Gladiator 2

Sir Ridley Scott is 86, and every couple of years he comes out with a big movie, and that’s nothing to sneeze at. There’s an epic eye-candy aspect to this, but emotionally it’s sub-par. It’s fun to see guys getting beheaded, etc. But the important moments lack “punch” and that might be the fault of the script. It’s one thing to watch a villain get killed. But it’s another, better level to watch the hero kill the villain. Unfortunately, the script doesn’t allow for that. It doesn’t seem like there were any personal stakes considered by the filmmakers. It’s a sequel to a very popular best picture winner. The job is to not fuck it up. And they don’t. It's fun in a "Gladiator-riding-a-rhinoceros" way. And it'll make money. So, there’s plenty of swords and plenty of sandals, but it won’t resonate in any kind of emotional way.