You have to duff your imaginary hats to the theatrical antics of Film House Cinemas Lekki, as the renowned Cinema Haven creatively raised the bar, redefining what it means to premiere a movie at the highly-anticipated Gladiator 2 unveil Party.
Much more than the sand-covered floor and endless access to wine and whimsical conversation, there was a violin ensemble to serenade us into immersive believability, and it worked. We were in Rome, straddled by one of the infamous Coliseums mired with blood, sweat, and sand; the only missing piece? Gladiators.
We got a lot of that when the movie started though; a quick establishment of the love shared by Maximus’ exiled son and then war with the Romans who came by sea.
Paul Mescal plays ‘Lucius’, an impassioned Gladiator saddled with the plot to revenge his wife, who was brutally killed when the Romans attacked their fort, Numidia. But he soon discovers that he has more to fight for as history uncovers that he’s the exiled son of the infamous Gladiator, Maximus.
Lucius’ physicality or the absence of it, considerably dilutes his role as a Gladiator in this movie. The typical hallmarks of a Gladiator are visibly missing in him; vein-riddled muscled arms and a rage-fueled countenance; making it really hard to believe his extraordinary exploits like battling wild baboons weaponless or hacking down seasoned Roman soldiers.
His motivations also were a bit skewed and felt bland, whether it was in his lack of mourning for his wife or his sudden need to unite Rome, Lucius’ rage, unlike his Father Maximus in Gladiator 1, was not well articulated.
Denzel Washington on the other hand was brilliant in his role as an ambitious political plotter willing to use means and opportunity to advance himself. His witty dialogue carries the day and makes you secretly want to see more of him as the plot unveils.
If you are comfortable enough with blood and banter, Gladiator 2 should be your next go-to movie because in a way it ticks all the boxes, because in the words of our beloved protagonist, Lucius, as he sank a wooden sword into his trainer’s throat, ‘whether with steel or a blade, a point is still a point.’
Check out the schedule for Gladiator II at Film House Cinemas below:
- Filmhouse Circle Mall Lekki – Saturday, November 16th
- Filmhouse Samonda – Saturday, November 16th
- Filmhouse Landmark – Sunday, November 17th
- Filmhouse Benin – Sunday, November 17th
