privateman-26336

I came into this series expecting the obvious. Next door neighbor couples involved in something that goes sideways. The first few episodes didn't let down in that regard. Everything was on schedule with the obvious scenario playing out. At about the midpoint though the characters and the story flipped into something entirely different and for the better (of the story).

There are also a few major side plots that keep things moving also. They all add to what I consider some very nuanced writing. I'm with most though who say that the writers couldn't stick the landing with the ending of the series. Its still definitely worth a watch regardlesss.

At first you can look at the bad decisions by the protaganists and say they are ignorant. When you step back and look at what kicked off the events its hard to determine what exactly one should do because of the unwanted series of events that lead to the events that followed.

The film itself is superbly done. The plot, cinematography, on location filming, musical scoring, acting and direction are superb. There is a brisk pace that rarely slows down for too long. The writing itself is very lean but has enough meat to keep you guessing even to the very end. Its a must watch and has potential to become a cult classic.

Let me start by saying you CAN make a sequel to a film thats as good or better than the film its based on. You CAN remake a film that is just as good or better than the film its based on. The herd mentality of "should have not made a sequel" is lazy herd thinking.

That out of the way, Ridley Scott and whoever wrote this threw together a lazy rehash of the first Gladiator film. What it the studio instructing them to take the money grab or was it just lazy and unimaginative writing? Doesn't matter, this was bad, except Denzel Washington. As bad as the writing was in this "film", Denzel continues to outshine bad projects.

The writers also did something else; they showed the true nationality of the real Macrinus who was a Moor from Mauretania. A lot of folks in reviews were taken back by the large presence of Denzel in that role but it was spot on historical fact (Cassius Dio Roman historian). Other than that, the writing was lazy garbage. There was no character development, bad casting of the lead, poor choice of CGI in key sequences and again, garbage writing. Everything was a pretentious rehash of the original with only Denzel's character breaking up the flow of that obvious fact.

Watch it to say you did. There is no other reason to.