Russell Crowe was clearly not impressed with Gladiator II . More than a year after the release of the historical epic directed by Ridley Scott, the actor shared that the creative team behind the sequel did not quite understand what made the first one, which earned him an Oscar and helped him define his career, truly special. He portrayed Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 film, which Ridley also directed.

“The recent sequel that we don’t have to name out loud is a really good example of, even the people in that engine room not actually understanding what made that first one special," Russell said while speaking to Australian radio station Triple J. According to him, the heart of Gladiator never lay in the scale or action sequences, but in its moral core.

He explained, “It wasn’t the

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