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Out of the sword and sandals epics of the 2000s (Gladiator, Troy, Alexander, Kingdom of Heaven, and 300) which do you enjoy the most?
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Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven were the only films I could take seriously. Troy was visually very striking and well shot but I didn't find the narrative overly compelling.
Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven Director's Cut for me.
Weren't a lot of the abs just painted on?
Weren't a lot of the abs just painted on?
Haha. It's entertaining and very quotable! But like I said, its so bad its good.
"Do you know whats waiting beyond that beach? Immortality, take it, its yours!"
Thats one of the best bad lines ever.
In 2020 I re-watched them all.
1.- Kingdom of Heaven: Director's Cut has by far the biggest scale and deeper, more thoughtful and developed characters and story. Definitely the best movie.
2.- Gladiator. The rock star version of ancient Rome. Was I not entertained? Why yes, yes I was.
3.- Troy: Director's Cut. Not that bad, the additional gore and bloodletting makes more fun action scenes. Has its moments, and it's interesting to see the Bronze Age come to life in a full-blown Hollywood big budget epic. But it's let down by a seriously miscast Brad Pitt who is really just trying too hard to deliver a Maximus-type badass performance, and failing at it.
4.- Alexander Final Cut/Ultimate Cut (don't remember which one of these two I watched). A confused mess of a movie, Oliver Stone had no idea what he's doing, evidenced by his nonstop attempts at reediting it. This new cut reshuffles the entire thing and has the story nonsensically jump between different time periods, to no real, noticeable improvement. There's ambition, and there's obviously a real care for the history behind it, just all deeply mismanaged. I've given this film more chances than it deserves.
5.- 300. Snyder sucks. I can't tell you how over I am over his ultra-slomo style in year of our lord 2021. Nevermind the ugly-as-fuck green screen aesthetic of this film. It looked cheap in 2007, it certainly doesn't look any better now.
1.- Kingdom of Heaven: Director's Cut has by far the biggest scale and deeper, more thoughtful and developed characters and story. Definitely the best movie.
2.- Gladiator. The rock star version of ancient Rome. Was I not entertained? Why yes, yes I was.
3.- Troy: Director's Cut. Not that bad, the additional gore and bloodletting makes more fun action scenes. Has its moments, and it's interesting to see the Bronze Age come to life in a full-blown Hollywood big budget epic. But it's let down by a seriously miscast Brad Pitt who is really just trying too hard to deliver a Maximus-type badass performance, and failing at it.
4.- Alexander Final Cut/Ultimate Cut (don't remember which one of these two I watched). A confused mess of a movie, Oliver Stone had no idea what he's doing, evidenced by his nonstop attempts at reediting it. This new cut reshuffles the entire thing and has the story nonsensically jump between different time periods, to no real, noticeable improvement. There's ambition, and there's obviously a real care for the history behind it, just all deeply mismanaged. I've given this film more chances than it deserves.
5.- 300. Snyder sucks. I can't tell you how over I am over his ultra-slomo style in year of our lord 2021. Nevermind the ugly-as-fuck green screen aesthetic of this film. It looked cheap in 2007, it certainly doesn't look any better now.
I personally like Kingdom of Heaven director's cut the most but I can see Gladiator taking the top spot for aggregate list. Then it's 300 for just being stupid fun and then Troy. Alexander is last because I can't remember anything g of the movie other than the terrible wigs.
haven't watched the cut of KoH but heard good things about it. Haven't seen that or Troy I don't think. Gladiator is a great film though.
It was actually Ridley Scott himself that decided to butcher his own movie.
If A Knight's Tale counts, that's #1. Vision hamming it up with Wash, Robert Baratheon, and the Joker is pretty amazing. The jousting scenes are legit good as well.
Otherwise, Troy > Gladiator > 300 > KoH. Brad Pitt as Achilles is perfect, as is Hector. Gladiator is pretty great too, but I like big battles. 300 hasn't aged well, I feel like. I'll happily rewatch the others, but never feel that urge for 300.
I haven't seen Alexander, and have not seen KoH Director's Cut, the latter of which it seems I should rectify.
Otherwise, Troy > Gladiator > 300 > KoH. Brad Pitt as Achilles is perfect, as is Hector. Gladiator is pretty great too, but I like big battles. 300 hasn't aged well, I feel like. I'll happily rewatch the others, but never feel that urge for 300.
I haven't seen Alexander, and have not seen KoH Director's Cut, the latter of which it seems I should rectify.
His jumping attacks are so satisfying to watch, hahaFor all its faults, I'll give props to Troy for having one of the best cinematic duels of the 21st century.
1. Gladiator
2. DC of Kingdom of Heaven
3. Troy
4. 300
5. Alexander
As a history guy these were my favorite types of movies back then even if the history part was used very loosely lol. Still waiting for a big budget Flavius Stilicho film or film series :(
2. DC of Kingdom of Heaven
3. Troy
4. 300
5. Alexander
As a history guy these were my favorite types of movies back then even if the history part was used very loosely lol. Still waiting for a big budget Flavius Stilicho film or film series :(
It's a tossup between Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven: Director's Cut. 300 is a step below those two, and I'd say the other ones aren't worth a discussion.
Single combat-wise, the fight between Achilles and Hector is my favourite, topping the fight between Maximus and Commodus.
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Shows just how superior Achilles was, born to kill, to be remembered and glorified for his fighting prowess.
Although, one thing Troy did poorly, was the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus. It wasn't convincing at all, unlike say the way Madeline Miller depicts it in The Song of Achilles.
Yeah watching Troy after reading Song of Achilles was... immensely disappointing from a point of view of Achilles & Patroclus as characters
Gladiator is a much better movie than the others. Troy is the only other good movie. Haven't seen Alexander. Kingdom of Heaven is meh. 300 is pure trash.
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I'd pay good money to see The Song of Achilles adaptated into live action.
Ah well, at least Madeline's Miller Circe is getting an HBO TV show adaptation.
Gladiator is my favorite of those but that might be nostalgia speaking. Kingdom of Heaven DC is the best quality-wise
It's from 2011, but I have soft spot for Immortals too
It's from 2011, but I have soft spot for Immortals too
What was wrong with Brad Pitt as Achillies ? I thought he played the role of the arrogant asshole perfectly
Gladiator is tops, but I enjoyed all of them.
Except, I haven't seen Kingdom of Heaven. I see all the mentions here say Director's Cut. I can watch the movie on Prime Video, but not the DC. I'd have to buy a Blu-Ray.
So what's the deal there? Not worth watching if you don't watch the DC?
Except, I haven't seen Kingdom of Heaven. I see all the mentions here say Director's Cut. I can watch the movie on Prime Video, but not the DC. I'd have to buy a Blu-Ray.
So what's the deal there? Not worth watching if you don't watch the DC?
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Great scene, great performance from an accomplished actor.End of thread.
If rumours are true Ghassan will be playing a Blue Wizard in Amazon's Lord of the Rings TV show.
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The only version of Kingdom of Heaven anyone should be watching is the Director's Cut, it's like a whole different film, compared to the butchered theatrical release.
Gladiator, it was a great return to form for Ridley and as long as you watch the Directors cut, Kingdom of Heaven is superb too.
I never bought him as Achilles. He didn't bring the gravitas necessary for a larger than life role of this sort, something about the delivery of his dialogue felt unnatural. I was unsurprised to recently learn that he was forced to do this movie out of contractual obligations.
He's also framed as the hero but I most definitely never rooted for him, he's frankly deeply unlikeable lol, although I guess that's more a problem with the story.
For me I thought he was suppose to be the asshole whereas the Trojans like Hector and Paris were the 'good guys' lol.
Gladiator is my favorite of these but I've got a soft spot for Troy. As Jett mentioned, Brad Pitt is terribly miscast as Achilles and it's wildly uneven but even its bad moments manage to entertaining me in a so bad it's good way. And my goodness Brian Cox lays the ham thick.
Bonus gif of Brad Pitt and Rose Byrne having a wacky cloth fight.
Bonus gif of Brad Pitt and Rose Byrne having a wacky cloth fight.
I haven't seen the theatrical cut, but I looked it up after watching the director's cut and I honestly don't understand how it's a coherent film. Entire characters are cut out of it - not, like, random supporting characters, either. The entire plot kind of hinges on Baldwin V and he's not even in it!
You can probably rent it digitally somewhere - most storefronts have them up separately and it's only like $4. That's what I did a year or two ago.
Speaking of Kingdom of Heaven, who here is aware of the theory that the knight Hospitaller (David Thewlis) is an angel? Some of the points are a bit of a stretch but it's pretty compelling
I STILL can't fathom how Kingdom of Heaven Extended Cut is so superior to the theatrical movie.
Like, I remember being so skeptical when someone told me the dull, boring, slog of a 2 and a half hour movie was getting nearly an hour of more footage. How was MORE of something I already hated going to dramatically change the film?
Oh. Oh a lot.
It's like all the footage put back in was IMPORTANT. Stuff that explained character motivations. Stuff that made the story flow better. Entire fight sequences and action moments that were exciting. Subplots that made for a far more even-handed, smoothly-flowing experience.
I still don't know how this happened, but it's a masterpiece.
Like, I remember being so skeptical when someone told me the dull, boring, slog of a 2 and a half hour movie was getting nearly an hour of more footage. How was MORE of something I already hated going to dramatically change the film?
Oh. Oh a lot.
It's like all the footage put back in was IMPORTANT. Stuff that explained character motivations. Stuff that made the story flow better. Entire fight sequences and action moments that were exciting. Subplots that made for a far more even-handed, smoothly-flowing experience.
I still don't know how this happened, but it's a masterpiece.
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There are no good guys in The Iliad, just different degrees of horrible people, from child killing fathers and rapists to manipulative and duplicitous liars like Odysseus. Patroclus in some retellings is a decent fellow though.
I think this scene made me irrationally hate Orlando Bloom for over a decade.For all its faults, I'll give props to Troy for having one of the best cinematic duels of the 21st century.
Troy. But because of how Eric Bana's character is the only smart one and gets rekt because he has to do everything himself.
I think it's just a combination of the Hospitaller being the priest of the group plus Thewlis' performance.
Gladiator is an excellent and endlessly entertaining film, but the director's cut for Kingdom of Heaven is a near masterpiece and easily my favorite. I enjoy the others to varying degrees (Alexander and 300 only just, due largely to my love of the genre).