lourenzoooo’s review published on Letterboxd:
the gates of hell are open night and day; smooth the descent, and easy is the way. but to come back from hell and view the cheerful skies, in this the task and mighty labor lies.
two words: fuck yea. it’s always a difficult task for a sequel to top its predecessor, some succeed, a lot pale in comparison. this one doesn’t quite reach the heights of its monumental original, but it is certainly no slouch. a thoroughly entertaining legacy sequel that pays great homage to the before while marking its own territory in the now.
like denzel washington said, paul mescal delivers. maybe i’m just such a big mescal fan that i’m blind to the critiques, but i thought he was the commanding force the film needed. he’s no russell crowe, but who really is? mescal executed everything ridley scott required him to and then some. just proud to see my favorite actor shine on the big screen.
and speaking of mr washington, charisma just oozes out of that man. what a legend, will forever go down as one of the greatest. i wish there was more of pedro pascal, i enjoyed what he gave, but there was not enough of it. same for the emperors, liked the performances, just wished there was more for them to
play with.
the action is daring and absolutely awesome. a naval battle in the colosseum with sharks in the water? how more awesome can you get? also loved the cinematography and score in this one, the technical aspects did not disappoint.
my big gripe would just be the pacing of it all. everything in between the audacious action set pieces did feel slow, yet i was still hooked. i also felt that all of the major deaths were rushed and didn’t have that proper oomf or finality these characters needed.
still had a fuckin blast with this, one of my favorite theater experiences of the year. again, just so in love with paul mescal and despite the criticism, i do hope he gets that oscar nom. definitely won’t win, but i’d love to see my boy get recognized again. he’s one of them ones, trust me.
acting - 9/10
story - 8/10
theme - 8/10
characters - 8/10
screenplay - 8/10
direction - 9/10
pacing - 8/10
cinematography - 9/10
score - 9/10
enjoyment - 9/10
OVERALL: 85/100
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