srdikano

Is it a classic? Well, no. But it's a solid slow burner thriller that is well-acted, decently paced with a few gripping moments, OK writing (which as of 2025 is the kind of praise that Hollywood can only dream of) and a satisfying conclusion. I enjoyed these 90 minutes.

320 characters to go. Great. OK, I'll take the time to celebrate indie filmmaking. I wish we had more low budget films like Monolith. You could make 200 of these for the price of the umpteenth, generic, superhero, copycat snoozefest. There's still creativity, innovation and artistry in film; we just need to dare to give these smaller movies a shot.

While not bad, this film shouldn't have been shot. The first Gladiator leaves gigantic shoes to fill and this sequel doesn't get anywhere near close to the original.

The problems are many: the story is trite and exceptionally tropey; the main character lacks gravitas and the negative contrast with Russel Crowe's Maximus Aurelius is stark; multiple characters are positively absurd and hard to relate to; the combat, while not bad, lacks the emotional resonance that only well-developed characters can bring to bear; and the throwbacks and references to the original are cheap and severely overdone.

This shouldn't be a surprise though. With the notable exception of The Martian, Ridley Scott hasn't put out a particularly good film since the release of the original Gladiator, which is a quarter of a century ago.

Gladiator II is an ultimately mediocre and uninspired film that, by now, delivers as much as one could expect from Ridley Scott.

Quintessential courtroom thriller with an interesting plot, solid pacing, a nice twist, and an excellent cast to boot. These are undoubtedly the ingredients of a great film. And yet...

The main problem with Juror #2 is the writing. The characters are incredibly tropey, their behaviors and motivations positively asinine, their lines hackneyed and artificial, and the drama forced and unnatural. A solid thriller is not far, but the narrative execution just falls short.

This isn't a bad film and it's an okay way to kill some 90 minutes. It just sadly doesn't reach the heights that it could and should have.