Movie Reviews
“Gladiator II” – Has the Potential for Being Entertaining
I enjoyed watching the nostalgic flashbacks from Gladiator in the intro scene. It built up my expectations for the next chapter in the Roman Empire saga, which takes place 16 years after the epic battle between Maximus and Commodus.
Ridley Scott marginally captivated my attention with Gladiator II. The film had great potential, but the action scenes took away from the storyline. The headliners appeared to have missed the mark and did not connect with their character. There were also unnecessary comical scenes – the type of humor that is unsuitable for a corrupt Roman Empire theme.
I believe the highlight of the movie was the reveal of Hanno as Lucius Farris Verus (Paul Mescal), the heir to the Roman Empire and son of Maximus Decimus Meridius and Lucilla (Connie Nielsen). Nielsen’s performance was great and contributed in linking the storyline. As for Mescal, it took him about half of the movie to finally enliven Lucius and gain momentum. Mescal took on a huge role but demonstrated that he is able to illustrate his character and bring action to the screen.

It was interesting to see Denzel Washington in the role of Macrinus, a former slave turned gladiator, to now an arms dealer. Macrinus is a wild character. Denzel gave out too much of the New York gangster vibes, which seemed odd for the Common Era. However, his sword fight scene with Lucius (Mescal) had some intensity but was short-lived.
As for Pedro Pascal’s character Marcus Acacius, he wasn’t given enough depth. It felt more like a special appearance, there for reference. Same goes for Joseph Quinn’s character Emperor Geta. There is something about Geta that is intriguing and left me with wanting to know more about his background and his mentioned illness from “his loin to his head”.

Throughout the film there were several Gladiator flashbacks, which was exciting, but it was more of a filler to retain the audience attention. Screenwriter David Scarpa, who also wrote the screenplay for Gladiator, presented a strong storyline for the sequel, but was clouded by the cast of characters and exaggerated low-quality special effects. Specifically, the naval battle scene where the Colosseum is flooded to accommodate huge boats and some sharks for added entertainment. Yes, there are historical theories that the Colosseum was flooded by Titus and Domitian for naval battles, but the water would be approximately 5 feet deep, and they used flat bottom boats (more like canoes).
Spoiler Alert!
Gladiator II was rather entertaining, but it left me with these dubious questions: If Geta named his pet monkey Dundus as successor, why is he not Caesar? If Lucius succeeded in reigning the power as Caesar and Rome is being given back to the people, why does he grab a fist full of dirt in the arena and asks for the spirit of his father to talk to him? Are we going to see a Gladiator III?
Movie Reviews
Yadang – The Snitch: A Surprisingly Riveting Crime Action Movie (Review)
When a swift street smart Lee Kang-soo (Kang Ha-neul) finds himself in jail for being unjustly accused as a meth dealer, he encounters an eager prosecutor, Goo Gwan-hee (Yoo Hai-jin), who offers to reduce Lee’s sentence by having him work as a snitch, “Ya-Dang”. However, when it comes to sting operations and using Ya-Dangs, narcotics officer Oh Sang-jae (Park Hae-joon ) becomes suspicious of Goo’s techniques, and it appears he might be involved in a convoluted criminal network.

This South Korean film, Yadang – The Snitch, has a well written storyline with many exiting and unsuspected plot twists, from betrayal, corruption, to settling the score revenge. Director Hwang Byeng-Gug exercised good judgement not implementing exaggerated CGI’s and kept the action scenes interesting and grounded.


The trio of main characters had great development, with outstanding cast members giving flawless performances.
Promising actor Kang Ha-neul, best known for Squid Game 2, knows how to deliver a combination of dynamic action with humor. Kang was well-suited to portray the sharp dressed, charismatic Lee Kang-soo.


Yoo Hai-jin was impressive transforming his role and building the underlying forces, while Park Hae-joon maintained a well balanced role that rises to the occasion.
Besides the entertaining action, the traditional South Korean food culture was incorporated throughout many of the scenes giving it a delicious element – It left me craving those noodles! Also, the post credits were a nice dessert of laughter.
With absolute certainty this movie is fantastic, and I am hopeful for a sequel.
Yadang – The Snitch will be in theaters April 25, 2025, in the US and Canada.

Movie Reviews
‘Good Boy’: An exceptional haunting film from a dog’s perception. – Review
Have you ever wondered why your furry companion stares at the wall or barks when there is nothing around? In this independent horror film, it presents a possible explanation to why your dog behaves in a peculiar manner. Good Boy is a unique take on creating a horror film where the main character is Indy, an adorable loyal dog that will do what it takes to protect his human friend and not leave his side.
Indy made his grand entrance at the 2025 SXSW in Austin, Texas and captivated the audience with his handsome furry coat and charming face. Indy was trained by his owners Kari Fischer and Ben Leonberg, along with the help of a professional trainer. It took more than 400 days (over the course of a couple of years) to complete filming due to the specific commands and desired behaviors that Indy had to learn, but most importantly ensuring his comfort and safety.
You can watch the video here of Indy showing off his impressive skills during the Q&A with Ben Leonberg and Kari Fischer (aka dog parents).
The screenplay was written by Alex Cannon and Ben Leonberg, who also directed the film. They created a unique perspective of a horror film by developing the storyline from a dog’s point of view.
The film begins with Todd in his apartment looking catatonic with indications that he might be suffering from an illness. Indy is by his side and appears to be uncomfortable and restless witnessing Todd being lethargic. Todd decides to move out of the city to the family’s countryside home and takes his loyal dog, Indy, with him. It is here where the supernatural forces lurk in the shadows and Indy feels its strange presence.
The scenes have all those spooky elements a horror, suspense film should have – the dark rooms, chilling sounds, creepy shadows, and thunderous storms. There is even a mysterious cemetery that is part of the property. It is said that dogs have a sixth sense, and this film depicts the fear and concern from Indy that death may be lurking around.
If you are a dog owner or an avid dog lover, Good Boy will touch your emotions as you observe Indy’s faithfulness and courage to save his owner, Todd, from whatever entity haunting them.
Movie Reviews
Dreambreaker: A Pickleball Story – Review
This documentary film shines light on the sport of pickleball and the competition against leagues to cash in on the now popular sport. Two wealthy Texas entrepreneurs form rivals in professional pickleball leagues and feud over obtaining contracts on the world’s top players.

Austin billionaire Steve Kuhn, a hedge fund manager turned philanthropist, and sports mogul built Dreamland, an outdoor entertainment and arts venue in Dripping Springs, Texas located in the Hill Country. The site features 16 dedicated pickleball courses, miniature golf courses, and one state of the art music stage.
In 2021, Kuhn co-founded Major League Pickleball (MLP) and held tournaments in Dreamland. I was surprised to learn how this sport evolved into a franchise and attracted investors like Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry, and elite athletes like LeBron James, Patrick Mahomes, and even Drew Brees.

Like in all investments and in sports there is always a competitor – here is where Connor Pardoe steps onto the court. Pardoe formed the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) back in 2018, which required the players to sign a one year exclusive contract and transformed the industry from a recreational activity to a burgeoning sports powerhouse. The PPA then gets a new player, investor Thomas Dundon a chairman and managing partner of Dundon Capital Partners in Dallas, Texas. Dundon extended the exclusivity contracts to 3 years.
This sporty film has the tournament founders going head to head, evolving the sport into social media influencers, and chasing the gold. It also stars John McEnroe, no stranger to sport action drama.


Pickleball fanatics and those curious about the sport will find this documentary interesting, maybe even have more people interested in participating in playing pickleball or as a spectator.
The documentary is produced and directed by Ashley Underwood and written and produced by Craig Coyne is set to premiere Friday, April 11 on truTV and also will be streaming afterwards on the Max platform.
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