Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Gladiator II is directed by Ridley Scott, and is the sequel to the Academy Award-winning movie Gladiator from 2000. This sequel stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, and Denzel Washington. Sixteen years after the death of Maximus Decimus Meridius, Rome is being ruled by two corrupt and insane twin Emperors. Lucius Verus is now thrown into the arena as a gladiator, wanting revenge on the one who killed his wife. For many years, Ridley Scott wanted to make Gladiator II and now it’s finally here. While some fans were excited, some were skeptical. Was a sequel to a movie considered one of the best all-time movies necessary?
Gladiator II is well-directed and has great cinematography. For a director who is closer to ninety years old, Scott manages to make this big swords and sandals epic that is becoming less common these days. Ancient Rome looks great, the action is fun to watch and well choreographed, and the costumes look great. The naval battle scene in the Colosseum with the sharks was cool and entertaining despite the historical inaccuracies. Harry Gregson-Williams’s score starts uninteresting but gets better as the movie progresses. The score is at its best when it pays homage to Han Zimmer’s original score, which is miles better.
The best performances were by Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington. Pascal plays Marcus Acacius, a general who Lucius wants to kill. While you understand why Lucius wants revenge, Marcus is a sympathetic character who can’t stand how corrupt Rome has gotten and is close to Lucius’s mom, Lucilla, building up conflict with the audience for when Lucius and Marcus eventually face off. Washington plays Macrinus, who purchases Lucius to be a gladiator. Washington shows flashes of his Training Day character in his performance, playing many sides in this movie and manipulating characters. His performance was my favorite in the film.
Paul Mescal plays Lucius this time, and while his performance was fine, it pales when compared to Russell Crowe as Maximus from the previous movie. Of the main actors, I thought he gave the weakest performance. Connie Nielsen is still good at portraying Lucilla, who is still fighting for the dream of Rome that her father, Marcus Aurelius, and Maximus believed in.. Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger play the Emperor twins, who are even more insane and corrupt than Commodus. While they are entertaining and dangerous, Commodus is still a better villain.
An issue with Gladiator II is the story is all too familiar. A man wanting to avenge his loved ones, becoming a slave who becomes a gladiator, is the same plot as the original Gladiator. The plot does have some differences to prevent itself from being an exact copy. The movie has a rocky start where stuff is happening too quickly but manages to slow itself down and get better as the movie progresses. It makes some decisions that could be hits or misses with some fans, particularly with Lucius’s origin. At first, I was conflicted with the choice made but grew to accept it as the film progressed.
Overall, I was entertained by Gladiator II. Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal gave the best performances. Rome, the costumes, and the action are still top-notch. The plot is predictable, but I was entertained. While the first Gladiator would have been fine on its own, it was fun to revisit, and see what happened next. My final grade for Gladiator II is a B+. For a movie that doesn’t seem necessary, it’s still well made, entertaining, well acted, and an interesting revisit into Ridley Scott’s Gladiator universe. Fans will be divided on some things, but the movie does not ruin Gladiator from 2000. There are rumors that Scott wants to make a third movie, but it’s best to end the story here. If you are a fan of Ridley Scott and historical epic films, I recommend you check this film out.
What are your thoughts on Gladiator II? Let us know in the comments below.
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