Gladiator II

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Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.

Credits: TheMovieDb.
Gladiator II
Overview:
Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must
Cast:

Lucius Verus / Hanno: Paul Mescal
Macrinus: Denzel Washington
General Acacius: Pedro Pascal
Lucilla: Connie Nielsen
Emperor Geta: Joseph Quinn
Emperor Caracalla: Fred Hechinger
Viggo: Lior Raz
Gracchus: Derek Jacobi
Jugurtha: Peter Mensah
Master of Ceremonies: Matt Lucas
Ravi: Alexander Karim
Arishat: Yuval Gonen
Quaestor: Richard McCabe
Thraex: Tim McInnerny
Darius: Alec Utgoff
Tegula: Rory McCann
Bostar: Yann Gael
Hyacinthia: Riana Duce
Young Lucius: Alfie Tempest
Lucilla’s Servant: Amira Ghazalla
Centurion: Alexander Simkin
Master of Ceremonies (Baboon Arena): David Ganly
Governor (Baboon Arena): Richard Katz
Noble Bedouin Woman: Amal Ayouch
Agedilios: Hadrian Howard
Gladiator: Chidi Ajufo
Slovak: Lee Charles
Glyceo: Christopher Edward Hallaways
Phoebus: Chi Lewis-Parry
Gnaeus: Ángel Gómez De La Torre
Centurion (Lucius’ Arrest): Brahim Ait Ben Azzouz
Centurion (Ostia): Maxime Rauf Ruijselaar
Dorso: Dean Fagan
Brennos: Tom Moutchi
Macrinus’s companion (uncredited): May Calamawy

Crew:

Director of Photography: John Mathieson
Original Music Composer: Harry Gregson-Williams
Production Design: Arthur Max
Producer: David Franzoni
Military Consultant: Paul Biddiss
Producer: Michael A. Pruss
Costume Design: Janty Yates
Special Effects Technician: Neil Corbould
Assistant Art Director: Sara Taddei
Set Decoration: Elli Griff
Sculptor: Roberto Bolea
Co-Producer: Winston Azzopardi
Executive Producer: Raymond Kirk
Second Assistant Director: Jaafar Ameur
Third Assistant Director: Conor Flannery
Set Production Assistant: Rafael Salazar
Assistant Director: Dylan Henricson
Third Assistant Director: Mohammed Hamza Regragui
Second Assistant Director: Tarik Ait Ben Ali
Second Second Assistant Director: Conor Feltham
Third Assistant Director: Krishan Sharda
Executive Producer: Laurie MacDonald
First Assistant Director: Ben Burt
Casting: Salaheddine Benchegra
Second Assistant Director: Oana Ene
Second Assistant Director: Dan John
Set Production Assistant: Diara Vassallo Ndiaye
Editor: Claire Simpson
Executive Producer: Aidan Elliott
Third Assistant Director: Callum Dawson
Production Assistant: Charlotte Weston
Third Assistant Director: Kieron Walshe
Assistant Director: Vanluke Watson
Executive Producer: Walter F. Parkes
Second Unit First Assistant Director: Nick Thomas
Third Assistant Director: Eamonn Cawley
Unit Manager: Malcolm Ellul
Costume Assistant: Alesha Mitchell
Location Manager: John David Gunkle
Location Manager: Johnny Hopkins
Costume Assistant: Angeliki Michaelidou Matsi
Location Manager: Curtis Burrell
Location Assistant: Taha Drissi
First Assistant Editor: Danielle El-Hendi
Costume Assistant: Emma Rawnsley
Assistant Costume Designer: Claudio Manzi
Costume Assistant: Anna Izquierdo
Second Unit Director of Photography: Katie Swain
Dolly Grip: Donavan Gallagher
Costume Assistant: Rupert Steggle
Costumer: Samuela Galea
Music Editor: Tony Lewis
Assistant Costume Designer: Melissa Moritz
Assistant Unit Manager: Georgia Jones
Costume Set Supervisor: Hassan Taghriti
Location Manager: Yann Mari Faget
Textile Artist: Tamsyn Lee Wilson
Assistant Editor: Stefano De Marco
Assistant Editor: Roddy McDonald
Costume Set Supervisor: William Steggle
Costumer: Emma-Louise Ryan
Drone Operator: Aerial Malta
Stunts: Tarik Belmekki
Stunts: Ryan Busuttil
Assistant Costume Designer: Stella Atkinson
Camera Operator: Benjamin Borg Cardona
Camera Operator: Ciro Candia
Camera Trainee: Gabriel Bucher
Stunts: Morgan Chetcuti
Casting Coordinator: Hamid Ait Timaghrit
Dolly Grip: Massimo Rinella
“B” Camera Operator: Chris Plevin
Still Photographer: Aidan Monaghan
Rigging Gaffer: Yassine Abounouom
Video Assist Operator: Youssef Mohattane
Key Rigging Grip: Maverick Debono
Casting Assistant: Kate Edmonds
Gaffer: Driss Marzak
Digital Imaging Technician: Gastone Ferrante
Stunts: Viktor Hristov
“A” Camera Operator: Pete Cavaciuti
Stunt Double: Aurélia Agel
Stunts: James Apps
Stunts: Alexander Bracq
Stunts: Daniel Carrión
Costumer: Craig Anthony
Focus Puller: Keith McNamara
Drone Operator: Mario Demanuele
Video Assist Operator: James Culloty
Key Grip: Dave Wells
Stunts: Tony Christian
Camera Operator: Basil Smith
Gaffer: Lee Knight
Stunts: Younes Afroukh
Stunt Double: Clay Donahue Fontenot
Stunts: Paul Burke
Stunts: Richard Hall
Casting Coordinator: Brenda Camilleri
Camera Trainee: Kenza Tazi
Video Assist Operator: Amadeo Bezzina
Stunts: Steve Abela
Stunts: Adam Behan
Video Assist Operator: Jack Kelly
Costume Supervisor: Amelia Bianchi
Costume Assistant: Othmane Ajana
Lighting Technician: Adrian Sworn
“C” Camera Operator: Richard Philpott
Rigging Grip: Hassan Hajhouj
Digital Imaging Technician: Ryan Gatt
Stunts: Alard Hufner
Stunt Double: Harvey Taylor
Stunts: Genadiy Ganchev
Casting Assistant: Saïd Aamoum
Camera Operator: Amine Boudour
Best Boy Grip: Gordon Borg
Stunts: Victor Aquilina
Stunts: Lucas Breathnach
Stunts: Peppijna Dalli
Stunts: Hayden Grech
Stunts: Lucky Johnson
Stunts: Maureen Lavoyer
Stunts: Elmo Walker
Stunts: Keith Ward
Stunts: Faisal Mohammed
Stunts: Rob Pavey
Stunts: Vasil Simeonov
Stunts: Mike Snow
Stunts: Justin Sysum
Stunts: Phillip Ray Tommy
Data Management Technician: Jake Bennett-Young
Unit Manager: Matthew Camilleri
Stunts: Chris Hallaways
Stunt Double: Harry Makanga
Stunt Double: Michael Oladele
Stunts: Aitoufqir Rida
Stunts: Vitas Le Bas
Stunts: Will Mackay
Stunts: Pablo Márquez
Stunts: Peter White
Stunts: Ivan Iliev
Stunts: Othman Ilyassa
Stunts: Mark Mallia
Stunts: Richie Wilson
Stunts: Laurent Plancel
Stunts: Florine Silva
Stunt Double: Zach Roberts
Stunt Coordinator: Natalie Wright-Cella
Stunts: Ramon Álvarez
Stunt Double: Andrej Riabokon
Visual Effects Supervisor: Ed Bruce
Visual Effects Producer: Edward Randolph
Visual Effects Compositor: Bilal Terrar
Stunts: Radoslav Ignatov
Stunts: Chris Pace
Stunt Double: Dylan Jones
Stunts: Vasil Yordanov
Stunts: Roberto Dias McCarthy
Stunts: Abdellah Ouksih
Visual Effects Editor: Michael Cheung
Stunts: Grégory Nolbas
Stunts: Peter Syckelmoore
Stunts: Philip McDean
Stunts: Vencislav Stojanov
Visual Effects Compositor: Luke Armstrong
3D Artist: Zoltán Lányi
3D Artist: Máté Vörös
Special Effects Assistant: Gavin Kidner
Special Effects Technician: Mike March
Set Decoration Buyer: Tarik Amchemar
3D Artist: Reetu Aggarwal
Animation: Wayne Simmons
Standby Property Master: Youness Benbakrim
Special Effects Coordinator: Zuzana Milfort
Art Direction: Charlo Dalli
Special Effects Technician: Justin Montebello
Special Effects Technician: Adam Howarth
Art Department Coordinator: Laila Ait Oujamaa
Set Dresser: Archie Cook
Assistant Art Director: Andrea Arces
Property Master: Garry Dawson
Assistant Art Director: Branislav Dimov
Scenic Artist: Lino Chetcuti
Assistant Set Decoration: Alexander Simkin
Visual Effects Compositor: David Schott
Special Effects Technician: Adrian Nica
Standby Property Master: Kenrick Ruthven
Art Department Coordinator: Natali Shershulskaya
Concept Artist: Jessica Sinclair
Special Effects Technician: Will Harvey
Props: Abdenabi Izlaguen
Construction Manager: Dylan Gouder
Assistant Art Director: Dániel Miklós
Set Designer: Ana Saric
Assistant Set Decoration: Mojca Crnic
Supervising Art Director: Tamara Marini
Scenic Artist: Julie O’Connor
Concept Artist: Kim Frederiksen
Assistant Art Director: James Laing
Set Decoration Buyer: Betane Driss
Assistant Art Director: Ana Martínez Fernández
Set Dresser: Piotr Micyk
Hair Supervisor: Kerstin Weller
Unit Production Manager: Darren Chesney
Makeup Artist: Lisa Pantaleoni
Unit Manager: Rasul Kalyayev
Assistant Set Decoration: Nathan Elliott
Assistant Set Decoration: Sonja Nenadić
Hairstylist: Daniele Fiori
Hairstylist: Nicola Griguoli
Makeup Artist: Elizabeth Eva Hedley
Assistant Art Director: Chris Straessle
Assistant Set Decoration: Isabella Faull
Assistant Art Director: Nikolai Nikolov
Hairstylist: Said Lachkar
Assistant Set Decoration: Ellie Pash
Assistant Set Decoration: Candice Marchlewski
Painter: Markus Ruiz
Assistant Art Director: Cesco Bonello
Painter: Giuseppe Cafagna
Set Decoration Buyer: Molly Blake
Assistant Art Director: Sven Bonnici
Construction Coordinator: Olivia Carney
Makeup Supervisor: Charlie Hounslow
Makeup Designer: Jana Carboni
Hairstylist: Hamdan Malika
3D Artist: Krstic Milan
Assistant Set Decoration: Aoife Power
Production Manager: Nath Rodriguez
Assistant Art Director: Damián Galán Álvarez
Unit Manager: Sam Courtnage
Hairstylist: Eva Fernández
Makeup Artist: Luca Mazzoccoli
Costume Design: David Crossman
Supervising Art Director: David Ingram
Casting: Kate Rhodes James
Art Direction: Laura Miller
Sculptor: Vjekoslav Filipovic
Editor: Sam Restivo
Painter: Mohamed Bouhadra
Special Effects Technician: Robert Grech
Sculptor: Rino Banko
Art Department Coordinator: Francesca Birri
Set Dresser: Raja Achoukhane
Painter: Aomar Hessaini
Greensman: Roger Holden
Special Effects Technician: Joe Montabello
Sound Mixer: Stéphane Bucher
Fight Choreographer: Cali Nelle
Special Effects Technician: Charles Montebello
Special Effects Supervisor: Kenneth Cassar
Sculptor: Danijel Mataija
Assistant Art Director: Emanuela Piu
Special Effects Technician: Tibor Skornyak
Special Effects Technician: Karl Brincat
Boom Operator: Josselin Panchout
Special Effects Technician: Lawrence Attard
Assistant Costume Designer: Maurizio Torti
Special Effects Coordinator: Graziella Cassar
Assistant Art Director: Melkior Serdarevic
Costume Coordinator: Elena Rotatori
Painter: Samah Saoui
Stunts: Bogdan Kumšackij
Stunts: Ayesha Hussain
Story: Peter Craig
Screenplay: David Scarpa
Post Production Assistant: Fabrizio Fenech
Set Decoration: Jille Azis
Producer: Ridley Scott
Assistant Art Director: Dario Nolé
Stunts: James Offield
Visual Effects Supervisor: Mark Bakowski
Producer: Douglas Wick
Producer: Lucy Fisher
Main Title Designer: Matt Curtis

Catogories:

This is one awesome addon.

Prepare to be entertained.
Language:
English
Production:
United States of America
Company:
Paramount Pictures,Red Wagon Entertainment,Parkes+MacDonald Image Nation,Scott Free Productions
Popularity:
1742.5
Date:
2024-11-13
Year:
2024

Manuel São Bento: FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://talkingfilms.net/gladiator-ii-review-a-legacy-sequel-that-triumphs-through-spectacle-and-emotion/
“Gladiator II may not achieve the groundbreaking impact of the original film, but it remains an impressive cinematic experience, transporting audiences into an epic filled with emotional and visual grandeur.

Ridley Scott once again showcases his mastery in blending narrative, action, and thematic depth, delivering a sequel marked by superb technical execution and standout performances, particularly from Denzel Washington. Despite the inevitable comparisons to the classic, the iconic filmmaker presents a story that justifies its existence, even if it treads familiar ground.

Necessary or not, what truly matters is the strength (and honor) with which a work captivates us – and here, Gladiator II triumphs.”

Rating: A-
Dean: Another Woke movie from Hollywood. There were never black (African) emperors in Roman empire… This movie is simply false propaganda.
griggs79: _Gladiator II_, a polished echo of the original, is a testament to Ridley Scott’s cinematic powers. It follows his hit-and-miss _Napoleon_ biopic last year, which was rather miss than hit. The sequel captures the original’s essence while introducing elements, making it a worthy successor.
Paul Mescal in the lead role – inherited from the ever-growling Russel Crowe, who was at the top of his career in the original – holds his ground against Denzel Washington, whose charisma cleaves through the screen as effortlessly as his character’s sword.

Ridley Scott admits he was prompted to revisit _Gladiator_ by the acclaim he received from those too young to have seen the original on the big screen. His mission to lure Gen Z away from their streaming devices may help to save cinema, ushering in a new era of appreciation for the big screen. But for the love of Jupiter, I hope they quickly learn that it isn’t just a big iPad with comfy chairs. No pausing, swiping, mid-film selfies, dashes to the bar, or running commentary required. Screen four at your local cinema isn’t the Colosseum but a place where the magic of film of this scale truly comes alive, offering a unique and immersive experience that can’t be replicated at home.
r96sk: ‘Gladiator II’ is awesome!
I only watched the original three years ago, almost to the day in fact, but I was anticipating this follow-up after thoroughly loving the Russell Crowe film. Honestly, I think I kinda enjoyed this sequel more – at worst, the two are on the same level, for me anyway. Crowe is missed, though everyone in this movie more than makes up for his (obvious) absence.

This is the first time I’ve seen Paul Mescal act, despite knowing of him for quite a while now. I’m impressed! He delivers a showing of great strength (pardon the pun). Pedro Pascal is very good too, as is Joseph Quinn; I wasn’t instantly sold on the latter when he appeared onscreen, though when all is said and done I rate his performance positively.

Denzel Washington… what a geezer. I’ll never tire or turn down the chance at seeing that man act. Needless to say, given he’s one of two favourite actors of mine, I loved his performance all the way through. The likes of Fred Hechinger and Connie Nielsen merit fair praise as well, interesting to see Rory McCann and Matt Lucas in there too.

Oh, and the score… superb! Deafeningly grand.
CinemaSerf: Sixteen years after “Maximus” (Russell Crowe) bit the dust, we find ancient Rome under the control of twins “Geta” (Joseph Quinn) and his brother “Caracalla” (Fred Hechinger) and thanks to their general “Acacias” (Pedro Pascal) continuing to expand their empire. It’s this latter man who leads an attack on the home “Nanno” (Paul Mescal) shares with his wife “Arishat” (Yuval Gonen). That doesn’t go so well and next thing, she’s gone on ahead of him to the wheat fields and he’s now a slave owned by the manipulative “Macrinus” (Denzel Washington) heading to the Colosseum to entertain the emperors and their cousin “Lucilla” (Connie Nielsen). What now ensues is a well produced and good looking rehash of the first film paying homage en route to “Spartacus” and it’s the sheer predicability that I struggled with. It’s episodically delivered with far too much script and though Mescal tries hard, his performance is largely charm-free and as wooden as a rudius, especially once the rather far-fetched familial back-story has been established. Sir Derek Jacobi sparingly appears as the other survivor from 2000 reprising his role as the senator “Gracchus” but to no real effect and the scene stealer for me is really only the megalomanic Quinn’s imperial offering as he and his bonkers sibling teeter on the brink of inbred, sexually fluid, madness. Washington does well enough as the scheming slave-master, but he hasn’t really enough to work with to stand out amongst what really are a mediocre collection of undercooked characters that just don’t deliver any real sense of the hedonism and menace of this debauched and corrupt state. As with Sir Ridley Scott’s “Kingdom of Heaven” (2005) the battle scenes are superb and action packed, as are the combat scenes in the vast marble auditorium filled with baying plebs and rhinos, but I am afraid that the shallow characterisations just didn’t work well enough to keep this engaging and the plot was just too thin to stretch over a couple of hours that could have been so very much better. It really does need a big screen to appreciate the creatively crafted visuals, but I was still pretty disappointed, sorry.
DWP: Comparisons will be inevitable and Gladiator II will never be as iconic as the 2000 classic. However it is very good, strong all-around with gripping action and a well executed script. Performances are very good, with some pleasant surprises.
Chris Sawin: Gladiator II features some impressive action sequences. Every battle in the Colosseum is fantastic despite how historically inaccurate they may be. The monkey sequence showcases how skilled Hanno (Paul Mescal) is not only as a fighter but also in how he interacts with others. Then there’s the rhino sequence that plays out much like Bugs Bunny’s interactions with Toro the Bull in the Chuck Jones-directed Looney Tunes short Bully for Bugs (1953).
While those sequences are fairly believable, the shark sequence seems like pure fantasy and that’s why it’s so incredible. They fill the Colosseum with water and let sharks loose while the opposing gladiators try to survive the onslaught on boats.

It’s also interesting to note that every major actor who dies in the film has a spectacular death. Not only that but these gruesome deaths get increasingly more grisly and memorable as the film progresses. These bloody triumphs rarely delve any deeper than someone getting shot with a bunch of arrows or a beheading or appendage severing of some kind. This level of brutality escalates throughout the film and eventually culminates with the most satisfying kill that takes two and a half hours to achieve.

The performances fluctuate between being top-tier perfection and mediocre overacting. Denzel Washington is having the time of his life as Macrinus. He has the most interesting storyline and Denzel dances in every scene with a giddiness that is unparalleled. Joseph Quinn seems to be acting in an entirely different film than everyone else as Emperor Geta. His mannerisms are operatic and theatrical with his wide eyes that rarely blink, grand body language and hand gestures, and explosive line delivery.

Pedro Pascal doesn’t do anything in Gladiator II as Marcus Acacius that he didn’t do in Game of Thrones apart from having more screen time. Much like how his character is written, Paul Mescal’s performance is muddled. The Hanno character and who he is is a poorly kept secret that consistently pulls the character in several directions.

Hanno is vengeful at first before succumbing to being the hero of the film and the evolution isn’t earned. The writing and pacing of Gladiator II feel like the film drops Hanno’s fate in his lap halfway through, which he’s either forgotten about over two decades or never knew until the audience did.

Connie Nielsen, one of the few returning actors from the original film, is awful in this. Her acting in Gladiator II always comes off as forced as her crying scenes are often portrayed as constipated grunts with crocodile tears. Her dialogue delivery is also strained and broken despite being given some of the most important sequences of character connections and reawakenings of sorts in the sequel.

Calling Gladiator II action-heavy is misleading because the film drags between every fight sequence. The film is largely dull and difficult to indulge during its quieter moments. The film is gorgeous with its incredible set pieces, intricate costume design, and impressive use of infinitely numerous extras. Director Ridley Scott reunites with all of the set decorators (Sonja Klaus, Crispian Sallis, and Emilio Ardura) and costume designer (Janty Yates) that he worked with on Gladiator in 2000. From a visual standpoint, Ridley Scott’s films are highly detailed masterpieces.

Denzel Washington’s extravagant performance makes Gladiator II worthwhile. Still, not even its excessively violent action sequences, beautiful cinematography, and masterful set and costume design can save the sequel from how boring it is. Ridley Scott waited over twenty years to make a sequel that is more than twice as expensive as the original only to rehash the same story points.

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