Gladiator 2 Trailer Review: Should you watch it?
Have you seen the trailer for Gladiator 2? For starters, nothing will be able to beat the first Gladiator with Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix — it’s definitely a masterpiece and my all-time favorite movie. I’ve watched it more than 7 times and still watch it again. It’s a big risk to attempt Gladiator 2, but since we’re in desperate need of movies like this, I would have to say yes to Gladiator 2, rather than nothing.
Gladiator 2 includes Pedro Pascal, Paul Mescal, Joseph Quinn — who became famous for his role in Stranger Things — and Denzel Washington. What I like about the trailer is that there’s an opening scene or tribute to the first Gladiator, with a backstory depicting Russell Crowe. They’ve strived to make it look like Gladiator 1, with similar color grading and the same thematic elements — it’s about another gladiator inspired to defy an empire. The plot still revolves around revenge, and they’ve emphasized the fight scenes and accurate costumes.
It seems like the only thing people might not like about Gladiator 2 is the soundtrack choice, but I’m still hopeful. I would love to see it in the cinema. One of the reasons is because Ridley Scott is still part of it, and he was a huge part of the Gladiator franchise. The trailer for Gladiator 2 didn’t reveal much about the story, which is great — it keeps it mysterious and makes you want to watch more.
It will also be interesting to see if Joaquin Phoenix’s annoying emperor role gets justice. It’s nerve-wracking for me. Honestly, I don’t have high expectations for it, but I’ll still watch it because Hollywood has made an effort to create something of high value — production value is at $250 million. The costumes, sets, and any story depicting ancient Rome, gladiators, imperial powers, and dealing with the masses will always be interesting and welcome, especially since there’s a drought of really good films in Hollywood right now that I’m looking forward to being entertained by.
They stuck to the old-fashioned way Gladiator was done, but I do agree that they should have used Hans Zimmer’s score or the original theme because it had such a huge impact on Gladiator 1.