In 2000, Russel Crowe asked the audience ‘are you not entertained?’ And people were.

Gladiator – the Oscar-winning blockbuster – was a Ridley Scott classic. An epic for the ages. And 24 years later, Ridley Scott returns to the Roman empire to continue the story.

But did this highly-anticipated sequel rise up to the challenge?

Set 15 years after the events of the first film, we now get to follow the story of Lucius (Paul Mescal).

While presented as a sequel, the film is more of a remake. Despite carrying on the story, Lucius suffers an extremely similar fate to his predecessor Maximus.

The film starts by rehashing some key plot points.

We open on an epic battle – as the Roman empire invades Numidia, the home to our new hero.

Lucius witnesses the death of his wife at the hands of the Roman General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) and is then promptly kidnapped and sold into slavery. Sounds a little familiar, right?

He now must make his way up the ranks as a Gladiator if he wishes to get revenge on the man that killed his wife. All the while, the Roman empire is suffering at the hands of a tyrannical duo.

For fans of the first Gladiator, Lucius is a familiar name. He’s just a boy in the first film, the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielson). But he has long forgotten who he was – after being sent away for his own safety as a child.

So as Lucius returns to Rome, he must also return to his former life, uncovering secrets of who he truly is. One secret being who his real father is. This decision from the writers might’ve added more character development to Lucius, but it undermined the principles that drove our our hero in the first film.

Despite the plot similarities, Paul Mescal’s gladiator is more hollow. Without the big shoes Crowe left, it would’ve been a great performance. But sadly, Lucius feels overshadowed in his own film. But I will say, he looks spectacular in that skirt.

As for the villains of this film, there are many. Macrinus (Denzel Washington) commands the film as gladiator manager and master manipulator. The co-emperors (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger) are painfully deranged, eerily reminiscent of Michael Haneke’s villianous duo from Funny Games.

The film itself is beautiful. It isn’t afraid to flaunt its budget and the anachronisms are easily forgivable. It’s a sequel that has largely been ‘Hollywood-ified’. It strips back the emotion to give way to the spectacle.

But this is what makes it fun.

The battles are truly grand, with expert choreography and a crazy amount of CGI animals.

A two-horned rhino? Check.

Scary as hell monkeys? Check.

SHARKS? Check.

I was completely enthralled by this film, grinning and gasping at the action. It breaks away from the sombre tone of the first film to give us something gloriously gory and a bit camp.

As a sequel, this film falls flat, devoid of real emotion and meaning. But on its own? It’s an epic action Hollywood flick that will in fact keep you entertained.

The post Gladiator II (Paramount Pictures – 2024) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The trailer for a truly terrifying cinematic experience from producer Ridley Scott and director / writer Fede Alvarez, 20th Century Studios’ Alien: Romulus, is now.

The sci-fi / horror-thriller takes the phenomenally successful ‘Alien’ franchise back to its roots.

While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe. The film stars Cailee Spaeny (“Priscilla”), David Jonsson (“Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy”), Archie Renaux (“Shadow and Bone”), Isabela Merced (“The Last of Us”), Spike Fearn (“Aftersun”), Aileen Wu. Fede Alvarez (“Evil Dead,” “Don’t Breathe”) directs from a screenplay he wrote with frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues (“Don’t Breathe 2”) based on characters created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett. “Alien: Romulus” is produced by Ridley Scott (“Napoleon”), who directed the original “Alien” and produced and directed the series’ entries “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant,” Michael Pruss (“Boston Strangler”), and Walter Hill (“Alien”), with Fede Alvarez, Elizabeth Cantillon (“Charlie’s Angels”), Brent O’Connor (“Bullet Train”), and Tom Moran (“Unstoppable”) serving as executive producers.

Alien: Romulus will be in cinemas from 15th August, 2024.

The post ‘ALIEN: ROMULUS’ TRAILER RELEASED appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The French revolution is underway.

The year is 1798, Queen Marie Antionette faces the guillotine, which is witnessed by a young army officer called Napoleon Bonaparte.

When you see Ridley Scott’s name attached to a film, you know it’s going to be one not to miss.

Napoleon is a biographical drama focused on the man himself. His loves, his conquers and his difficulties.

The film focuses on the human side of Napoleon, somewhat based on his diary entries and accounts from those that were around at that time of history.

As Napoleon rises from the Revolution and sets forth to conquer lands and liberate France he is met with troubles both within his personal life, on the battle field and politically.

Truces are made, alliances won, then betrayed. Victory and defeat which eventually leads to Napoleon being exiled. Twice.

Joaquin Phoenix is flawless in his acting and assuming the role of the French warlord.

A man with a colourful and diverse history, and one blood soaked stamp on humanities timeline makes for one epic sized film.

You must watch Napoleon.

The post Napoleon (Columbia Pictures – 2023) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

If you had all the money in the world, would you use it to save a life?

Based on a true story and directed by Ridley Scott, All the Money in the World is a depiction of the events after John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) is abducted from the streets of Rome by a crime syndicate, targeting the young man’s Billionaire Grandfather; John Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer) of Oil and Industrial wealth, in 1973.

It also portrays a mother’s strength and determination to face of against adversity with little to no support.

Michelle Williams gives an outstanding performance of Gail Harris, a woman who married one of John Paul Getty’s estranged sons, married in to a world that she had no idea of.

When her husband decides to contact and meet his father, there is a job offer, so the family pack up and move to Europe for what they hoped would be a better life.

But as Gail soon finds out, after a divorce, there is no support, morally or financially from the Getty wealth.

With the kidnappers of her son demanding 17 Million dollars as a ransom, all eyes turn on the boys super wealthy grandfather to put up the funds. But John Paul Getty wont pay a dime, for fear that if he pays one ransom for one kidnapped grandchild, he could be forced to pay 14 other ransoms for his other 14 grandchildren.

However, he enlists a former CIA / Spy operative – now personal security specialist Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg) to investigate the kidnapping privately for his favourite grandson. The Rome police do all they can, but do not have alot to go on and limited resources.

Gail, herself does not have the money and although attempts it, is unable to raise enough to free her son.

What plays out is an exhilarating and extraordinary story that at times is reminiscent to the plot of a fictional action drama film – but these events really did occur.

Christopher Plummer was a late addition to the cast, originally Kevin Spacey was cast in the role and all scenes were filmed. Due to controversy in the media, Spacey was replaced by Plummer (who had been the first choice for the role) and all scenes re-shot in one month before cinema release.

Depicting a hard unrelenting, yet sad and lonely old man with endless wealth is not the easiest character to portray – Christopher Plummer, who knew little about the character at the time of filming, gives a more than convincing depiction.

For those that were around in the early ’70s and are familiar with the real events, All the Money in the World is a definite watch, more so if you are in to your biographical event films or simply bloody good cinema.

All the Money in the World is a film worth seeing twice.

The post All the Money in the World (Roadshow Films – 2017) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Get ready to run. Ridley Scott, Director, creator of the Alien set of films that have defined generations of Scifi buffs and created a cinematic character legend returns to the series with Alien: Covenant.

The sequel to Prometheus (2012) and the second installment within the Alien timeline. The prologue starts out with Alien fans being introduced to a newly activated synthetic called David conversing with his creator Weyland, musing over the creation of mankind.

It’s not too long before we move on from that and into the action as the crew of a colony ship, which is bound for planet Origae-6 with around two thousand colonists on board, overseen by another synthetic that resembles David; Walter, find themselves making an unscheduled pit stop.

While en route, their ship, the Covenant, is hit by a fatally damaging neutrino burst. While Walter determines the damage to the ship’s computer, called Mother, there is a human radio transmission detected from an unknown nearby planet.

Here lies the premise of the film as the crew descend to the alien territory, finding that it has been somewhat colonised already by humans and cultivated, yet there is not one person insight.

The planet, infact appears to be isolated with no life… but not all is what it seems.

As things go a bit awry on this mystery planet, the crew retreat back to the covenant, unknowingly with a Neomorph in tow.

Alien: Covenant is the sequel that fans of the franchise have been waiting for. And for those that are heavily invested in the series and know their Alien films, they will notice (as I did) similarities to the original Alien (1979) movie.

Filmed in New Zealand, taking in the breathtaking scenery, Alien Covenant is a dark and moody film with its signature Scifi premise.

Covenant does reference back to the 2012’s Prometheus, so for those that have not seen that film, or any Alien film before, may not get the full gist of the entire story – but in saying that Covenant is an easy stand alone that newcomers will not get lost within and can enjoy it for what it is.

Alien: Covenant is gritty, graphic and raw, something that the first Alien film was for it’s time and will have you on the edge of your seat. One of the best and must see films in the saga.

The post Alien: Covenant (20th Century Fox – 2017) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.