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Film reviews

Gladiator II

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This is a sequel that still leaves moments to conquer. Through the eyes of director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II carries the weight of the Colosseum at its peak but finds itself ready to topple over. It is a continuation of events from the first film in the franchise. It has a settled approach that keeps a historic vibe of emperors and kingdoms at large. The conflict, however, is that it’s mostly about the warfare and violence than the plot. With an all-star cast, the heightened games go full throttle in Gladiator II.

The new opponent who steps foot in the Colosseum is Lucius (played by Paul Mescal). He comes from Rome and is makinghis footsteps towards redemption. Lucille (played by Connie Nielsen) is back after the devastating events of Maximus (played by Russell Crowe) in the first film. Lucius may be the one who stands under what Maximus has achieved before. Is Lucius destined for the games? In an era where tyranny is in the depths of Rome, the battles in Gladiator II have an eerie awakening. As expected, Scott knows how to label characters and establish their authority.

The Master of the Gladiators is Macrinus (played by Denzel Washington). Washington’s performance as one ruthless emperor with a pontificating nature aids the film’s consistencyin keeping the battles coming. The king out for positive glory on behalf of the greater people is Marcus Acacius (played by Pedro Pascal). Between these two hierarchies, the battles are what makes sense in finding who stands tallest in Gladiator II. With all the civilization and prophecy themes, Gladiator II cares more about the suspense in the Colosseum than finding a sophisticated the plot.  Therefore, the historical aspect in this film is lacking.

With Mescal playing the hero out for glory, he is a positive addition to this sequel. His character has a heartfelt and consistent attitude as well as kind-hearted spirit dedicated to a better purpose. Even though the context lacks during most of the movie, he still manages to provide some enjoyable parts. WithWashington promoting the ruthless matches, the characterizations of heroism for both the good and the bad tumble ferociously in Gladiator II.

Most of the characters outside of Mescal and Washington do not fit in this film. The two emperors who play brothers, Emperor Greta (played by Joseph Quinn) and Emperor Caracalla (played by Fred Hechinger), cause the film to suffer. They are the most overrated emperors in a film by Scott. Their characters kill the film’s chances of being taken seriously. Gladiator II seems to care more about creating Hollywood buzz than creating a historic vibe. This is disappointing for a film by Scott, especially a sequel. He does well in the beginning, but then the pattern shifts and the writing before and after the matches hits frequent roadblocks. The battles are the best part of the movie, but not enough to make up for the other parts. Two out of four stars for Gladiator II.

Film reviews

Emelia Perez Review

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What genre speaks to audiences the most? Is it crime, comedy,musical, or a thriller? Emelia Perez is a quadruplet of each! Directed by Jacques Audiard, it is a film of a blend that I found to be instrumental. There is characterization of perfection and detail with the main characters. There is also a clarification of the film’s central plot. Emelia Perez deserves attention on the big screen over its streaming platform Netflix. The odyssey of depth is not the same without seeing it on the big screen.

As I have mentioned, it is one for cinemas, that is because its setup is theatrically inviting. The setting of Emelia Perez is Mexico. Its character of importance is a lawyer named Rita Moro Castro (played by Zoe Saldana). She is an over achievingattorney who is under employed in her career. She spends herdays working at a large firm, when she could have her own. This is where the film goes into a musical track of her elaborating on the curiosities to why she is working for nothing.

The film continues on the track of playing the musical card. The serious depths of the plot are continuously tackled by theatricsand moments for songs to begin. The flow of the film gets more serious when Rita receives a job offer. A cartel boss offers to help Rita get rich if she helps him get a sex change. The crime lord is Manitas Del Monte/Emilia Pérez-both played by Karla Sofia Gascon. Rita accepts this mission, and she goes on an adventure visiting doctors who perform this type of operation—a platform for the musical theatrics to combine the crime and comedy sides. Emilia Perez’s brilliance lies in unforeseen switching of gears.

The film though, finds its moments where legalities and family ties hit a plateau. Manitas Del Monte/Emilia Perez has a partner named Jessi—she is played by Selena Gomez. Emilia Perez has a clever eye for those who are trying to put a bad past behind them. Finding the truth is a mind-boggling puzzle, as themusical tracks and authentic continuity get drastic on a cinematic and surreal note of melancholy. It achieves this with championships of its combined genres.

The life of Rita and Manitas Del Monte/Emilia Perez is a journey of deceit meeting its maker in the setting of a culture that is vibrant, colorful, and extraordinary. A film where the viewer is moved by many of its fragments finding its paths via its theatrical and musical notions. The changes of gender open tochanges of many spiraling yet inviting factors. Emilia Perez is all about being blindsided. Blindsided by the notion that a new life could come easy. Emilia Perez fuels misdirection to the level of curiosity—there is always the thought of an artistic note along the way in the film’s journey toward a new life. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for Emilia Perez.

Film reviews

Wicked Review

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The film’s introduction is enchanting and succeeds in preparing viewers for a musical adventure making its way to The Emerald City. By utilizing an opening logo like The Wizard of Oz and then topping it off with flying monkeys, Wicked gets off to a positive start. However, the foundation is not strong enough to sustain the entire film. Wicked is a Broadway musical adaptation that needs improvement. While the presentation of musical numbers abounds, there are not as many as audiences anticipate. The backstory is tolerable as is the scenery and settings that are visually stunning. The continuity is where Wicked tends to fall flat.

The story is about two witches, Elphaba (played by Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (played by Ariana Grande). Elphaba is green and that makes her a turn-off to the world. Glinda on the other hand is pink, cute, and glamorous. They are assigned to be roommates, and soon their friendship blossoms as they find connection in their fantasy environment at Shiz University. The witches’ experiences involving miracles, munchkins, and musical fun is where Wicked attempts to build upon the fundamentals of the storyline more than it does on finding musical connections.

The most interesting part of the story is the opportunity to meet the Wizard (played by Jeff Goldblum). This is definitely the most monumental segment of the film. The green train making its way to the Emerald City dazzles with amazement. The songs are joyful, but do not have frequent transitions the way they do in the musical version. This is why the chance to visit the Wizard offers audiences more to look forward to.

Because I have seen the Broadway musical, I felt the film fell off track more than it should have.  Some of the interconnectedness in the movie version simply does not make sense. Overall, the performances of Erivo and Grande are magnificent, but the pacing of the movie is lacking.  There is going to be a Part Two, so perhaps there will be several improvements made to this grand introduction before continuingwith the story. Despite all the frustration and shortcomings I’ve noted, the film still a gem-like quality which lead to feel-good moments for people of all ages, in particular, fans of the musical.  

My appreciation for Wicked remains tied to the theme of friendship. The performances of Erivo and Grande showcase their magical touch at displaying joyfulness in Wicked. With Erivo playing the witch who is trying to overcome her ugly side, and Grande thriving on her good looks, Wicked is like a duo between beauties trying to compare their best elements. The era before Dorothy still has a positive connection before all the events in The Wizard of Oz. Unfortunately, the backstory of Wicked struggles to portray these positive connections. Given that there is a second film in the making, I still have faith in thechance for a continuation with some much-neededimprovements. Despite the film’s shortcomings, Wicked has that touch which is sure to enlighten many. Two-and-a-half out of four stars.