33/49
from Carmen and "St
Story
After his home has been conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now rule Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum and look to the past to find the strength to restore the glory of Rome to its people. Elsewhere" the "Stranger Things" watch Gladiator II. the TV and film roles of its stars Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn and more. In the years following the release of the first film, there were many attempts to write a sequel. Musician Nick Cave was asked by Russell Crowe and Sir Ridley Scott to make a version. His version focused on the more mythic elements of ancient Rome and would have seen Maximus arrive in the afterlife only to face other souls who have yet to ascend.
Where death is, we are not
He is eventually commissioned by Jupiter and other Roman deities to return to earth to find and kill Hephaestus, a former deity who betrayed them. From there, he is resurrected as a Christian and finds himself traveling back to Rome to stop the spread of Christianity as he crosses paths with the new emperor, Lucius. The film would have ended with Maximus being cursed to live for eternity, and included a montage of the soldier fighting in the Crusades, World War II, and the Vietnam War, eventually revealing a modern-day Maximus working in the Pentagon in Washington. The studio decided not to pursue this version, but the script can be read online. Lucius: We are not where death is. At least 3 scenes were cut: Cut 1 – Lucius (Paul Mescal) decapitates his opponent at the first Roman games.
The red blood coming out of his ears is now green/yellow
The front is cut off to remove the swords attached to the head. He cuts halfway into the shot to show the stump and some blood spray. Cut 2 – Macrinus (Denzel Washington) slashes Emperor Geta (Joseph Quinn) in the neck. Missing the initial long shot of the throat slit and the blood spray. The next close-up is zoomed in to the left to remove the continuous neck slash and blood spray on the right. Cut 3 – Macrinus sticks a thorn in the ear of Emperor Caracalla (Fred Hechinger).
Appeared in The 7PM Project: July 3, 2024 episode (2024)
While Gladiator II tries to capture the visuals of the original, it ends up trading its emotional depth and character-driven narrative for loud, fragmented, and sometimes bizarre visuals. The story feels muddled and over-the-top, making it hard to take seriously or fully invest, even though some of its chaotic ideas—such as CGI sharks and warships—are undeniably creative. But what’s meant to be overly exciting often feels absurd, and those same sharks are the best place to toss the film and let it sink from memory. This sequel offers an even bigger spectacle, but it loses in doing so. the grounded intensity that made Gladiator so compelling. Ridley Scott’s digitally restored Coliseum, filled with CGI rhinos, monkeys and sharks, will be an overwhelming display of pixels fighting each other, while the human stakes that once attracted us fall by the wayside.
Bigger and louder, yes, but not better"
The finale is particularly disappointing, lacking the emotional punch that the original delivered so powerfully. Gladiator II may be a feast for the eyes, but its core is sadly empty.