24 years after the Oscar-winning 'Gladiator', Ridley Scott returns to the colosseum sandbox. The end result is difficult to dismiss but still hard to defend. There was every reason to feel nervous about .
Or more accurately, as the opening credits show us: . So please, let’s start pronouncing this legacy sequel properly: “Gladiiiiiiiiator”. If Josh Trank’s doomed can’t escape “Fant-four-stick”, there’s no reason why this sequel to the Oscar-winning 2000 original gets a pass just because it’s Ridley Scott behind the camera.
has some big sandals to fill, as even 24 years later, some of ’s epic speeches, thrilling battles and Zeus-tier score from composer Hans Zimmer still resonate. Plus, Scott is a very hit-or-miss director. For every , , and , there’s a , , whatever was, and .
No bad word shall be said about – it's a camp masterpiece, and that’s the end of it. Still, all eyes are on Scott’s return to the colosseum sandbox, and the end result is difficult to dismiss but still hard to defend. Unlike the loopy sequel idea that was proposed by none other than , who envisaged following Maximus (Russell Crowe) battling his way out of the afterlife, picks up 16 years after the death of our favourite commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the TRUE emperor, Marcus Aurelius.
The dream that was once Rome has been forgotten. The empire is on the verge of collapse, with not one but two sniveling and anemic-looking.