Michael Slavin
The newest Gladiator sequel has only been in cinemas for under a week, but already it is splitting fans.
Though Gladiator 2 received rave reviews coming out of the early press screenings, fan reaction has been far more divided.
Part of this is the opening credit scene, which has some fans calling it a ‘masterpiece’, and others going as far as to suggest it was made using AI.
Director Ridley Scott, who came back to the swords and sandals classic nearly a quarter of a century on, has come out in support of AI recently which may have contributed to the suggestion.
The opening credits of the sequel sums up the events of the Best-Picture winning first film which starred Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, and Connie Nielsen.
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The sequel sees only Nielsen return, with Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, and Pedro Pascal rounding out the leading cast.
One tweet on the subject said: “So how long before we find out the opening credits of Gladiator 2 was AI. Literally worst film of the year.”
Another fan replied to this saying: “I keep hearing that the opening might be AI, f*ck man….”
Others, however, suggested it was an oil painting made by the artists behind the production company’s logo.
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One fan tweeted about the opening credits saying: “alsooo whoever’s genius idea of the Gladiator II’s opening credits needs a raise”.
Another said: “the opening credits for Gladiator 2 was so f*cking majestic, i am honestly obsessed”.
A third tweeted: “Gladiator 2 opening credits are so good though”.
The film currently sits at 75% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7/10 on IMDb. While that may be a great result for other films, considering the original has an 8.5 on IMDb and 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, it is clearly more controversial than the first.
Despite this though, the film is still a frontrunner for the Oscars.
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The sequel is the fifth favourite in Variety’s ranking of Best Picture winners, with Denzel Washington the frontrunner for Best Supporting Actor ahead of Kieran Culkin.
Maureen Lee Lenker of Entertainment Weekly said in their review of the film: “While some of the plot points may leave a queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach given their modern parallels, one truth rises above the rest: With a movie this meticulously made, there's no way to not be entertained.”
Meanwhile, the Independent slammed the film, saying: “Gladiator 2 is an awful mess – no wonder it made Russell Crowe uncomfortable.
“It’s a rushed, poorly acted quasi-remake from which only Denzel Washington and a well-dressed monkey emerge unscathed.”