. xx
ReplyDeleteExactly!
DeleteCheers ladies
DeleteWill watch for this to become available in theaters here or eventually streaming. Ta, John!
ReplyDeleteHugs!
I was it on imax screen impressive
DeleteI saw it on an imax screen, it was very impressive
DeleteAre you telling me that Rhino scene is CGI? hahahaha
ReplyDeleteIf it, it had been trained bloody well
DeleteYou are going to a lot of movies, John. I haven't been to a movie since I can't remember when. Gladiator 1 and 2 are not my type of movie anyway, but I am glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI’ve always gone to the cinema weekly at least
DeleteThere’s been nothing I want to see until recently
John , I read that Russell Crowe was upset at the remake
ReplyDeleteLee
Lee, Crowe has only been reported as saying this
Delete“ "I'm slightly uncomfortable, the fact that they're making another one, you know? Because of course, I'm dead, and I have no say in what gets done."
Pretty balanced I think
Keith
Xx
Crowe has nothing to worry about guys xx
DeleteFor a moment I thought that was a picture of you in your younger days.
ReplyDeleteI adore u
DeleteThe first one with RC was so breathtaking I’m not sure I could handle this version! All those gorgeous beasts! (And the rhino too.)
ReplyDeleteRS made The Dualists, that I appeared in. What a nice man; extremely talented too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review, I know someone who might want to see this one, to judge how historically accurate it is.
ReplyDelete"No rhinos were harmed in the making of this movie."
ReplyDelete