MovieChat Forums > Gladiator II (2024) Discussion > Is it just me or...

Is it just me or...

posted 3 days ago by dajband (118)
9 replies | jump to latest

Did Denzel just not fit the time period? He seemed too modern and didn't even try an accent. Haha. He did great as always but just didn't seem to fit. Overall the movie was just ok.

[–] DarthAckbar (2072) 3 days ago

i agree

[–] Ripkens25 (2025) 3 days ago

Yes, I agree as well. He has great screen presence....but he felt shoehorned in this movie, like they needed a big name.
I'm sure part of it is simply...you can't avoid thinking: "That's Denzel the movie star" up there on screen, instead of getting invested in the character he's playing. But yes, also he simply comes across as being almost modern day in a lot of his dialogue. A strong and consistent accent may have helped.

[–] dajband (118) 3 days ago

Yes! You explained it well.

[–] letess (1541) 3 days ago

Is it just me or….

-Did the “twins” look like Prince Harry and Prince William.
-Notice that there was not one Italian actor.
-That the writing was horrible.
-Performances mediocre.
-That Paul’s finale speech sounded like My Way.
“For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way.”

My point is Denzel’s performance is the strongest one and that is not saying much. There are too many other criticisms that could be made about this movie. Especially the writing. Denzel did have an accent. So did Joaquin. And neither was British. Connie’s accent isn’t British either. So maybe they don’t fit as well.

[–] TearofLys (2653) 3 days ago

If they were being historically accurate, most of the characters would be speaking latin.

[–] redban (6233) 2 days ago

I heard some reviewers say that he basically plays his character from American Gangster. They also say that his American accent was distracting when everyone else spoke British

[–] Tam87 (1218) 2 days ago

Are you saying that an actor who plays the same role in every movie is phoning it in?

[–] sonans (1558) a day ago

What does "too modern" even mean?

[–] Ripkens25 (2025) 4 hours ago

It means his dialect sounds like how people speak today in modern times, rather than an old world dialect and accent like the other actors were at least attempting to use. He just sounded like a modern day Denzel Washington, talking to TMZ....rather than a retired gladiator in ancient Rome.