Tony’s review published on Letterboxd:
My beginning of 2025 is GLICKED
The movie is quite divisive, but personally, I loved it. I find the combat scenes far superior to those in the first Gladiator. For me, that's one of the major flaws of the original, they have too many cuts. Ridley Scott does a much better job filming them in this one. It's more violent and bloodier. The CGI was good too, except for a few rare moments like the monkeys scene or even the sharks, which looked pretty fake.
Paul Mescal is fantastic; he’s truly a great casting choice. He shows that he can also carry a big project on his shoulders. Denzel Washington is brilliant. My favorite performances are from Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger, who play the two emperor brothers, Geta and Caracalla. These are two very over-the-top performances, but they suit their characters perfectly. I'm just really disappointed they cut all of May Calamawy's scenes, especially since she was supposed to have the lead female role. I need a extended cut.
In the end, with Gladiator 2, I felt more of a sense of grandeur and epicness, while the first one was more emotional.
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