Gaylene Menjivar
Russell Crowe launched an astonishing attack on the 2024 Gladiator sequel this week, 25 years after winning an Oscar for his role in the first film.
The 61-year-old actor, who played the titular character Maximus Decimus Meridius in the original Ridley Scott epic, claimed Gladiator Il -which starred Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal – lacked a ‘moral core.’
Crowe told Australia radio station Triple J: ‘The recent sequel that we don’t have to name out loud is a really good example of… even the people in that engine room not actually understanding what made that first one special.’
‘It wasn’t the pomp. It wasn’t the circumstance. It wasn’t the action. It was the moral core.’
He added: ‘And the thing is, there was a daily fight on that set. It was a daily fight to keep that moral core of the character.
‘The amount of times that they suggested sex scenes and stuff like that for Maximus – it’s like, you’re taking away his power.’
There was a strong implication in Gladiator II that Maximus fathered a child outside of his marriage, Mescal’s character Lucius – something which Crowe lambasted as being inauthentic to his devoted character.
He reasoned about the beloved character Maximus, ‘So, you’re saying, at the same time he had this relationship with his wife, he was f**king this other girl? What are you talking about? It’s crazy.’
Crowe also pointed out that fans have agreed with his staunch stance.
‘The women in Europe, when that movie started coming out, I would be at a restaurant, and they’d come talk to me [and complain]. It’s like, “Hey, it wasn’t me! I didn’t do it,”‘ he laughed.
Triple J posted a snippet of the Hollywood star’s hot take on Instagram on Monday, adding the caption, ‘@russellcrowe was not entertained.’
Fans took to the comments to agree, with one person writing, ‘It was an awful sequel that in no way lived up to its predecessor.’
Someone else said the feature film ‘was a terrible let down.’
Another joked, ‘The first is memorable that even with Denzel on the 2nd, I already forgot about it.’
‘Some things just don’t need a sequel,’ wrote one moviegoer, racking up 840 likes.
Gladiator II followed the vengeful Lucius (Mescal) who must fight for his liberty after being taken into slavery and ripped away from his wife and daughter by general Marcus (Pascal).
Early reviews of the drama applauded the Normal People actor for his ‘shining’ performance, as critics said he was ‘a great action star without sacrificing his indie grit.’
Meanwhile, Washington, who played arms dealer and potential villain Macrinus, was hailed a ‘scene stealer’ for his impressive portrayal.
Ridley Scott directed both Gladiator and Gladiator II.
Despite lackluster reviews from fans, last year film and TV journalist Scott Menzel wrote: ‘Gladiator II is Ridley Scott’s best film since The Martian. A big, bloody and bad ass action spectacle that builds upon the legacy of the original.
‘The film showcases beautiful set pieces and a lot of epic battles. Paul Mescal shines. Denzel Washington chews up the scenery quite a bit here and looks like he is having the time of his life here.’
He added: ‘It should also be noted that Joseph Quinn continues to impress here. Quinn takes command of the screen in every scene in which he appears. I do wish there was more of him as well as Pedro Pascal who is also great but only has like 15-20 minutes of screen time.’
The original Gladiator earned close to half a billion dollars at the box office and won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
In June 2024, Crowe admitted he felt ‘uncomfortable’ about the new film, which he said he had ‘no say in’.
He made the comments during an interview on the Kyle Meredith with …podcast.
‘I’m slightly uncomfortable with the fact they’re making another one — because, of course, I’m ‘dead’ and I have no say in what gets done,’ Crowe joked during the interview.
‘But a couple of the things I’ve heard I’m like, ”No, no, no, that’s not in the moral journey of that particular character”’, the Beautiful Mind actor said.
‘But I can’t say anything, it’s not my place, I’m ‘six foot under’. So we’ll see what that is like.’
Source: Dailymail.co.uk | Read the Full Story…
