Over two decades after the events of Gladiator, Lucius (Paul Mescal) — the grandson of Rome’s former emperor Marcus Aurelius and son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and Maximus — lives with his wife and child in Numidia. Roman soldiers led by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) invade, killing his wife and forcing Lucius into slavery. Inspired by the story of Maximus, Lucius resolves to fight as a gladiator under the tutelage of Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a former slave who plots to overthrow the young emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger).

2000’s Gladiator was an epic for the ages that resurrected the Roman epic onto the big screen and created a character and story that so many still hold so close to their hearts through its message of heroism and stoicism in the face of suffering and hardship. It was a film that conquered the box office and was lauded on the Awards circuit, including winning the Academy Award for Best Picture. Now, twenty-four years later, Sir Ridley Scott has decided that it is time for him to return to Ancient Rome for Gladiator II. And you will be entertained. Picking up the story 20 years after the defeat of Commodus and the death of Maximus, Marcus Aurelius’ dream of Rome is now a forgotten idea, and tyranny grips the streets of a once noble city. A new hero must rise to claim the legacy of Aurelius’ dream, and the resulting drama will leave you mesmerised.

Scott’s exceptional talent for worldbuilding is on full display as he and his talented team of collaborators, including film legends such as production designer Arthur Max, costume designer Janty Yates, cinematographer John Matheson and composer Harry Gregson-Williams, a protegee of Hans Zimmer, unleash their talents. The result is a film of epic scale that is double the size of the original film and firmly cements audiences directly in the colossal scale of the Roman empire. From the scars of the battle plains of Numidia to the grandeur of the Roman forum and the monumental scale and lavish entertainments of the arena of the Colosseum, all of them are constructed with such meticulous attention to detail that you are pulled deeper into this epic picture. Gladiator II is an example of why Ridley Scott can be considered a master of the cinematic craft, and his handling of the visual spectacle of his film helps to drive home the film’s dramatic and intense story of revolution.

Hollywood’s latest rising star, Paul Mescal, steps into the role of the film’s hero, Lucius, and he cuts a heroic figure of strong masculine power in Gladiator II. Lucuis’ journey in this second part of the Gladiator narrative is one of discovery, as he is a man who has to rediscover the life and legacy he left behind. It’s a character arc which is not unlike Maximus, and while there are hints of similarity between the two characters, Scott and screenwriter David Scarpa have given Mescal plenty of room to develop Lucius in his own direction. Physically, Mescal has completely transformed for the part, packing on a good solid block of muscle, and Lucius is overtaken by sheer feralness when he walks upon the sands of the arena. There’s a burning rage to his character’s actions, and it’s only as he opens up to the ‘Dream of Rome’ and his need to fight for it that the hero that this once great empire finally emerges.

Over the past few years, Mescal has been rapidly scaling the heights of Hollywood, and with his performance in Gladiator II, he now cements himself as his generation’s leading man. Bold and strong in both body and emotion, he commands the audience’s attention and holds the centre of the screen with his presence and authority. For Mescal, Lucius’s character demands a far more active and physically present performance. Still, he also taps into his ability to channel deeply resonated emotion, which is a key part of his performance. Mescal also taps into the tradition of Stoic philosophy in the journey that he must undertake as Lucuis, and through the course of Gladiator II’s narrative, you see him come to embody the virtues of Marcus Aurelius in his character’s journey and all of these subtleties and subtexts that he can tap into add to the complexity of his performance.

In addition to Mescal, Scott packs out his cast with a group of phenomenal performers, and their talent reigns in this picture. Hollywood’s current king of cool, Pedro Pascal, steps into the role of the honourable General Marcus Acacius. A soldier who has dedicated himself to the glory of Rome and who is untouchable in battle, Acacius has now grown tired of the barbarity of his civilised nation and seeks another path for the Roman state. Pascal is not only exceedingly dashing as Acacius, but his raw honesty and deep integrity craft a stoic presence that will leave every woman in the audience falling head over heels for him in the picture. Pascal’s Acacius also happens to be the husband of Lucilla, the daughter of Marcus Aurelius, who has survived the snake pit of Rome’s politics for twenty years. The beautiful Connie Nielen again returns to the role, and she has an incredible dramatic presence on screen and is a key driver to the plot’s action. And she shares a profound chemistry with both of the film’s leading men.

Bringing the villainy to the screen in Gladiator II in two dual striking performances are Joseph Quinn as the vicious Emperor Geta and Fred Hechinger as the sadistic Emperor Caracalla, and both make their mark on the narrative. Alluding to the history of ‘Romulus and Remas’, Geta and Caracalla are a pair of spoiled, spiteful and rotten princes who see the ruling of Rome as a game and who lavish in entertainments, excesses and games, despite the chaos that surrounds them. In elaborate blonde wigs, powdered faces, and gaudy togas, the two make a statement on screen, and their corruption and avarice haunt those all about them. Scott gives Quinn and Hechinger room to play on screen, with Quinn’s Geta being the more calculating of the two, while Hechinger’s Caracalla acts on pure wild impulse. Geta and Caracalla present a pair of bold and deranged new villains, and their madness holds the audience’s absolute attention on the screen.

Finally, bringing the narrative of Gladiator II together is two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington as the dominant, forceful and ruthless Macrinus. In his second collaboration with Scott, following their work on American Gangster, Washington begins crafting an absolute scene-stealing performance as Macrinus and again proves why he is one of the all-time greats. As a man who has risen from slavery to power, Macrinus is a smart, devious and brutal monster of a man who very much has his agenda at hand and who is wholly out for himself. Washington brings many layers to his performance, never revealing who he truly is until the film’s final act. Washington’s shifting nature as the character keeps audiences off guard, and it’s interesting to watch Macrinus reinterpret Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations for his pursuit of power and glory.

As a sheer spectacle, Gladiator II delivers on the full might of Ancient Rome. Sir Ridley Scott’s genius for worldbuilding and the ambience that this delivers to the experience is on full display. This picture balances heavy drama with brutal, violent action, and the narrative has a cracking pace. It is big, bold, and bloody; from the start, Sir Ridley Scott is not holding back. From an epic naval siege on the coast of Numidia to the brutal fights of the area, including Lucius taking on a charging rhino and engaging in a mock naval battle in a flooded Colosseum, Scott has expanded the scale of this picture in every direction, and the action scenes hit even harder this time around. The crux of this battle comes down to a mano-o-mano brawl between Lucuius and Acacius as they enter the arena in a fight to the death, and blood flows in this brutal battle where only one can survive. Scott has continually upped the ante with his action scenes, and Gladiator II is the culmination of his skill as a filmmaker.

However, while there is much blood and decapitations in Gladiator II, the film’s primary focus rests on exploring Marcus Aurelius’s long-forgotten idea of the ‘Dream of Rome’. This thematic idea of a golden empire left to ruin and which must be reborn, shapes the film’s narrative in very interesting ways. It’s through Lucuis’ actions that the dream of Rome forms as we watch him rise from a savage brute whose only concern is survival to becoming accepting of his name, title, lineage and destiny, and it is in this acceptance of his responsibility and calling that a hero is born. This thematic exploration of recusing the idea of Rome is shaped by all of the characters in the picture, especially those of Lucius and Macrinus, and their actions leave an impression on the audience. This heightened political tension and spark of revolution leads to plenty of dramatic tension on screen and makes the narrative’s action much more heightened.

Along with Scott’s exploration of the making of the ‘Dream of Rome’, there is this carry-over of Maximus’ calling of ‘Strength and Honour’, and these two words and their implicit meanings have a grand impact on Gladiator II and the actions of Mescal’s Lucius. This film is quintessentially masculine, and it explores the idea of the making of a hero in such minute detail. Scott has long been obsessed with the inner workings of the heroic character and has explored it through multiple projects and characters throughout his career. In Gladiator II, he takes a different path from the original film, where Maximus had to hold onto his character, values and actions as the film’s hero; here, Lucuius must discover what it means to be one. Gladiator II has a profound message of asking its audiences to stand up for their beliefs and not to turn from the righteous path. With its grand narrative and epic set pieces, this thematic messaging leaves its mark on the audience.

Gladiator II is a remarkable film created by a master filmmaker, offering an epic cinematic experience of immense scale and impact. The narrative, performances, design, action, and score all contribute to its outstanding production and presentation, immersing you in the visceral excitement of the arena. As the saying goes, “What we do in life echoes in eternity,” and like its predecessor, Sir Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II will leave a lasting impression.

Image: Paramount Pictures

The post ‘Gladiator II’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Now audiences have the chance to get an incredible insight into the world of Gladiator II through the release of some utterly fantastic featurettes that highlight the film’s colossal world-building and the work and the effort that was needed to bring this grand story back to cinema screens.

Three new featurettes have recently been released. The first, titled ‘The Making of An Epic’ draws on Scott’s Gladiator, the massive impact that it has had on the world, and how Scott and his team now seek to resurrect the grandeur of Ancient Rome and tell the new chapter of this classic story.

A second featurette follows, which charts film composer Harry Gregson-Williams’ work on the new score for the film. A pupil and collaborator of the great Hans Zimmer, Gregson-Williams discusses how he’s looking to expand on and marry the work of Zimmer in Gladiator, often regarded as one of the most original cinema scores ever produced, along with looking to build out the character journey of Paul Mecal’s Lucius with that of Russell Crowe’s Maximus.

Finally audiences get the chance to experience the sheer physical extremes that Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal put themselves through to be worthy of the Colosseum, and they both brought an incredible level of intensity to their parts.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Over two decades after the events of Gladiator, Lucius (Paul Mescal) — the grandson of Rome’s former emperor Marcus Aurelius and son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) — lives with his wife and child in Numidia. Roman soldiers led by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) invade, killing his wife and forcing Lucius into slavery. Inspired by Maximus, Lucius resolves to fight as a gladiator under the teaching of Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a former slave who plots to overthrow the young emperors Caracalla and Geta.

Gladiator II is shaping up to be a true epic for the cinema screens and audiences will be able to experienceSir Ridley Scott’s grandiose vision when it arrives in cinemas on November 14.

Image: Paramount Pictures

The post Experience Ancient Rome resurrected in ‘Gladiator II’ appeared first on SpicyPulp.

This all-new trailer is packed full of dynamic action and sweeping character moments and gives a taste of the fight and fury that is to come as Sir Ridley Scott returns to the next chapter of this thrilling story. Following in Maximus’s legacy, a new hero arises from the sands of the Colosseum and sets Rome ablaze in a burning blaze of rebellion and revolution.

Watch the brand-new trailer for Gladiator II below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honour to return the glory of Rome to its people.

This new trailer takes audiences right into the heart of the action of Gladiator II and finds rising Hollywood star Paul Mescal as Lucius, the estranged and lost son to Lucilla (Connie Nielson), the sister to the former emperor Commodus, who, after being thrown into war with Rome is taken prisoner at the hands of the Roman General Acacius (Pedro Pascal) and finds himself as a slave to the vindictive power broker Macrinus (Denzel Washington), who desires to use Lucius to his own ends to further his vendetta against a pair of degenerate and corrupt emperors, and to inspire a revolution in Rome.

It’s utterly epic stuff, and this new trailer throws audiences right into the heart of the action that finds Lucius battling the Roman Army, raging baboons, a mock naval battle, and facing down a charging rhino on the sands of the Colosseum. And all of it will cause your adrenaline to skyrocket, and you’ll be in an absolute fever pitch of excitement. I was especially impressed with the level of scale and scope that the new trailer showcased, and it’s clear that Sir Ridley Scott is holding nothing back in his desire to unleash a Roman epic of colossal height.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by SpicyPulp (@spicypulp)

Prepare yourself for a showcase of strength and honour when Gladiator II arrives in cinemas on November 14.

Image: Paramount Pictures

The post Witness war in the arena in the brand new trailer for ‘Gladiator II’ appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Watch the official trailer below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honour to return the glory of Rome to its people.

Twenty-four years after he resurrected Ancient Rome, Sir Ridley Scott once again returns to the time of antiquity for an epic action adventure that sees Paul Mescal’s Lucius Verus, the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielson) who has long forgotten his royal lineage falling into a war for Rome’s greater supremacy and that sees him condemned to fight in the arena. With strength and honour, he rises up to become a brutally efficient and capable gladiator and sets on inspiring a revolution that could befall this corrupt city.

Mescal looks utterly possessed as Lucius, and he’s put in some serious time at the gym to turn himself into a beast of a fighter as he engages in everything from a mock sea battle that finds the Colosseum flooded with water and crocodiles as war galleys fight amongst each other, along with seeing him take on a full-on charging rhino that will make audiences sit up and go WOW! Mescal was hand-picked for the role by Scott, and with his considerable dramatic presence, he’s sure to make a major impression on audiences.

This new trailer, which follows on the heels of the recent first-look imagery, gives audiences a deeper look into two key characters in the narrative: arms broker Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a former gladiator now turned wealthy merchant, who keeps a school of gladiators for sport, and who has a score to settle with the twisted young Emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger). There’s a power and magnetic presence to Washington’s Macrinus, and it’s fantastic to see him once again working within Scott’s direction. Another key character present is Pedro Pascal’s General Marcus Acacius, who served under Maximus as a legionary and who has risen to a great command but who is now weary of the blood and sacrifice that is needed to keep Rome’s empire in dominion. There’s a strength of personality to Pascal’s Acacius, along with a world-weary presence that will allow Pascal to show off his considerable dramatic chops.

Returning to this picture in a key role is Connie Nielsen as Lucilla, the mother to Lucius and a former lover to Maximus, who, through cunning and influence, has survived Rome’s vicious snake pit of politics but who now finds herself ambushed by Geta and Caracalla. Having feared that her son may long be dead, their reunion makes for a dramatic moment, and it will be interesting to see how Lucilla’s character has developed over the twenty-plus years since the original story.

Finally, Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger bring a snivelling, petulant menace to their roles as Co-Emperors Geta and Caracalla. These two festering bodies of narcissistic sadism are almost like Romulus and Remus went wrong, and with their twisted whims and demand for spectacle, are ready to burn Rome and its empire to the ground to stoke their own egotism and sick desires. With their elaborate armour, blonde hair, and white chalked-up make-up, they will make for a memorable pair of villains and give Mescal’s Lucius a pair of worthy adversaries to topple.

Everything about this new trailer for Gladiator II speaks to epic strides, and audiences will feel the mighty presence of the Roman Empire once again. Sir Ridley Scott is known for his ability to build worlds, and he’ll bring a considerable presence and might to the Roman Empire as he takes audiences from the coastline of Numidia to the slave pits of Morocco to the almighty Colosseum, a temple dedicated to blood and sand, in the middle of Rome. And audiences will be swept up in all of it. Scott also promises thunderous action, along with some heavy political intrigue, and you will be entertained.

Gladiator II is undoubtedly my most anticipated film of 2024, and I was utterly amazed by this first trailer. Gladiator is undoubtedly my favourite film of all time, and to see Sir Ridley Scott return to the sands of the Colosseum is a cause for excitement. I’m very intrigued to see what comes next with this epic blockbuster.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Paramount Pictures NZ (@paramountnz)

Prepare to return to the beating heart of Rome for an utterly epic cinematic event when Gladiator II arrives in cinemas on November 14.

Image: Paramount Pictures

The post Paul Mescal faces the might of the Colosseum in Sir Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator II’ appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Sir Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II is a cinematic event 2,000 years in the making as he once again returns to resurrect the Colosseum and the savagery of Ancient Rome in the hotly anticipated sequel to his Oscar-winning masterwork Gladiator, and a new hero in Paul Mescal is set to rise in this epic cinema event.

Now thanks to Vanity Fair, we have our first look at Gladiator II ahead of the trailer release on July 9, and the imagery promises a lavish and large production of revenge and redemption that sees Paul Mescal’s now-grown Lucius Verus falling back into the hands of the Roman Empire, which is now under the despotic rule of co-Emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger), and must fight for survival and to ignite burning revolution.

The imagery showcases Sir Ridley Scott’s incredible world-building and promises an event of Herculian size as Mescal’s Lucius takes on the might of the Republic. Mescal looks utterly jacked in the role, and his physical transformation was driven more by his need to function athletically rather than for mere aesthetic reasons. “I just wanted to be big and strong and look like somebody who can cause a bit of damage when shit hits the fan,” he says. “I think also, sometimes, one could, in striving for that perfect look, end up looking more like an underwear model than a warrior.”

While audiences can expect a heap of blood and violence, Scott and Mescal were more interested in looking into the psychology of these inhuman acts on their characters and analysing the politics of dominance and the will to win, both in the arena and in the palace.

“What human beings will do to survive, but also what human beings will do to win. We see that in the arena, but also in the political struggle that’s going on outside of my character’s storyline, where you see there are other characters striving and pulling for power. Where’s the space for humanity? Where’s the space for love and familial connection? And ultimately, will those things overcome this kind of greed and power? Those things are oftentimes directly in conflict with each other.”

Gladiator II also sports an incredible level of talent in its ranks, and headlining the film alongside Mescal is two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington as Macrinus, a former gladiator and now freedman who has become a successful merchant and broker who has built up a massive fortune trading in raw materials such as food, steel and slaves, and who holds a personal grudge against the emperors; Pedro Pascal stars as Marcus Acacius, a Roman general said to have trained as a junior officer under Maximus (Russell Crowe), and who is sent to the arena for questioning the authority of the emperors; while Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger as co-emperors Geta and Caracalla, who have been described by Ridley Scott as being ‘damaged goods from birth’, and their corruption and sinister tastes are bringing the once great Roman Empire to its knees.

Connie Neilson returns to the picture as Lucilla, the lover of Maximus, sister to Commodus, and mother to Lucius. Neilsomn’s Lucilla has not seen her son in many years, having sent him away to safeguard him from threats within Rome, and their reunion will be rather savage in the new film. Neilson’s Lucilla also has to contend with the threat of Geta and Caracalla, and there are plenty of snakes and dangers present in Rome for her to contend with.

Gladiator II is shaping up to be an incredible cinematic event. With the press coverage of its first showing at CinemaCon and now with these new-look images, we’re ready to be entertained. Sir Ridley Scott is bringing everything of himself as an artist and filmmaker to this epic project, and the scale and action of this picture will leave you entertained.

Gladiator II will arrive in theatres on November 14.

Images: Paramount Pictures

Source: Vanity Fair

The post The roar of the arena awaits in Sir Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator II’ appeared first on SpicyPulp.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Gladiator II swept audiences in the most appropriate place: the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The footage on display dazzled audiences.

It features a special introduction from the legend himself, Sir Ridley Scott, who described the film as ” possibly even more extraordinary than the first.” Rising star Paul Mescal commented that it was a ‘standout moment’ in his life to date, and two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington promised that the film was filled with ’emotion and spectacle.’

Footage displayed a thoroughly jacked Mescal, who is a gladiator thrown into the fray and sees him fighting murderous baboons, as well as a soldier on a rhinoceros. At one point, the Colosseum is filled with water for an epic ship battle.

It also seems that Mescal’s character is inspired by Crowe’s Maximus. “I remember that day. I never forgot it. That a slave could take revenge against an emperor. That a slave could get justice in the arena,” he says at one point in the footage, referencing the climax of the first film.

New details from the footage also reveal profoundly anti-war politics, with Pedro Pascal playing a Roman military figure who no longer wants to sacrifice Rome’s young men to war and death and is thus condemned to fight as a gladiator, while Washington is a former gladiator turned arms dealer who becomes a guide to Mescal’s revolutionary, and who has bitter grudge against Rome’s new emperors, Caracalla (Joseph Quinn) and Geta (Fred Hechinger). Quinn’s initial performance has been lauded by those lucky enough to get a first look at the footage, and Caracalla is said to be even more murderous and insane than Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix).

While little detail is currently known of Gladiator II and its immense epic story, its sounding very clear that audiences will be entertained when this bold feat of filmmaking lands in cinemas on November 21.

Image: Universal Pictures

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

The post Sir Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator II’ wows audiences at CinemaCon appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) finds himself at home in Southern Italy but he discovers his friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends’ protector by taking on the mafia.

In 2014, director Antoine Fuqua, along with Hollywood A-lister Denzel Washington, set out to reignite the action genre. They took it and long-time genre fans on one hell of a ride as they resurrected the character of super assassin Robert McCall and gave him a new purpose as a protector of the vulnerable and the victimized. The Equalizer was an action film driven by character, and its approach to the style of the genre made audiences sit up as Washington’s McCall eviscerated the Russian Mob. In 2018, Washington returned as McCall for a far more personal and violent vendetta that cemented his character as an avenger. Now, in 2023, Washington’s McCall returns for a third and final time in the series most intense and passionate entry yet. And make no mistake when I say that The Equalizer 3 is one of the coolest films of the year.

Whereas in previous chapters of the franchise, Robert McCall was a reactionary force for justice, in The Equalizer 3, we find him proactively fighting for justice. And this leads him to his most violent and dangerous test yet. Director Antoine Fuqua moves the action away from McCall’s native Massachusetts and places him in Southern Italy, and he’s firmly on the hunt. One action leads to another, and soon McCall lands in a tranquil fishing town on the edge of the Amalfi Coast. While its people welcome him and he finds himself on the verge of peace for the first time, a dark shadow has cast itself over McCall’s paradise, and soon, this angel of death must reach for his blade to deliver his form of vigilante justice.

For Antoine Fuqua, The Equalizer 3 allows the filmmaker to bring a proper conclusion to this epic action story while expanding his directing style. Fuqua lets McCall’s character drive the pace of the narrative, and he brings a grand and epic sense of style to the visuals that arrive on screen. Fuqua does not rush the narrative, instead letting it play out at its own pace, with McCall’s actions revealing themself step by step. The result is a film that is equal parts emotional drama and visceral action, fully holding the audience’s attention.

Two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington returns for his final performance as vigilante hero Robert McCall, a former government assassin turned avenger, and he faces a battle for his very soul in this final chapter. Washington’s McCall is a hunter of this story, pursuing a dangerous conspiracy that takes a dramatic turn. For the first time, audiences see McCall in a vulnerable position, and this juxtaposition leads to considerable growth for McCall’s character. He has to contend with the philosophical question of whether he’s a good man who does bad things or a bad man who does good things. And Washington’s sense of pathos and internal contemplation play into McCall’s character development.

But after McCall finally finds peace, a sinister force threatens his loved ones, and he must unleash the monster trapped inside of him one last time. The Equalizer 3 sees Washington transformed into a literal angel of death as McCall, clad all in black and striking from the shadows with brutal effect. Again, Washington and Fuqua play into the closed-fisted, mano-o-mano combat that audiences have come to see as an integral part of the franchise. But this action also serves as a narrative tool and is operatic in its display. In the guise of an almost saintly executioner, Washington unleashes the fury one last time, and it’s a character-defining battle for Robert McCall.

The Equalizer 3 also marks a reunion between Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning. In 2004, this pairing impressed audiences with their committed and poignant work in the seminal action thriller Man on Fire. Nineteen later, these two performers share the screen again, and it’s enjoyable to watch. Fanning steps into the role of Emma Collins, a young CIA operative who comes into McCall’s world and soon becomes a quasi-alley to the veteran vigilante. With a fearless mix of tenacity and curiosity, Fanning’s Collins holds court with Washington’s McCall, and the chemistry they previously shared together is still as sharp as ever.

Washington’s McCall has tangled with some pretty nasty villains in his time, and now he faces the sinister presence of the Camorra, the mafia elite of Naples. And it’s a blood-for-blood fight. McCall’s chief adversary in The Equalizer 3 is the smart, savvy and sinister Vincent Quaranta, played in a dashing yet dangerous performance by Andrea Scarduzio. Scarduzio strikes a volatile yet polished presence as Quranta, making McCall the object of a personal vendetta. For all his stance as a ‘legitimate businessman’, Scarduzio’s Quaranta is a man prone to sadistic acts, and the danger is real with this brutal antagonist. Quaranta and the Camorra’s presence give McCall a worthy adversary to combat in The Equalizer 3. And things get bloody quickly.

Two key contributing factors to the energy and dynamism of The Equalizer 3 are the presence of cinematographer Robert Richardson and composer Marcelo Zarvos. As a three-time Academy Award winner, Richardson is one of the best in the business, and his incredible eye elevates the pictures’ striking visual presence. Richardson captures the tranquil beauty and peace of the Amalfi coast and balances this against the grim-dark danger of Naples’s shady and seedy underbelly. Richardon’s vision for the film reflects a deep film noir style, with elements of Caravaggio’s Chiaroscuro baked in for good measure, and this haunting visual style marks out The Equalizer 3 as something unique amongst the action genre. Adding an aggressive intensity to The Equalizer 3 is Marcelo Zarvos’ masculine score, and its high-energy, thumping beat will get your adrenaline going.

Audiences seeking their action fix will get it with The Equalizer 3. And this is an action film that goes straight for the jugular. Director Antoine Fuqua revs up the narrative’s intensity and violence in all its visceral flair. The violence and action of this picture serve a unique narrative function, and there’s nothing flashy or fancy about the film’s brutal combat. Washington carves his way through the worst of the worst in The Equalizer 3, making for a gnarly watch.

Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua conclude Robert McCall’s journey with The Equalizer 3. In my opinion, this is the best film of the franchise and is a fitting ending for one of the last decades’ most defining screen heroes. It’s character-driven, morally complex, kick-ass action cinema, and you’ll feel the rush.

Image: Sony Pictures

The post ‘The Equalizer 3’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Watch the action-packed new trailer for The Equalizer 3 below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) has struggled to reconcile the horrific things he’s done in the past and finds a strange solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed. Finding himself surprisingly at home in Southern Italy, he discovers his new friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends’ protector by taking on the mafia.

Washington reteams with filmmaker and long-time collaborator Antoine Fuqua for the final chapter of McCall’s story in The Equalizer 3. Following in the wake of The Equalizer and The Equalizer 2, they’re ready to take things up a notch as McCall goes head tp head with a brutal Mafia clan. And he ain’t mucking around. This new trailer captures the intensity and pulse-pounding action of the new film perfectly and audiences will be in for a rush with The Equalizer 3.

Along with putting Washington back in action as McCall, Fuqua also makes this a collaboration between Washington and Dakota Fanning, who made a hell of a pair of co-stars with 2004’s Man on Fire, and it’s very cool to see them back on screen together. While we’re not privy to the state of their relationship this time around, it’s incredibly exciting to see them both on screen together, and their undeniable chemistry is still there.

The Equalizer 3 is shaping up to be one hell of an action epic, and this final chapter is ready to bring the ferocity of action when it arrives in cinemas on August 31.

The post Vengeance knows no borders in first trailer for ‘The Equalizer 3’ appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Clashes between Kern County Deputy Sheriff Joe “Deke” Deacon (Washington) and L.A. Sheriff Department Sergeant Jim “Jimmy” Baxter (Malek) occur during the investigation of a serial killer (Leto).

Director John Lee Hancock brings a singular focus to the narrative of The Little Things, a film which he both wrote and directed. And the result is a powerfully dark and intense neo-noir detective story that pulls audiences in and won’t let them go. Best described as a slow-burn crime story, Hancock places his attention on building out a true detective story, where the focus is on the investigation of the crime and the conflict that it causes its detectives. Mixing two distinct methodologies of two very different police officers keeps things interesting on screen and Hancock’s approach to the genre and story of his film leads to plenty of unexpected twists, and very interesting turns that you won’t see coming.

Having nurtured this story for over twenty years, having first conceived it in 1996, Hancock has really taken his time to get things right and the result shows up on screen. While quintessentially a serial killer, crime investigation story, The Little Things examines key themes of investigation, justice, intuition and obsession, and these central ideas keep this story fresh and interesting. While we’ve all seen the quintessential ‘serial killer/detective story’, The Little Things keeps you off guard thanks to its slow-burn pace and the mounting tension that grips it’s three central characters. For audiences who like a film that makes you think, Hancock really delivers something interesting and crafts a film that is a very clever watch.

Taking on one part of the acting triple threat in The Little Things is two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington as Kern County Deputy Sheriff Joe “Deke” Deacon. Deke is a complex, unorthodox and haunted man, who has a serious reputation and is possessed of an unwavering intensity and dark secret that haunts him to this day. As a gifted investigator, he can step into the mind of a killer enabling him to find ways into a case that others might miss. But this ‘gift’ marks him out as a pariah by his fellow officers, and he’s an unwanted presence in Los Angeles.

Deke gives Washington a complex and dark figure to portray, and Hancock takes audiences inside his broken mind and the waking hallucinations that he suffers from. It’s an intense portrayal on behalf of Washington and audiences journey to a very grim place through this character.

Standing beside Washington’s Deke is fellow Academy Award winner Rami Malek as LASD Det. Jim Baxter and this is a sharp turn for the actor. Where Malek has made a career for himself portraying oddballs and outliers, in The Little Things he’s fundamentally the straight man. As Baxter, Malek brings an unwavering intensity and focus to this hotshot young detective who has been handed the reigns of a big-time murder investigation and his burning intensity to find his killer casts a big shadow across his life and career.

In The Little Things, we see a different side to Malek, and he excels as this very stoic and by the book character. Where Deke is one to cut corners, Baxter is a by-the-book kind of character and this leads to some great interaction and character conflict. Malek really holds the attention of the screen and shares a unique chemistry with Washington and audiences will get a kick out of seeing these two together up on the big screen.

Bringing max creep factor to The Little Things, and completing the film’s acting triple threat is Academy Award winner Jared Leto, and he’s incredibly scary in this one. As would-be serial killer Albert Sparma, Leto is offputting and brings to life a character that is sure to make your skin crawl as this almost vagabond-pervert creep. There’s definitely something off about Sparma, and he knows far more than he’s letting on about. Leto is known for bringing some serious madness to his method acting persona, and he changes himself up as this bloated, greasy-haired freak whose attention soon becomes fixated on Deke and Baxtor.

The Little Things embraces the neo-noir genre to its full advantage and one of Hancock’s most important collaborators in bringing this film to life is cinematographer John Schwartzman. Schwazrtman has worked across all genres and here in The Little Things he centres his camera on the use of dark and brooding shadows and his harsh lighting teases out the darkness that threatens to envelop our characters. This use of high contrast shadows is very reminiscent of classic film noir chiaroscuro lighting and firmly cement you in the film’s dark story. A consistent green colour palette of various tonal hues keeps the audience off guard and makes the images presented here very memorable.

As a detective story, The Little Things slow-burn narrative appealed to me and I enjoyed how Hancock, Washington, Malek and Leto toyed with their viewer’s emotions and understanding of the narrative. This is not your typical noir thriller, and it tries things and takes risks that make it interesting as a film to watch. So rarely do we get a Hollywood blockbuster that takes an established genre and really flips it on its head in regards to narrative process, but that’s exactly what The Little Things does, and noted fans of the noir genre will be pleased with the results they see here.

Dark, brooding and incredibly clever, The Little Things is a very intellectually stimulating watch and your mind will really tick with this one. Washington, Malek and Leto get to do something special here, and if you’re wanting to experience a different side of a long-established genre this one is a very interesting watch.

Image: Warner Brothers Pictures

The post ‘The Little Things’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Continuing to fight the good fight for those that can’t fight for themselves Robert McCall (Washington) appears to have found both purpose and peace in his life. But this is shattered forever when his friend and former handler Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo) is murdered by a dangerous group of mercenaries. Suddenly pulled back into the life he thought he’d left behind, McCall declares all-out war on Susan’s killers. 

With The Equalizer 2 Denzel Washington is back in action and whats more this is his first ever sequel! In the Academy Award winners magnificent career he has never once returned to reprise a character before so it’s pretty cool to see that he decided he had more to do as Robert McCall and it’s a decision I was certainly pleased about.

Again Denzel wastes no time as McCall and as soon as the first frame begins to roll he’s back fighting the good fight and serving up a dose of brutal justice to those who deserve it…along with offering them a choice: either except responsibility and offer to pay for your sin or reap the whirlwind. It’s exactly where we last left off in 2014’s The Equalizer and Denzel doesn’t miss a beat in his layered performance as this old school warrior.

Where his performance gets interesting is that The Equalizer 2 takes us deeper into McCall’s history and opens him up further as to what makes him tick and how the events and relationships of his past have shaped him into the man we know today. With this film we get the chance to learn more about the life he lived with his wife Vivienne before she sadly passed on, how his career as a CIA operative came to a close and why he’s willing to do what he does for the little guy. But this focus on the past also leads to McCall’s own sins, the ‘bad things he’s done in his life’ in order to protect the American Dream and how those sins will need to be repayed one day.

We also get to see a lot more into his own psychology this time around. While it was hinted that he may have certain psychopathic tendencies in the first film, here they open up completely and there are several moments when he unleashes the beast all in an effort to make a point. While he might be the good guy make no mistake McCall is a very dangerous man and we get to see him at his darkest here.

This desire to take things to the next level and really amp up The Equalizer 2 comes down to the collaboration between Washington and his director and long-time creative partner Antoine Fuqua. This is the fourth film that these two have made together and given their solid working relationship they were again able to smash things out of the park. Fuqua understands his actor and this character innately and because of this is able to guide Washington in some interesting directions as McCall. This whole film is about stepping everything up a notch, delivering the same badass action and character moments of the original Equalizer film, while also exploring new territory with the sequel.

One way this is approached with The Equalizer 2 was in relation to how the film seeks to show a different side of McCall’s abilities. While in the first film he was primarily a reactionary force, here in the sequel he’s more of a hunter, readily analyzing the world he finds himself in and trying to determine what the motives and actions of these new bad guys are.

Fuqua also plays around with the film’s thematic elements and its unique Boston setting, drawing on the regions wild weather to represent McCall’s mood and emotions as the film progresses. Part of this is related to a growing storm that builds throughout the film before finally unleashing itself in the third act. It’s a great metaphor for the impending reckoning that is building inside McCall and the storm that he intends to unleash on some very bad men.

I’ve also got to send some praise to Washington’s co-star Pedro Pascal who joins the film as his former CIA partner David York. Pascal gives another solid performance here and really holds his own with Washington in the scenes they share together. As York he’s kind of McCall’s shadow and presents a sort of ‘what if’ character. It’s an interesting dynamic that they share together and I was very impressed with what I witnessed up on screen here.

While I have tried to stay away from narrative spoilers with this review I will say that McCall is no longer battling the violent, yet sluggish Russian Mafia thugs of the first film, but instead a new assortment of highly trained and efficient mercenary killers. These bad guys are ready to fight dirty and McCall meets them head on in a series of brutal fight sequences that only get more intense as the film moves forward. Washington is again efficient and to the point with his combat and again uses an assortment of weaponry and hand-to-hand combat techniques to complete the mission. Let’s just say that once again things get gnarly this time and Fuqua again engages his unique ‘Equalizer vision’ as McCall scans his environment and lowers his heart rate before opening up on his enemies and destroying them completely. If you like action that cuts right to the core, well, you’ll get it here.

Denzel Washington once again delivers as Robert McCall in The Equalizer 2 and he delivers with absolute extreme prejudice. This lone wolf assassin is the modern day samurai we need in this world and his commitment to carrying out justice to its fullest really makes you root for him. Once again it’s all about leveling the playing field, and he’ll always give you a choice to make the right decision….just make sure you do it.

Image: Sony Pictures

The post ‘The Equalizer 2’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.