Review: Gladiator II
It’s been 24 years, but Ridley Scott finally took us back into the Colosseum for Gladiator II. While it lacks compared to its 2000 predecessor, it also shares many of its strengths.
Paul Mescal plays the grown Lucius Verus Aurelius, who was forced to flee Rome after the events of Gladiator. Finding a new life in Numidia, his wife is killed, and he is captured when the invading Roman army, led by General Acacius (Pedro Pascal), attacks and conquers their city. Thrown into the arena, Lucius catches the eye of Macrinus (Denzel Washington), who promises Acacius’ head to Lucius in exchange for Lucius fighting for him in the arena, all of which is part of a grander scheme Macrinus has in mind. The plot of Gladiator II is more complicated than Gladiator, but that’s not always a good thing. The original film’s simplicity lets audiences instantly know the stakes, leading to a grand showdown in the arena between Maximus and Commodus. Gladiator II has a lot of similar beats to Gladiator, but the third act gets a bit hazy. There’s a point where Lucius gets what he initially set out to achieve, but the movie can’t seem to figure out what it wants him to do after that. There’s also the seemingly odd disconnect between the movie and the marketing where it seems clear that Scott wanted the reveal of Lucius’ true identity and parentage to be a big moment that was built up to in the movie, but the marketing material, like the trailers and the IMDB plot summary, outright reveal it. It takes a bit away from some of the drama since you already know who Lucius is, and it makes you feel at times like you are way ahead of the characters in the movie as some of them start to realize who Lucius is. The Macrinus plotline is one of the highlights and features some delicious twists and manipulations from Denzel as he works to increase his power and influence over the tyrannical and petulant twin emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) who rule Rome based on their violent whims.
One area where Gladiator II can stand toe-to-toe with its predecessor is the battle and fight scenes. Ridley Scott can go even grander with the 20+ years of advancement in special effects, and there are sequences in Gladiator II that probably were impossible to implement back in 2000. The opening battle is incredible as a fleet of Roman warships bombard and siege Numidia, and it feels massive in scale. In the arena, there is a fantastic sequence where the Colosseum is flooded for a reenactment of a historical naval battle, and another fight earlier in the movie features Lucius and his fighters having to battle some of the most vicious-looking baboons in movie history. One downside to all the action is the lack of Hans Zimmer. Zimmer chose not to return, and while Harry Gregson-Williams does a serviceable job, this probably isn’t going to become one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time like Gladiator was.
Paul Mescal does a fine job as Lucius, delivering a suitably stoic performance, but there’s something about peak 2000s Russell Crowe that is impossible to top or replicate. The supporting gladiator cast is a bit lacking, as there’s no Djimon Hounsou or Ralf Moller that Lucius bonds with outside of Ravi (Alexander Karim), a former gladiator now a fighter’s doctor. The imperial court is where a lot of focus is this time; as people try to survive the erratic and dangerous whims of Geta and Caracalla, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) still works secretly to return Rome to the republic her father dreamt about. Acacius questions his duty to Rome after seeing so much death. It feels like the ratio of scenes that featured Maximus and Commodus is flipped for Gladiator II. Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger go all out as Geta and Caracalla and make them feel both laughable and terrifying at the same time. Denzel isn’t attempting anything resembling a historically accurate (or at least correct for Hollywood) for his character, but his usual mannerisms and charisma continue to make him electric to watch, and he does a great job of keeping Macrinus in the gray as far as whose side he is on for any given scene. Connie Nielsen is as good as she was in the first movie but doesn’t get to do much different from what she did in Gladiator, although her loyalties to her son and husband, Acacius, add an interesting dynamic. Speaking of actors coming back, someone needs to be arrested or fined for the crimes committed against the great Derek Jacobi, who returns as Senator Gracchus but has barely any lines and doesn’t get to do anything until he meets an undignified end sometime in the latter part of the movie.
Long-delayed sequels are often a gamble, but Gladiator II pays off as a captivating historical epic. It may not entirely reach the grandeur of its 2000 predecessor, yet its impressive action scenes and stunning visuals deliver a cinematic experience that’s well worth the theater visit. With visceral thrills and standout performances, Gladiator II is a worthy follow-up to the legendary saga.
