Re: Gladiator II (2024, D: Scott) S: Mescal, Washington, Pascal
 

Yeah, but to me his whole thing was to be reunited with his wife and son in the afterlife. I thought when he utters his words that "Lucious is safe", he meant safe from Commodus since he is also an heir, otherwise Maximus would have probably thought it out much better than just to get revenge on him. :shrug:

Either way, I didn't think G2 was compelling enough. Poor Pedro in a glorified cameo. And Denzel still 3rd in line behind a monkey. :lol: I don't see how his performance not getting nominated is a snub. Makes sense that Lucious is not as battle hardened or experienced as Maximus, but he prevails out of intelligence and sheer will.

Re: Gladiator II (2024, D: Scott) S: Mescal, Washington, Pascal
 

not once did I get the sense that Lucious was his son in the first movie.

Re: Gladiator II (2024, D: Scott) S: Mescal, Washington, Pascal
 

If Luscious is his son, does that mean his daughter is . . .

Re: Gladiator II (2024, D: Scott) S: Mescal, Washington, Pascal
 

I realized I never posted my "in the moment thoughts" that I recorded since I was one of only three people in the theater when I saw this . . .

From the cartoon reminiscence of a 20 year old classic to the cliche title cards, we are quickly told this is another Ridley Scott vanity project.

The lead actor, Dime Store Hercules, has all the gravitas of a man losing his fantasy football league. I shall call him Aaronus Rodgerus.

The first gladiatorial fight in the movie is against a . . . chupacabra? The CG wasn't ready for rhinos in 2000, and it isn't ready for this now.

40 minutes in and there is no story to tell. I don't care about the characters in Gladiator Training Day. I don't know anybody's name.

Rhino battle . . . the rhino just quit? Violence and blood for the sake of violence and blood, it has no message beyond more Ridley Scott masturbation.

The big "sea battle" must have been inspired by his grandchildren splashing around in the pool. This is just as well conceived as that. The shark shit is shark shit. How did we not get anybody fighting on the island?

This would have been more intriguing if he had thought he was Lucilla's son but the big reveal was that he was not. More "gotta' be a Skywalker bullshit."

He is a leader . . . why? We don't see him earn any of the attachment we are supposed to have or the respect he is supposed to carry. His name is Hallo. This whole movie is extremely Hollow.

Re: Gladiator II (2024, D: Scott) S: Mescal, Washington, Pascal
 

Also, when Maximus had his conversation with Lucius, he had no idea who the kid was until after the conversation was over.

Lucius being Maximus' son is indeed a retcon.

Re: Gladiator II (2024, D: Scott) S: Mescal, Washington, Pascal
 

Sorry, but that explaination is just not an argument. Of course he does not know him. He hasn't seen him before. He didn't even know Lucilla had a son, until she told him in the beginning of the movie. Nobody says the first movie does explicitly say they are father and son, but the movie opens the door for the possibilty so much so, that people thought they were father and son, before the 2nd movie was ever talked about.
It's a matter of Interpretation and not a matter of fact.

Re: Gladiator II (2024, D: Scott) S: Mescal, Washington, Pascal
 

My point is that Maximum never reacts as if the kid is his. Instead his reaction is more of a "oh shit, this is Comodus' nephew!" I bring it up because in this thread that interaction was wrongly being used to state that Maximus was nice to Lucius because he knew who he was and acknowledged him as his son. Neither was the case.

Earlier in the movie, when Maximus inquires about Lucius, it's done in a manner to cut off Lucilla's flirtatious behaviour. It was a way to remind her that she got married (and so did he) and whatever romance they once shared was a thing of the past. Just look at their body language and listen to Maximus' tone during that exchange. It was "let it go" rather than "wink wink".

Nowhere in the movie is the kid ever hinted at being Maximus' son. People just assume it to be so because Maximus and Lucilla had a brief romance, that seems to have occurred in their youth, prior to either being married.

Re: Gladiator II (2024, D: Scott) S: Mescal, Washington, Pascal
 

Like I said it's a case of interpretation and the movie leaves the door open to that interpretation. I'm not saying that was the intention, but you're insisting it wasn't and that's what's bothering me. There are ways to make sure everybody knows who Lucius father is, Gladiator didn't, perhaps they didn't think it's necessary. perhaps they wanted to leave the door open or they just didn't think about it.

Maximus being nice to Lucius of course doesn't mean he knows that he is his father. That's just Maximus being nice to a random kid. But later his dying words are: "Lucius is safe!?" that could be interpreted as him knowing and that was my interpretation for the last 24 years.

Re: Gladiator II (2024, D: Scott) S: Mescal, Washington, Pascal
 

The archers’ aim were hilariously accurate in a couple scenes —

(spoilerized as it only recently hit paramount+ and people may not have gotten around to it yet)

Re: Gladiator II (2024, D: Scott) S: Mescal, Washington, Pascal
 

Watch the ending again. Maximus' words are a statement, not a question. He doesn't ask "Lucius is safe?" He declares " Lucius is safe." It's in response to Lucilla stating earlier in the movie that she sided with Comodus in the face of her father's murder due to fear for her son's life.

Re: Gladiator II (2024, D: Scott) S: Mescal, Washington, Pascal
 

Somehow I glossed over this specific sentence in your post. As an olive branch, I offer this video I just watched, which you will see is apropos to the discussion at hand. :)

Re: Gladiator II (2024, D: Scott) S: Mescal, Washington, Pascal
 

I accept :lol:

Re: Gladiator II (2024, D: Scott) S: Mescal, Washington, Pascal
 

I finally saw this.

I've now finally seen all of the movies nominated for the 21 categories of the 2025 Academy Awards.

That is all I have to say about this movie.

;)

Eh, okay, a bit more.

It was fine. The kids love the first one. I don't see a need to show them this unless they truly want to see it. And that's that.