Continuing the trend of late sequels to great movies, Gladiator II is here. It’s a lot like the original, but not as good.
Lucius, son of Maximus, is now a grown man living as a soldier in Northern Africa, fighting alongside his wife. After being attacked by the forces of Roman General Acacius (Pedro Pascal), Lucius’s wife is killed and he is taken prisoner.
It’s a straightforward way to get Lucius (now going by the name Hanno) into the arena as a gladiator, but it’s the start of the movie feeling like a rehash. One could argue that the best sequel to Gladiator wouldn’t be another story centered around the fights in the Colosseum, but one where Lucius leads forces to avenge his father’s death and make his dream of Rome a reality. This sequel tries to do both and it leads to mixed results.
It’s the paradox of late sequels like this one. A sequel that comes over 20 years after release of the original will try to appeal to a new generation who probably haven’t seen the first one, while fans of the original will want to see something new that pays off what occurred in the earlier version. Then again, by calling the movie Gladiator II, the studio is already telling people “You might wanna watch the other one first” -- which makes the idea of a sequel -- that’s also a rehash -- even more baffling. It’s hard to follow the logic of Hollywood.
Paul Mescal as Lucius delivers a decent performance, and while he can play the part of an experienced warrior very well, he struggles with moments where intense emotion is required. Due to the similarities with the first movie, you can’t help but compare him to Russell Crow, and he doesn’t measure up to his predecessor’s performance.
Luckily for us, Denzel Washington is also in the film as Macrinus, a wealthy man who sponsors Lucius to further his political machinations. Washington’s performance ranges from a quiet deviousness to wackily flamboyant. It’s interesting how he’s both the villain in the shadows and also Lucius’s best ally, but the lack of an interesting motivation leaves Macrinus’s character as shallow. He still manages steals the show, which isn’t hard to do.
Pedro Pascal is also great and he delivers a much more measured performance. His character is a lot more interesting than Lucius’s, given his position as general who also wants to see change in Rome. In another world, there’s a version of this movie where he’s the main character and the result is leagues better.
While the spectacle of the arena scenes is entertaining, there are several moments when the CG effects are distracting due to their unconvincing nature. Beyond the spectacle of combat is the story of political unrest as Rome suffers under twin emperors who are cartoonishly wacky and so idiotic that their downfall could be seen from a mile away. Every aspect of the film is a mixed bag aside from the score by the legendary Harry Gregson-Williams.
Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II tells a story that tries to make a poetic follow-up to the brilliant original in ways that often seem forced. Its best moments are overshadowed by its flaws and the even larger shadow of its predecessor. It’s watchable if you just want a blockbuster that will kill two hours of your time while you eat popcorn. However, those looking for a great sequel or something with more substance will be left disappointed.
Author Bio:
Ulises Duenas is a senior writer and film critic at Highbrow Magazine.
For Highbrow Magazine