GLADIATOR 2 - Scott Snoozefest on Auto Pilot

[AndyDursin]

I'm sure it was about the money. And probably easy money, for what's likely to be another late career Ridley cash grab.

[AndyDursin]

GLADIATOR II: ELECTRIC BUGALOO

Looks like another re-quel, hitting all the same beats as the first one.

[Monterey Jack]

"Pedro Pascal...Paul Mescal! Paul Mescal...Pedro Pascal...!"

[AndyDursin]

[AndyDursin]

I see the Gregson-Williams clan is scoring.

So weird that Ridley will work with anyone in the Zimmer company except Hans himself for the last couple of decades. Unless it's some kind of cost-cutting maneuver and you spend a few bucks less to get Harry or Rupert, or whoever is available.

[Paul MacLean]

So weird that Ridley will work with anyone in the Zimmer company except Hans himself for the last couple of decades.

Well, they probably wrote a lot of those “Zimmer” scores themselves anyway!

[Paul MacLean]

[AndyDursin]

Isn't he going to get paid for his appearance in the trailer?? I mean it's like they're selling this movie with him and he's not (he claims) in it.

[Eric W.]

I doubt this will be another "Top Gun Maverick." I dare to be proven wrong.

[Paul MacLean]

To be perfectly honest I think this looks more entertaining…

[AndyDursin]

[Eric W.]

I'm just so shocked that this isn't going to be good.

[AndyDursin]

To be fair a lot of the reviews are OK but I'm not sure I trust any critics these days. Most have a pro-theatrical agenda going and are just dying to get people to go to the movies again they'll drink the kool-aid en masse whenever some big studio film gets released.

Like they're trying to make this MOANA 2/WICKED/GLADIATOR 2 Thanksgiving thing some kind of "blast to the past" as if they can compensate for the audience losses theaters have had to endure during the year (and for large portions of the last several years).

[AndyDursin]

Obviously it sounds like this was just Ridley cashing another check from nearly every review out there, but there seems to be a consensus building that Denzel gives a flamboyant performance, was likewise cashing it in and acting like he didn't care whatsoever -- so it might be worth checking out down the line.

[Monterey Jack]

6.5/10

The movie is watchable on a Meat & Potatoes level whenever it enters the arena, and Scott's visual eye and choreography of mass-scale action and mayhem remains as spry as ever, but it's sorely lacking in the dramatic heft of the original, and greatly misses Russell Crowe's terse charisma. Going from him to the colorless Paul Mescal is as big a downgrade as going from Charlton Heston in the original Planet Of The Apes to Mark Wahlberg in Tim Burton's remake. It's certainly an easy sit, but even 300: Rise Of An Empire was more entertaining than this. Denzel brings his customary charisma to his role (which basically smushes together the Proximo and Commodus roles from the original in an awkward way), but other than that, everyone else is phoning it in, aside from a returning Connie Nielsen (oh, and there's a barely-there Derek Jacobi, who was at least pleased to see is still kicking). I'm sure the movie will open big and tail off quickly when people realize it's not nearly as satisfying -- or soulful -- a revenge saga as the original.