Legendary director Ridley Scott has made a bold claim about his upcoming film, Gladiator II. In an interview with Empire magazine, Scott declared that the sequel is “the best thing I’ve ever made.” This statement is significant, considering his impressive filmography, which includes critically acclaimed films like Alien, Blade Runner, and the original Gladiator.
While Scott did pull back a bit on his claim to Empire, clarifying Gladiator II was “one of the best things. I’ve made a few good ’uns,” it’s hard to deny that his original statement came from confidence in his movie. It’s one of those claims the audience will scrutinize if it doesn’t meet expectations. However, Scott has plenty of great films he recently released that show he’s still got his magic, like Napoleon, which earned $220 million at the box office.
While it will help to have seen the original Gladiator, this new movie takes place decades after the first. The original protagonist, Maximus Decimus Meridius, died in the first movie, so this new story follows his son, Lucius. Lucius becomes a gladiator to seek revenge for his father’s death, setting up action-packed arena battles. Scott emphasized that this movie has “full-bore, brutal action” and touted the physicality of the actors’ performances, particularly from lead actor Paul Mescal.
We don’t doubt plenty of people will scoff at the idea of this movie being better than other favorites of the director, but it’s good to see that it should be worth watching. It’s important to consider that Scott has directed plenty of acclaimed films throughout his career and has more than earned his reputation. So, his enthusiasm for this particular project should be seen as an indication that this movie is a worthy addition to his filmography.
Fans of the original Gladiator and Ridley Scott’s work should be pleased to hear that Gladiator II lives up to the director’s vision.
Published: Aug 22, 2024 04:42 pm