[Movie] Gladiator II

[Jaymann]

I saw this yesterday on the big screen. I watched a mixed review, but it's gladiators by Riddley Freakin' Scott, so how bad could it be? Final verdict is it wasn't bad per se, but disappointment is the word I come away with. It had all the ingredients, but somehow it just fell flat. Here is a typical example:

Spoiler:

There was a big build up to have Lucius face off against 20-30 soldiers, but before he could, his gladiator buddies burst onto the scene and wasted them. Couldn't they at least have had Lucius hold them off solo for a minute or two?

And the final boss was???

Spoiler:

Denzel? I don't think he earned it, and he was not threatening at all. And why would the two armies listen to either of these jokers?

A bunch of missed opportunities.

[MCQueen2]

Yeah, I get what you mean. It had potential but just didn’t deliver on some of the big moments. Lucius should’ve had his moment, and Denzel just didn’t feel right as the final boss. Felt like a missed opportunity.

[hepcat]

I haven't seen it yet, but does it really include a scene of someone reading a newspaper...1200 years before the invention of the printing press?

[Jaymann]

What about the newspaper?

In regards to the newspaper blunder, Dr. Shadi Bartsch says the Romans did have daily news but that it wasn’t in the form of a newspaper and they didn’t even have cafes. Romans had to go somewhere to read the news apparently written on giant stone tablets.

“They did have daily news — Acta Diuma — but it was carved and placed at certain locations,” said Bartsch. “You had to go to it, you couldn’t hold it at a cafe. Also, they didn’t have cafes!”

[Roman]

Watched it over the weekend too.
I think that catching lightning in a bottle is very hard.
Was cool to see the North African gladiator stadium from the 1st movie.

Was more violent than I thought it'd be. I like the idea of the story but I think it failed to REALLY deliver.

Spoiler:

I agree that Denzel trying to rally the 2 armies at the end was odd

All in all I am glad I watched it but won't watch it again - unlike the 1st one which I watched more than once.

[hepcat]

What about the newspaper?

In regards to the newspaper blunder, Dr. Shadi Bartsch says the Romans did have daily news but that it wasn’t in the form of a newspaper and they didn’t even have cafes. Romans had to go somewhere to read the news apparently written on giant stone tablets.

“They did have daily news — Acta Diuma — but it was carved and placed at certain locations,” said Bartsch. “You had to go to it, you couldn’t hold it at a cafe. Also, they didn’t have cafes!”

The Dan Harmon animated show Krapopolis set way before the heyday of Rome uses vases as their form of newspaper.