Tag: Swords and Shields

REVIEW: ‘Gladiator II’ retreads familiar ground, but has great action

Once again, I am entertained by a “Gladiator,” Maybe not as moved, though.

“Gladiator II” is set 16 years after the original film from 2000 concluded. Rome is now ruled by a corrupt pair of twins who have let the city state fall into a mess as they enjoy luxuries made possible by ongoing expansion of their empire.

Meanwhile, a warrior, Hanno (Paul Mescal) is captured while fighting for his city in North Africa from a successful Roman invasion. After losing his wife in the battle, he sets his sights on revenge against a Roman general, and gets an opportunity to do so by fighting his way through the Gladiator system.

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REVIEW: ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ offers quite the fun quest

Not that it’s a high bar or anything, but yes, this is better than the 2000 film. Much better.

In “Honor Among Thieves,” Chris Pine stars as Edgin, a man who formed a band of outlaws with his best friend Holga (Michelle Rodriguez) to steal from the wealthy. One such mission, though, was not to steal treasure, but instead an artifact that could bring back his wife who was killed years ago.

That mission went awry, causing Edgin and Holga to wind up in prison. By the time they get out, Edgin’s daughter has been taken in by a man who double-crossed the protagonist and taken over a kingdom. To get his daughter back and get some gold in the process, Edgin and Holga bring the band back together for another quest.

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REVIEW: Meticulously made’ Northman’ devoid of heart

As a Vikings fan, I felt a major urge to clap my hands above my head whenever the word “skol” was thrown out in this film.

The story of “The Northman” is based in a Scandinavian legend, which ultimately inspired Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” The protagonist of this film is a prince, Amleth, (Alexander Skarsgard) who witnesses his father (Ethan Hawke) be killed by his uncle Fjolnir (Claes Bang).

Amleth is forced to flee as a child after Fjolnir’s bloody rise to power, but vows to return. He eventually does so, now as an experienced, hardened warrior. To get close to his uncle, Amleth goes undercover, appearing as a slave working on Fjolnir’s land.

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