Details from IMDB:
Gladiator II
After his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now lead Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum and must look to his past to find strength to return the glory of Rome to its people.
Initial Thoughts:
I loved the first movie, I have always loved sword fighting action especially if it’s put in with some real history and of course the Roman empire continues to fascinate me, and most men apparently. So while I had heard negative reviews, including from Rebecca on Geekshow Podcast whom I normally listen to, I decided to go yesterday with hopes the sequel would be enjoyable.
Main Points:
This movie re-hashes the first movie WAY too much. I hate to be negative but not be honest there isn’t a lot of positive here. It’s a shame as the first movie was so great but this ones makes me think maybe Ridley Scott needs to stop or at least stop revisiting previous works. There are some good action scenes, the beginning when the Romans lay siege to a coastal city in Africa in particular. Denzel is excellent but there’s just not a lot he can do to elevate this poorly done movie.
I did get some enjoyment seeing what happens to Lucius and how he does his best to serve the Rome he always wanted, along with seeing some other horrible Emperor’s get what they deserve. The coliseum fight scenes are inventive and the rhino did look cool and I did like the quick run through of the first movie right at the start (done kind of comic book/artwork style).
Final Thoughts:
Please don’t let your kids watch this, a lot of violence, blood and gore certainly makes ages 19+. The movie drags at 2.5 hours and it was almost impossible to get excited because you’re never made to care about the characters. If you really loved the first Gladiator maybe watch this but I wouldn’t bother in theatres, waiting for digital is likely your best option. I’ll be generous and give it 6 out of 10 and say that Denzel is really the only good reason to see this.