Monomath

"Gladiator 2" is an abysmal failure that utterly disgraces the legacy of the original film. Ridley Scott, despite his pedigree, delivers a lifeless, soulless spectacle that feels more like a cynical cash grab than a passionate continuation. The story is a mess, hinging on contrived connections to Maximus that undermine his original arc. Paul Mescal as Lucius is a dull, brooding lead, devoid of the magnetic presence or emotional depth needed to carry the film. The supporting cast, including Denzel Washington, is wasted on bland dialogue and shallow character development. The epic feel of the original is replaced by over-polished, hollow visuals that lack weight or authenticity.

Instead of evoking the raw emotional power of the first movie, the sequel stumbles through clichés and uninspired action sequences, offering nothing new or compelling. It fails to honor the rich themes of redemption and legacy, instead regurgitating a watered-down, less ambitious version of the original plot. Even the score feels uninspired, a weak echo of Hans Zimmer's iconic original work. "Gladiator 2" doesn't just fail to live up to its predecessor-it actively tarnishes it, leaving fans of the original angry, disappointed, and questioning why this sequel was ever made.

The movie was fine until the fiery ending. It's about a few Americans going to visit Sweden and in particular a cult. Obviously things will go badly. It's just 90 percent of the movie is fairly normal but odd and then we get an insane blaze of the opposite of glory and we end we a smile that tells us hate men. Is this movie a 6 like I rated. Yes. But some 6s are worth watching and other 6s are not. I'm trying very hard to help you. My headline was supposed to get the job done. But I need to write a certain number of words for that headline to be seen. The American men in this movie did absolutely nothing bad.

Watch the first episode for yourself. At first glance an overall rating of 5.3 at the time of this writing would suggest one of the worst shows of all time. Click on the rating number and you see a huge number of 1s. How can this be? Simple. Certain people don't want you to watch. And then you will miss something worth watching.

I've only watched the first episode but I plan on watching the rest of the season. If you like shows that involve the political process then you should find this interesting. But if you are triggered by seeing one sort of character or issue you don't agree with then maybe you only watch one episode.

However you feel, it would be nice to give an honest rating. Almost nothing ever produced has deserved a 1 (or a 10). The people who hand out 1s likely do so often and somehow thinking their opinion reigns supreme.