“Gladiator II” Review

Paul Mescal leads the rousing cast of “Gladiator II”, the sequel to Ridley Scott’s beloved epic film for which he returns as director.

To be perfectly honest, I don’t think I’m as big of a fan of “Gladiator” as everyone else. Don’t get me wrong, I like Ridley Scott’s action epic but I was astounded to discover that it beat out films like “Traffic” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” for Best Picture. So, going into “Gladiator II”, I had no strong feelings for this sequel one way or the other. But watching the film, I was absolutely enthralled. While I would say I like “Gladiator II” as much as the original, this film offers interesting performances and a ton of spectacle, resulting in a film that displays all the qualities that make Ridley Scott an excellent entertainer after decades of bringing great films to us common folk. 

Set twenty years after the first film, Rome is in chaos with the tyrannical rule of twin emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) who demand that General Acacius (Pedro Pascal) conquer new lands to solidify their pompous reign. In one of those cities conquered by Rome, Lucius (Paul Mescal), the grandson of Emperor Marcus Aurellius who witnessed Maximus Decimus Meriduius kill the evil emperor Commodus in the first film, becomes a slave and gladiator after losing everything to Rome. Consumed with vengeance, Lucius becomes a servant of the ambitious Macrinus (Denzel Washington) to exact his justice against evil and to topple the power structure of Rome. 

While sequels made decades later are often looked at with healthy skepticism at best, there are some that defy this atmosphere of pessimism like “The Color of Money” and “Blade Runner 2049”. “Gladiator II” embodies this and the decision to have this film focus on the character of Lucius more than justifies the return to such an incredible world from the pages of history. Paul Mescal brings such a life to this film with a truly compelling performance that feels like a worthy follow-up to Russell Crowe’s Oscar-winning turn as Maximus. The intensity he has, mixed with his disdain for the corruption of Rome’s rulers make him a compelling protagonist and shows why Mescal is one of our brightest actors of this new generation. 

Compared to the first film, I love the drama “Gladiator II” much more. The original is a very good film but it’s a pretty simple story of vengeance between a righteous, wronged hero and a tyrannical emperor. But that’s where the beauty of the film is: its simplicity and breathtaking atmosphere. However, this film does change things up because it makes you question who the real villain is. Is it General Acacius, the emperors or Macrinus? Pedro Pascal is a compelling foil to Mescal because Acacius is responsible for sacking the city Lucius called home and for driving him into slavery. However, Acacius isn’t too fond of the conquest he engages in because he knows it’s all for the vanity of the twin emperors and has no honor in it. The twin emperors bring the chaotic madness that Joaquin Phoenix relished in with the first film with both Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger having such a ball with their power. 

But out of all the engaging performances in “Gladiator II”, Denzel Washington stands out from the rest as Macrinus. Throughout the film, you’re wondering what his motivation is with taking Lucius under his wing as a gladiator. Is he a benevolent angel or a scheming plotter? Washington completely immerses himself in this murky character and plays him from all kinds of angles: kind and sympathetic to cunning and cruel. It’s truly some of the finest acting I’ve seen from Washington and makes for the best performance in the film. 

With all of these performances and a gripping tale of vengeance, conquest and survival, Ridley Scott taps into his flair for the spectacle with jaw-dropping action sequences, especially where The Colosseum is concerned. Despite many historians telling us so, we had yet to see Romans fill this colossal arena with water for naval battles (something I’m sure Cecil B. DeMille would’ve liked to have done it if he didn’t die after making “The Ten Commandments”). Fortunately, Ridley Scott has taken the opportunity to show this triumph of ancient engineering and it is glorious. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t say that this film, despite being historical fiction, does boast plenty of inaccuracies regarding the environment the film takes place in (like how the hell the Romans would have gotten sharks into the mainland of Europe for gladiatorial games) that are sure to drive historians nuts. Despite not being incredibly knowledgeable of the Roman Empire, even I could spot flaws in the timeline. But I think we’ve come to expect that from Ridley Scott. Sometimes his straying from history results in great films like “Gladiator” and “Kingdom of Heaven” while others, like “Exodus: Gods and Kings” and especially “1492: Conquest of Paradise”, are egregious. In this case, the overall drama and spectacle far outweighs the historical context. With that said, it would be nice if more filmmakers paid closer attention to the true insanity of our past instead of trying to make things up. 

If there’s one word I would use to describe “Gladiator II’, it’s epic and, quite frankly, there aren’t many filmmakers working outside of big franchises that can make this kind of epic. Sure it’s a sequel to a classic but what kind of studio would give hundreds of millions to make a historical film set in Rome without someone like Ridley Scott attached? It’s a rarity and that’s why I was enthralled with this sequel. “Gladiator II” somehow manages to stand on its own while also paying tribute to the influential original. It’s no easy task but somehow this film managed to pull it off.