Much has been made of Ridley Scott’s (Prometheus, Robin Hood) films in the last decade or so as being a far cry from those earlier in his career. Highly anticipated, high-budget films such as House of Gucci, The Last Duel, Gladiator II, and Napoleon have failed to deliver either critically or financially. While three of the films turned a profit, The Last Duel grossed just $30 million off a $100 million budget, though it was the highest-rated of the four on Rotten Tomatoes (critics), IMDB, and Metacritic. I saw all four in the theater. I thought The Last Duel was great, Gladiator II was good, and the other two were terrible. The budget for his most recent film, The Dog Stars, was around $80 million, similar to House of Gucci and The Last Duel. Based on its audience and critics’ scores (40%, 71% on Rotten Tomatoes) and opening-weekend box office gross of just $8 million, The Dog Stars appears to be well on its way to being a massive flop. This will be a shame as it’s a pretty good, albeit flawed, film. Continue reading The Dog Stars (2026)
Category Archives: Ridley Scott
Gladiator II (2024)
Sometimes, sequels aren’t needed. They are often used as quick, easy cash grabs, more than anything else. I can’t fault those involved. I used to get frustrated about my favorite films getting unnecessary sequels, though not nearly as upset with remakes of my favorite movies. I now accept that sequels, remakes, reboots, and prequels will continue to exist as long as profits remain high. But that doesn’t mean the producers, directors, cast, etc., only need to go through the motions, pick up their paycheck, and call it a day before moving on to their next project. Gladiator II is a movie that didn’t need to be made and didn’t have the most original story. However, despite its lack of need and poor script, it is a captivating film, rich in action sequences, visuals, and sound. It’s not a film to seek out, though if you watch it, the best way to experience it is on as large a screen as possible with surround sound.
Napoleon (2023)
Gladiator, The Last Duel, Blade Runner, or Alien, it is not. Ridley Scott’s Napoleon was my most anticipated movie of 2023. The elements were in place. It had the director. It had the actor Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line, Joker). It had the story. Yet, the pieces never came together. Instead, it was a two-hour, 38-minute chaotic mess that offered no logical scene transitions, little character connection, and easily forgettable battle scenes that left much to be desired. This film was a catastrophic failure in many ways.
House of Gucci (2021)
I have been hesitant to claim that movies are progressively getting worse. However, it’s getting to the point where there are only a few outstanding films each year, whereas there used to be upward of a dozen. Last year, the best movies were Promising Young Woman and News of the World, two that, while suitable, wouldn’t have even made my Top 10 a decade ago. This year might even be worse. As we enter December, the best movie I’ve seen is a quiet little movie called Blue Bayou, which could get some late Oscar buzz, but it’s unlikely to sneak into critics’ top lists like Sound of Metal did a year ago. Likewise, movies such as The Last Duel, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and King Richard have had some excellent individual acting performances but have underwhelmed as a whole. The same can be said of Ridley Scott’s (Alien, Black Hawk Down) flat House of Gucci.
The Last Duel (2021)
Ridley Scott’s (Aliens, All the Money in the World) The Last Duel has been my most anticipated theater-going experience since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the last 19 months, I’ve been to the movie theater 20-25 times, far more than anyone I know. Theater attendance is down, as would be expected. I purchased a ticket 15 minutes after the previews started (customary for me when I see movies alone). My showing was at 11:00 a.m., but it was also the day after it was released. There were 15 moviegoers in a theater that held 250. It’s been a struggle to get back to the theater, especially with many movies having a same-day Video on Demand release or a release to popular streaming services much sooner than pre-pandemic days.