Oh, wonderful. Just what we needed—another sequel that nobody actually asked for. I suppose it’s hard to get much worse than a follow-up they dreamed up back in the early 2000s. Quote: Weekend Warrior
Ridley Scott's screenplay for Gladiator 2 kicks things off with Maximus waking up in the afterlife. Unfortunately for him, it isn't the sun-soaked Elysium he dreamt of in Gladiator. Instead, he finds himself in a bleak, rain-soaked underworld where miserable refugees huddle along the banks of a pitch-black ocean. With the help of a ghostly guide, Mordecai, Maximus makes his way to a crumbling temple. There, he encounters Jupiter, Mars and five other deities. During the encounter, Jupiter explains that one of their number, Hephaestus, has turned traitor and is now spreading the word of a different god who possesses more power than any of them combined. If I may nitpick for a second, Hephaestus is a Greek god, not a Roman one, so Cavo should really have named him Vulcan. However, the script makes up for that little error with some truly enjoyable writing.
"He's an agitator," says Jupiter of Hephaestus. "He fans the flames of dissent... just a little breeze... a tiny puff... but inside lies the omen of total chaos. Am I making myself clear?"
"No," says Maximus.
Jupiter offers him a deal: kill Hephaestus, and he'll be reunited with his wife and son in those golden wheat fields of Elysium. It might feel more like a Terry Gilliam film or a Neil Gaiman graphic novel than a massive blockbuster sequel, but Cavo's Orphean adventure sort of makes sense. All through Gladiator, Maximus longs to see his family again. There's a real logic to a plot that keeps that yearning alive, even when the man himself is no longer living. Once you adjust your expectations, you can just settle in and enjoy Gladiator 2 for the supernatural quest movie it actually is.
Then, everything changes. Just as Maximus manages to track down Hephaestus, he's suddenly yanked out of that dark, underworld gloom and thrust back into a world of living, breathing people—set about a decade or two after his actual death. Human again, he travels to Rome in search of his son Marius: did I mention that Marius, who was crucified and burnt to death in Gladiator, is alive and kicking in Gladiator 2?
Right now, the script centers on a group of early Christians dodging the Roman authorities, much like the setup in the recent Mary Magdalene biopic starring Phoenix. These sequences also pull in some of the characters and political intrigue from Gladiator. While searching for his son Marius—did I mention that Marius—Maximus runs into his longtime ally Juba, who was originally played by Djimon Hounsou. The film's antagonist is actually Lucius, the once-quiet nephew of Commodus, who has grown up to be every bit as wicked as his uncle. Most notably, Gladiator 2 revisits the Colosseum. There, the emperor watches a simulated naval battle in an amphitheater flooded with water and filled with 100 alligators. It feels like a pointed nod to the modern demand for sequels to be even larger and more over-the-top than the originals.
It all builds toward a massive clash between Lucius's Roman enforcers and the underground Christian resistance being trained in secret by Maximus and Juba. But where does it go from there? Is it just more discussions with the Roman gods? A happy family gathering in sunny Elysium? Not quite. Instead, Cavo sends Maximus marching through history: through the Crusades, both World Wars, Vietnam, and eventually right into the Pentagon—essentially a much larger version of that opening montage from X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The core idea is that by picking up weapons instead of sticking to non-violent resistance, Maximus has locked humanity into an endless loop of violence. It's a deep, thought-provoking way to end things, though it might not be the feel-good finale audiences were looking for. According to Cavo, Russell Crowe’s take was blunt: “Don’t like it, mate.”
I was scrolling through the endless depths of YouTube out of pure boredom when I stumbled upon a movie with decent production value. I figured I’d give it a shot just to see what the hype was about. It actually turned out to be quite a pleasant surprise. Even though there are some sentimental moments involving a kid, it isn't nearly as sappy as I anticipated. To me, it feels more like an anti-war drama than a film trying to push nationalism or heroism. The acting is solid, the dialogue feels natural, the fight scenes are top-tier, and some of the visuals are absolutely breathtaking. I'm just glad our American general managed to produce something this polished instead of some amateur project from a first-year film student.
Well, this caught me completely off guard. Looking back, his books were some of the very first ones I actually picked up on my own as a kid and a young teen. I still remember getting Weekend in the Wild as my first real gift from my mom for my birthday. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that they don't mess up the series.
I hate to say this, and I really hope I'm wrong about the final product. But this teaser looks rough—honestly, it looks like it was filmed on a shaky cam back in the 90s.
nimblemarlin6 said:Who’s actually saying he thinks that? I haven't really kept up with his interviews or public statements. Is there an actual quote out there where he's bragging about himself?
As for creativity, you can't deny that his movies are interesting and unconventional.
The concept and the core idea are solid and innovative. The issue is that over his last few films, the execution has completely fallen apart. The final product just doesn't live up to the initial promise.
Even with the historical inaccuracies, I thought the movie was excellent. The real issue is that standards have been tossed out the window lately; in a sea of absolute garbage, even mediocre films can be mistaken for masterpieces.
The biggest issue with this movie is how it plunges you straight into the action without providing any decent backstory or meaningful character development. Because of that, you never really form a connection with anyone, which kills the suspense regarding what might happen next. The audience ends up feeling completely indifferent to everything on screen.
Larry Walker24 said:The movie faced heavy backlash on social media. People even called for boycotts because the lead star supported the Hong Kong police. There was also criticism regarding filming in the Xinjiang region, where China has been suppressing the Uyghur ethnic group and other Muslims, drawing condemnation from various governments and human rights organizations.
Just a small correction and some extra context here. This isn't just about suppression; it's about the total erasure of the Uyghurs. Even John Oliver covered this issue recently— . I don't think I've ever felt quite so emotionally devastated by footage before. It’s even more sickening to see Disney thanking the Communist Party and the elites running that controversial province in the end credits for allowing them to film there.
On top of that, the lead actress is openly backing a fascist, repressive regime that crushes democracy.
That is more than enough for me to skip this movie entirely.
Jaws is truly something the film industry hasn't seen before. Everyone who watches it ends up needing a quick dip in the ocean both before and after the movie. My own experience is no different. Up until I was about 12, I spent my days swimming and diving fearlessly in the deep blue. But ever since watching that film, I find myself sticking to the shoreline, wading through the shallows alongside the kids and seniors. As I've gotten older, the fear has subsided somewhat, but if I ever head out for a deeper dive, I still catch myself imagining the silhouette of a massive white shape lurking in the distance.
I thought this book was fantastic, maybe even better than Murder on the Orient Express. Kenneth Branagh is truly a top-tier actor, but no one will ever portray Hercule Poirot as perfectly or authentically as David Suchet.
cosmiclynx57 said:Exactly! It's just a movie meant to entertain, and that's the end of the story. It’s definitely one of those films you want to see on a big screen though, because visually, it's awesome—it totally eats up the screen, if you know what I mean.
I'm right there with you on the characters. It feels like the goal here wasn't to brew a slow, rich cup of coffee at home, but more like grabbing a quick instant coffee at the office or having some fast sex without any of the foreplay or romance beforehand. If that’s what you’re looking for, then yeah, it’ll be totally fine and cool.
I wouldn't say it's inspired by Alien; I'd say it's copying Alien. There’s a difference between inspiration and just ripping off the Facehugger and that specific scene where it's on the table and everyone reacts—that’s a direct lift of a single scene from Alien. To me, that's a huge negative for the film.
The sound and music are good, sure, but there are a few "beats" in there that feel pulled straight from Alien. I don't mind it too much—they didn't exactly steal the score, but the similarities are there, and I can take that as inspiration rather than blatant theft.
It really could have been great. Look, I’m no Hollywood expert, but if I were on set, I bet we would've ended up with a way better movie. Even you, if you were there and they asked for your input, you probably wouldn't have let them get away with such thin character development. It would've made the whole thing so much stronger.
Yep, the movie is exactly like that coffee comparison😁 . At ninety minutes, there wasn't much room to squeeze in extra details. Honestly, I wish it were longer. An extra half hour of world-building and character development would have made it much stronger. It's a shame it wasn't designed for depth, serving instead as high-speed entertainment. Interestingly, Fox shot this back in 2017, but after being acquired by Disney, they decided to release it recently during those "dead" months for cinema premieres. You get that sense that even Disney didn't expect much, yet it actually performed quite well.
cosmiclynx57 said:Exactly! It's just a movie meant to entertain, and that's the end of the story. It’s definitely one of those films you want to see on a big screen though, because visually, it's awesome—it totally eats up the screen, if you know what I mean.
I'm right there with you on the characters. It feels like the goal here wasn't to brew a slow, rich cup of coffee at home, but more like grabbing a quick instant coffee at the office or having some fast sex without any of the foreplay or romance beforehand. If that’s what you’re looking for, then yeah, it’ll be totally fine and cool.
I wouldn't say it's inspired by Alien; I'd say it's copying Alien. There’s a difference between inspiration and just ripping off the Facehugger and that specific scene where it's on the table and everyone reacts—that’s a direct lift of a single scene from Alien. To me, that's a huge negative for the film.
The sound and music are good, sure, but there are a few "beats" in there that feel pulled straight from Alien. I don't mind it too much—they didn't exactly steal the score, but the similarities are there, and I can take that as inspiration rather than blatant theft.
It really could have been great. Look, I’m no Hollywood expert, but if I were on set, I bet we would've ended up with a way better movie. Even you, if you were there and they asked for your input, you probably wouldn't have let them get away with such thin character development. It would've made the whole thing so much stronger.
I agree. Inspiration is one thing, but they were a bit too obvious here. The long hallway shots before the disaster felt very similar to how things looked on the Nostromo in Alien before the crew woke up. Even the text overlays showing station names, crew counts, and mission objectives felt identical to when we first saw the ship info in Alien.
My apologies, I didn't mean to say they copied the music entirely; I was referring to the ambient sound design. When Kristen Stewart and Rodrigo first meet the other survivors in that observation room with the computers, you can hear those exact computer sounds used in Alien playing softly in the background.
They drew inspiration from Lovecraftian Cthulhu for the main monster.
cosmiclynx57 said:Exactly! It's just a movie meant to entertain, and that's the end of the story. It’s definitely one of those films you want to see on a big screen though, because visually, it's awesome—it totally eats up the screen, if you know what I mean.
I'm right there with you on the characters. It feels like the goal here wasn't to brew a slow, rich cup of coffee at home, but more like grabbing a quick instant coffee at the office or having some fast sex without any of the foreplay or romance beforehand. If that’s what you’re looking for, then yeah, it’ll be totally fine and cool.
I wouldn't say it's inspired by Alien; I'd say it's copying Alien. There’s a difference between inspiration and just ripping off the Facehugger and that specific scene where it's on the table and everyone reacts—that’s a direct lift of a single scene from Alien. To me, that's a huge negative for the film.
The sound and music are good, sure, but there are a few "beats" in there that feel pulled straight from Alien. I don't mind it too much—they didn't exactly steal the score, but the similarities are there, and I can take that as inspiration rather than blatant theft.
It really could have been great. Look, I’m no Hollywood expert, but if I were on set, I bet we would've ended up with a way better movie. Even you, if you were there and they asked for your input, you probably wouldn't have let them get away with such thin character development. It would've made the whole thing so much stronger.
I agree. I actually think that opening sequence in Alien, where they introduce the crew, remains one of the best beginnings in cinema history. Most directors who draw inspiration from Alien try to replicate that exact formula. And honestly, why wouldn't they? If it ain't broken, don't fix it. That’s my main issue with Deep Blue Sea. It starts off poorly. I don't feel any tension regarding who survives and who doesn't because I haven't bonded with them yet. They aren't even real people to me at that point. It's just like when they walk through the station and find dead crew members. Those scenes carry zero weight when you don't know anything about these people or how they related to our protagonists.
It wasn't nearly as bad as I expected, though it certainly isn't perfect. It works well enough as a quick bit of popcorn entertainment, but you won't be thinking about this movie for a single second once the credits roll. It’s just a quick, fast fix before moving on. The opening actually feels promising, but that lasts only a few minutes before everything goes sideways. Literally. Within five minutes, the whole thing starts falling apart. We learn nothing about the characters—who they are, their relationships, what they were like before the accident, or how the struggle for survival shaped them. Nothing. All we know is that there's a guy and a girl, and that's it. They are thrown straight into the chaos, and the plot just bounces them from one situation to the next. There is zero real characterization here; the characters are just empty shells without any soul. Because of that, it's hard to care when they find themselves in danger or when someone eventually dies.
As for everything else, it's incredibly obvious from the start that the movie is inspired by Alien. The cinematography, the aesthetic, the premise, and the interior set design all feel like a direct nod to that cult classic. The most blatant parts are the suit designs and that first encounter with the little creature that looks exactly like a Facehugger. In one scene, you can even hear the exact same computer beeping sounds from Alien. In my opinion, that's the only major plus of the film.
The monster designs didn't do much for me either, aside from the small creature and the massive titan. The design and premise suggest we are dealing with nothing more than sirens, and the large titanic monster is a Kraken.
I have no complaints regarding the acting. It’s not Oscar material, but it isn't bad either. The soundtrack is quite good and eerie, which helps build the atmosphere nicely.
My recommendation is to watch it once and only once. It's a shame, because it could have been much better.
I'm really hoping we get that gritty Blade vibe with plenty of blood on screen everywhere. But honestly, I’m worried we might end up with some bright, colorful, kid-friendly flick where the hero just tosses out cheap one-liners that are supposed to be funny.
I remember this movie vividly. It sticks with you, especially since it covers such an underrated era that you rarely get the chance to see portrayed on screen, whether at the theater or at home.
ruggedjackal46 said:I honestly think I look my best when people are only catching me out of the corner of their eye. There’s just something about that subtle, glancing view that hits different, isn't there? 😎
Oops. My bad. It’s entirely possible I just mixed you up with someone else—it’s been over ten years since we last ran into each other in person. A lot can happen in a decade, right? You probably look a little different than what I had in my head. 😬
I haven't actually changed that much, honestly. But apparently, there's some guy wandering around town who looks exactly like me. For crying out loud, does he have to be in the same zip code? 😁 So, I missed the premiere, and honestly, looking at my schedule, I probably won't even make it to the theater by next week. It’s just ridiculous. Seriously, what is the deal with the way American indie films are handled? They spend five years filming some passion project, only for it to get a handful of screenings before being pulled from theaters entirely. Does anyone actually think that works?
When you consider those massive foreign blockbusters where aunts and uncles in spandex suits just beat each other up in front of a green screen, what more could an American film possibly offer in theaters 🤷 .