Gladiator II (2024) - Scott delivers another rousing spectacle

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Six central characters and a rhinoceros-involved fight scene are teased on this flashy poster for Ridley Scott's Gladiator II

Roman general Acacius overtakes Numibia in North Africa and enslaves the warrior Hanno. Swearing vengeance, Hanno becomes a gladiator but comes to more realizations while fighting for his survival.

 

Gladiator II is written by David Scarpa (The Last Castle (2001)), with Peter Craig (12 Strong (2008)), and co-produced and directed by English master filmmaker Ridley Scott (The Duellists (1977)), whose 29th feature it is. It is the sequel to Scott's triumphant masterpiece, Gladiator (2000). 

Paul Mescal (The Lost Daughter (2021)) smiles too much and is somehow too daintily attractive as his character, but he's in a well-oiled, mammoth-sized machine here that is a highly enjoyable throw-back to the macho universe of ancient Rome. Derek Jacobi (The Sandman (2022, TV-series)) and Connie Nielsen (Nobody (2021)) of the original return, SPOILER and the regal Nielsen musters up most of the film's emotional heft in scenes with her returned son Hanno/Lucius. The weight of these scenes is limited, but the film has a great ace in Hanno's gladiator mentor Macrinus, played with delicious verve by Denzel Washington (The Equalizer (2014)), the Marlon Brando of our age. SPOILER Macrinus is by far the most interesting character in the film, a sly, chameleonic figure who turns out to be an unruly, self-serving master manipulator. And Washington gets a fantastic death scene in the brutal Gladiator II.

There's more action than in the original, and Scott throws in monstrous baboons, a rhino and sharks in the Colosseum, effectively making sure that everyone is aware that this is a fictional adventure with only very dim links to actual history. Great costumes distinguish the film, which also revolves around the story of the volatile, easily influenced twin emperors Geta and Caracalla.

Scott continues his recent stride with a ramming hammer of a sword and sandals spectacle, not without blemishes, and not as impacting as the original by a longshot but a damn good time at the multiplex it sure is.

 

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2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

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2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

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American Gangster (2007) - Great American - now black - gangster picture
A Good Year (2006) - Ridley Scott likes Provence

Matchstick Men (2003) - Great Cage job highlights entertaining Scott crime dramedy 

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2000 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Gladiator (2000) - Experience the grandeur of the Roman Empire in Scott's dramatic masterpiece

G.I. Jane (1997) or, The Amazing Seal Woman! 

Top 10: The best big flop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date  
Blade Runner (1982) director's cut - Visual extravaganza, great SF 

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Alien (1979) or, Space Eggs Are Bad News

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 250 mil. $

Box office: 368.5 mil. $ and counting

= Too early to say

[Gladiator II premiered 18 October (Los Angeles) and runs 148 minutes. Sequel ideas and scripts were in the works shortly after the first film's premiere in 2000, for many years revolving around a returning star Russell Crowe either brought back to life or in a fantasy/religious story in purgatory. Shooting took place from May - July 2023 and from December 2023 - January 2024, interrupted involuntarily by the 2023 Hollywood labor strikes, with reshoots in June 2024, in Malta, Morocco and in England, including in London. Scott has stated that he rented back his Kingdom of Heaven (2005) sets from the Moroccan government, which he had sold to them for 10$ after wrapping that film since dismantling them would cost more. The film reportedly received the largest tax rebate in EU history of 46.6 mil. € from the Maltese state, bringing its monstrous 310 mil. $ cost down to 250 mil. $. The film opened #2, behind fellow new release Wicked, to a 55 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it remains in the top 5. The mega-budgeted film still have a very long way before it may reach black numbers. It is nominated for 2 Golden Globes and has won a National Board of Review award, among other honors. Scott has talked of a number 3 but is first turning to other projects. He is set to return with Bee Gees movie You Should Be Dancing. Mescal returns in The History of Sound (2025); Washington in High and Low. Gladiator II is certified fresh at 72 % at Rotten Tomatoes with a 6.60/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Gladiator II?

Henry V (1989) - Conviction hits home in Branagh's Shakespearean debut

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Several men celebrate their king before a fiery inferno on this poster for Kenneth Branagh's Henry V

In the days of King Henry V, a disdainful letter is received from the king of France, and soon the grand European powers are at the cusp of war.

 

Henry V is written and directed by Irish master filmmaker, debuting Kenneth Branagh (Hamlet (1996)), who also co-stars in it as the titular king. It is an adaptation of the same-titled 1599 play by William Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595/96)).

Henry V is not among the bard's best in my book; the king is a sleek and pompous guy, and the story is so overly dense with words. Branagh nevertheless overcomes this with enthusiasm and magnetic conviction.

So despite there being no real wisdom to be gained from Henry V, which is a chronicle of war and hardly more, there are dashing scenes, - especially during and after the battle, - and belief in the film.

 

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2017 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
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Celebrity (1998) or, Stars in New York (actor) 

 

 

Branagh gives a longer interview about the making of the film here

 

Cost: 9 mil. $

Box office: In excess of 10.9 mil. $ (North America and the UK only); projected 15-20 mil. $ world gross

= Uncertain but likely a big flop or a flop (projected return of 1.66 - 2.22 times its cost)

[Henry V premiered 6 October (London) and runs 137 minutes. Shooting took place from October - December 1988 in England. The film opened #19 to a 64k $ first weekend in 3 theaters in North America, where it grossed 10.1 mil. $. It reportedly made 652k £, approximately 812k $, in the UK, but numbers from its many other markets are regrettably not public online. A final gross in the area of 15-20 mil. $, (which is likely setting it high), would rank the film as either a 'big flop' or a 'flop' with a return of 1.66-2.22 times its cost. The film was nominated for 3 Oscars, winning 1, for Best Costumes. It lost Best Director to Oliver Stone for Born of the Fourth of July and Actor (also Branagh) to Daniel Day-Lewis for My Left Foot. It also won 1/6 BAFTA nominations, won 2 European Film awards and 2 National Board of Review awards, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, translating to a notch higher than this one. Branagh returned with Dead Again (1991) as a director and in Look Back in Anger (1989, TV movie) first as an actor, before also co-starring in Dead Again. Henry V is certified fresh at 100 % with an 8.20/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Henry V?