“Gladiator II” (2024) – The night before attending a screening of director Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II”, I rewatched Scott’s “Gladiator” (2000) for the first time since experiencing the movie in theatres 24 years ago. I remember thoroughly enjoying the pageantry of “Gladiator” back in 2000, but it wasn’t my favorite film that year. My personal best-picture award went to Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000). Still, after experiencing “Gladiator” again in 2024, with the opening battle scene, the political intrigue, Joaquin Phoenix’s dastardly supporting performance as Commodus, and a…
‘Gladiator II’ fights but fails to capture the magic of the first film
