Gladiator 2

[AsUpRoDiGy]

Damn… that meh, huh? Are the spectacle and Denzel not even enough to make it entertaining?

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[Shane]

There were some entertaining parts, mainly provided by the nostalgia factor.

Didn’t like Denzel in the role. So many things happened with ZERO context. Just didn’t work very well.

Halfway through I was hoping Djimon was in the movie. Alas, I was disappointed.

I don’t think it’s a bad movie, and on its own I might even love it. But as a sequel to a vastly superior movie? Meh.

I was actually really hoping his character would be in it as well

 

[Stout]

Probably seeing it on Wednesday. Good to go in with low expectations and hopefully be pleasantly surprised….

I did just that and was disappointed anyway lol

 

[Stout]

There were some entertaining parts, mainly provided by the nostalgia factor.

Didn’t like Denzel in the role. So many things happened with ZERO context. Just didn’t work very well.

Halfway through I was hoping Djimon was in the movie. Alas, I was disappointed.

I don’t think it’s a bad movie, and on its own I might even love it. But as a sequel to a vastly superior movie? Meh.

What really bothered me with the Denzel role wasn't his acting--he was fine. It was the writing. Just when he would approach a good moment in a scene, where you know there's tension to come, the scene would end and nothing happened. Ugh!

The nostalgia factor actually made it worse to me, because it told me the movie had nothing really going for it and they just had to constantly hearken back to the first one for effect.

Also:

Spoiler

Do we, what, have no more emperors and now just have the senate rule again? Because, I get he rather stupidly and un-inclusively killed off the first black Roman emperor before he became emperor, but to say there are no more emperors is sheer idiocy.

 

[oaken1]

What really bothered me with the Denzel role wasn't his acting--he was fine. It was the writing. Just when he would approach a good moment in a scene, where you know there's tension to come, the scene would end and nothing happened. Ugh!

The nostalgia factor actually made it worse to me, because it told me the movie had nothing really going for it and they just had to constantly hearken back to the first one for effect.

Also:

Spoiler

Do we, what, have no more emperors and now just have the senate rule again? Because, I get he rather stupidly and un-inclusively killed off the first black Roman emperor before he became emperor, but to say there are no more emperors is sheer idiocy.

I hear they also ret conned Lucias Varus to be the biological son of Maximus

 

[Stout]

I hear they also ret conned Lucias Varus to be the biological son of Maximus

Yeah, it was really, really bad all around with all that stuff. I'd say half an hour of screen time was in some way pining/reminiscing/talking about/directly quoting the first movie. Blech.

 

[oaken1]

Yeah, it was really, really bad all around with all that stuff. I'd say half an hour of screen time was in some way pining/reminiscing/talking about/directly quoting the first movie. Blech.

Would have been less cheesy had Maximus actual son somehow avoided the soldiers and they burned a stable boy in his place...then days later he was caught by slavers and when he got too old to be a house boy slave he was sold to a ludis to be a gladiator....where he learned of his father's fate and glorious vengeance upon Commodus.

 

[Stout]

Would have been less cheesy had Maximus actual son somehow avoided the soldiers and they burned a stable boy in his place...then days later he was caught by slavers and when he got too old to be a house boy slave he was sold to a ludis to be a gladiator....where he learned of his father's fate and glorious vengeance upon Commodus.

That would have been a much, much better approach. Not perfect, but better.

 

[Chaplin]

I hear they also ret conned Lucias Varus to be the biological son of Maximus

They hinted at it in the first movie -- well, at least they are saying NOW that they hinted at it, although it's a stretch.

It occurs when Lucilla and Maximus have a conversation about their sons being "nearly 8".

It's also possible that Lucilla was lying, or even mistaken. Because why wouldn't she? Maximus was a love of her life and her husband at the time was an arranged marriage -- why wouldn't she just say Maximus was Luscius' father if it gives her better opportunity to manipulate him?

 

[oaken1]

They hinted at it in the first movie -- well, at least they are saying NOW that they hinted at it, although it's a stretch.

It occurs when Lucilla and Maximus have a conversation about their sons being "nearly 8".

It's also possible that Lucilla was lying, or even mistaken. Because why wouldn't she? Maximus was a love of her life and her husband at the time was an arranged marriage -- why wouldn't she just say Maximus was Luscius' father if it gives her better opportunity to manipulate him?

nah...

he is nearly 8..."my son is also nearly 8"

This indicates the boys were conceived at the same time...roughly of course...
in order for Maximus to father Lucias he would have had to be un faithful to his wife.
Maximus was a man of honor. Not only that, he was a man who carried carvings of his family and basically prayed to them every night. even his sense of duty and loyalty to Caesar would not push him to be disloyal to his wife. He and Drusilla were obviously an item at one point but not in the last ten years.

 

[Chaplin]

nah...

he is nearly 8..."my son is also nearly 8"

This indicates the boys were conceived at the same time...roughly of course...
in order for Maximus to father Lucias he would have had to be un faithful to his wife.
Maximus was a man of honor. Not only that, he was a man who carried carvings of his family and basically prayed to them every night. even his sense of duty and loyalty to Caesar would not push him to be disloyal to his wife. He and Drusilla were obviously an item at one point but not in the last ten years.

Fine, you disagree, but please keep in mind it's not my opinion, just reporting what I've seen elsewhere. Besides, this lends credence to my theory that Lucilla is lying about Maximus being his father. Funny how you ignored that part of my post.

 

[oaken1]

Fine, you disagree, but please keep in mind it's not my opinion, just reporting what I've seen elsewhere. Besides, this lends credence to my theory that Lucilla is lying about Maximus being his father. Funny how you ignored that part of my post.

she was definitely duplicitous.... perhaps she told Lucius this because Maximus was popular with the people and it distanced him from Commodus. politics and position was precarious for a single mother back then Im sure.

 

[Chaplin]

she was definitely duplicitous.... perhaps she told Lucius this because Maximus was popular with the people and it distanced him from Commodus. politics and position was precarious for a single mother back then Im sure.

She definitely needed something to push him to her way of thinking. Being the son of a hero was it.

 

[Dback Jon]

This is a sequel to Silence of the Lambs?

 

[GatorAZ]

You guys are poking holes in the story when the movie was just poorly made. The lead guy was miscast, Connie Nielsen completely phoned in her performance (and was in it too much) and there were just some really bad scenes that made the Final Cut somehow. It really emphasizes how much of a masterpiece the first one was.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Yeah… I wouldn’t have watched this entire movie if I saw it at home. Denzel’s in a totally different movie and that is pretty much the only thing that kept my attention, for good and kinda laughably bad.

Biggest problem with this movie boils down to not giving a crap about the title character. I think Mescal is a great actor, but the script just gave him next to nothing to play with… and sidelined him in a cage just waiting around for people to visit him for long stretches of time.

It also totally wasted Pedro Pascal. It wasn’t a nothing part, but it just didn’t let him have much fun. Pascal can play stoic easily, but he’s best when he’s got a little something to take for a spin.

 

[Covert Rain]

Yeah… I wouldn’t have watched this entire movie if I saw it at home. Denzel’s in a totally different movie and that is pretty much the only thing that kept my attention, for good and kinda laughably bad.

Biggest problem with this movie boils down to not giving a crap about the title character. I think Mescal is a great actor, but the script just gave him next to nothing to play with… and sidelined him in a cage just waiting around for people to visit him for long stretches of time.

This makes me want to see it at home but I love epic movies on the big screen. It's just hard to convince the wife to see it.

 

[Stout]

This makes me want to see it at home but I love epic movies on the big screen. It's just hard to convince the wife to see it.

There is the obvious alternative of not seeing it

 

[AzStevenCal]

There is the obvious alternative of not seeing it

Yeah, there's plenty of room to join me in the hell no line. The only disadvantage is that you might lose some message board cred if you join the line and still try to bash the film.

 

[Devilmaycare]

This makes me want to see it at home but I love epic movies on the big screen. It's just hard to convince the wife to see it.

You could put a big screen in at your house…

 

[Covert Rain]

You could put a big screen in at your house…

I have one. Still not exactly the same.

 

[Shane]

I have one. Still not exactly the same.

Sit closer

 

[oaken1]

I have one. Still not exactly the same.

Sit closer and wear headphones