Genre: Action, adventure, drama

Age limit: 12

Directed by: Jake Kasdan

Written by: Chris Morgan, Hiram Garcia

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, J.K. Simmons

Watching a film is a great hobby that can give you thousands of experiences. Whether it’s a heart-wrenching drama, a thought-provoking thriller or a historical film, the possibilities for cultured entertainment are almost endless. Red one is nothing of the sort, but it is a stunningly funny, imaginative family entertainment. It’s a popcorn movie in the truest sense of the word, bringing a smile to faces tired after a year’s hard work.

Dwayne Johnson plays Santa’s head of security, who ensures that the big beard can meet children who come to him with wishes in complete peace. But his protector is about to retire, disillusioned by the growing number of bad guys in the world. They agree to ‘one last job together’, but things go wrong. The Arctic base is mysteriously hacked and the children’s favourite gift-bringer is kidnapped. The only help they have is the infamous Jack O’Malley (Chris Evans), who can find anyone on the planet.

Can you feel that intense „B-movie” flavour as you read the synopsis? It was hard for us to sketch the story without an awkward half-smile. Still, beyond the silliness, The Red one takes a quite clever, satirical approach to the legends associated with Santa Claus and the questions most kids ask about the old red coat. How do you get presents to all the children in just one night? Where does he wrap and store the presents? Who is Krampus? In this aspect, it is very similar to the director’s previous work, the 2017 Jumanji sequel. There, the clichés of the video game world were the primary source of humour, and now the children’s tales of the man in red have been given a similarly witty reinterpretation. By the end of the film, we’d seen so many unique locations and strange creatures that for us, the Santa Claus mythos elaborated in the film had become a coherent whole.

The visuals are not anything like Avatar, to say the least. The characters could be described in about 2–3 sentences, yet they were easily memorable. Evans managed to play an excellent, quite irritating anti-hero. Since Knives out (2019), we think he’s well suited to these kinds of roles. And Johnson brings his usual good-hearted, decent, endearing character. They make a good pair together, making the most of their situations.

Although the story is quite simple and there are no big twists and turns, the jokes work quite well. The Red one is recommended for anyone looking for a relaxing entertainment in the wait for Christmas.

We hope we’ve inspired your curiosity about the film. If you’ve already seen it, we welcome your thoughts in the comments. If you liked our article, please share our post with others. And if you’re in the mood for a tasty movie and series-watching snack, POPZ popcorn is the best choice.

Genre: Action, adventure, drama

Age limit: 16

Directed by: Ridley Scott

Written by: David Scarpa, Peter Craig, David Franzoni

Starring: Paul Mescal, Connie Nielsen, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington

Panem et circenses

2024 cannot pass without a Ridley Scott movie. It’s long been rumoured that the director was making a sequel to one of his best-known works, and we had mixed feelings about it. We weren’t averse to seeing another tale from Rome’s less glorious era after all this time, and the casting of Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington gave us further reason to be optimistic. However, the memory of last year’s Napoleon is still fresh in our minds, and while it was not without its spectacular scenes, it was otherwise a disappointment. We were also aware of the moderately negative reception of the film, but despite the scandal on social media, we tried not to be influenced about Gladiator 2.

The plot runs on two lines, which later connect in a very predictable way. Lucius Verus (Paul Mescal), a Numidian warrior, loses everything and becomes enslaved after a clash with the Roman army. He regains his freedom in a gladiatorial contest in the Colosseum. Meanwhile, General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) grows increasingly disillusioned with the oppressive regime. But those who oppose him could find themselves in the infamous amphitheatre just as much as the defeated.

It would be unfair to judge solely in terms of historical authenticity. There are many characters inspired by real historical figures on screen, but they and the story are also fiction. It was not primarily the inaccuracies that bothered us, but the fact that the plot itself is rather boring. We are sure that after 30 minutes anyone can guess the outcome. Anyway, it’s worth rewatching the first part, because it’s not just small hints that are attached to the sequel.

We expected that the visuals would not be disappointing. The first impression was very convincing indeed. The film opens immediately with a battle scene, which sufficiently illustrated the harshness of the conquering campaigns. However, shortly afterwards, we were confronted with CGI animation that recalled the visuals of early 2000s console games.

The actors save the day. Paul Mescal in the lead role was a good choice, and apart from one rather overacted scene, he played the revenge-driven gladiator in an acceptable way all along. Pedro Pascal had a much harder job, as Accacius was the least complex character in the story. He was noticeably overshadowed. Denzel Washington, however, outshone them all. It’s true that he got the most rewarding role, but without his experience he could not have played Macrinus so well.

Gladiator 2 fits in perfectly among the mediocre sequels to films with long-standing fan bases, such as Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire or even Beverly Hills Cop 4. There’s nothing you don’t get from the first movie, which is also a visual feast after almost 25 years. It has its moments, it helps pass the time, but it doesn’t live up to the original. Not a Maximus experience, but not… Minimus.

What did you think of the film? What memories do you have of the first chapter? Leave your thoughts in the comments. If you liked our article, share it with others. You can expect our recommendations on both cinema and streaming fronts in December. And if you’re in the mood for a tasty movie and series-watching snack, POPZ popcorn is the best choice.