Time: 148 Minutes
Age Rating: R16– Bloody violence & cruelty
Cast:
Paul Mescal as Lucius “Hanno” Verus
Denzel Washington as Macrinus
Pedro Pascal as Marcus Acacius
Connie Nielsen as Lucilla
Joseph Quinn as Emperor Geta
Fred Hechinger as Emperor Caracalla
Director: Ridley Scott

Gladiator II was one of my most anticipated movies of 2024. The legacy sequel to the original film released 24 years earlier would have Ridley Scott returning to direct, and star a great cast in Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington. I was curious to see what Scott had in mind for this follow up, and while it doesn’t quite live up to the hype, it is still quite good.

The story itself is functional and decent enough, but it definitely has some problems. The sequel has opted to continue the story of Gladiator by following Lucius, the son of Connie Nielsen’s character Lucilla. The problem is, I just didn’t find his story that interesting. Not that Maximus’s revenge story in the first film was particularly special, but you were invested in it. You don’t get that with Lucius, his revenge plot is very fast tracked and lacks the emotional depth or punch that it needed. Perhaps it wouldn’t be unfavourably compared to the original if it didn’t take so much from it. Revisiting Gladiator before watching its sequel, so much of the story felt like retreading old territory. It covers similar themes with revenge, betrayal, honour and pride, but also many plot points and characters feel recycled or remixed. Not only is it similar to the original, it calls back to that first movie a number of times. So if you never watched the original, you might be able to follow along with the sequel, but much of the intended emotional beats won’t hit that hard. Not that the old formula it is falling back on is inherently bad, it’s just not executed nearly as well, and I actually quite liked the parts where it differed from that first movie (which come mainly in the second half). That said, as a remix of the original, it is still quite enjoyable, with a simple revenge plot, political intrigue and large scale and bloody gladiator battles.

Gladiator II is very fast paced and is constantly entertaining from beginning to end. At the same time, it feels like it skimps on a lot of the character and emotional depth, which the first movie allowed time for. It is a little harder to care about or be invested in the characters here, despite their potential. While the editing or structure didn’t feel messy or choppy, it feels almost cut down. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Ridley Scott ends up releasing yet another considerably longer and superior director’s cut. The final act did feel relatively weak with its resolution, especially with the climax. However, it does at least aim to be something different from being just a copy paste of the original’s climax.

Paul Mescal plays the protagonist Lucius. Getting it out of the way, he doesn’t have the screen presence that Russell Crowe had in the original film. That’s not to say that Mescal is bad, in fact he’s quite good and brings all the required physicality and emotion. I just also don’t think that Lucius is a compelling enough character, in concept or execution. The film doesn’t do the character or Mescal any favours by constantly making him deliver big speeches which deliberately call back to Crowe’s Maximus, because they just don’t feel believable or really work all that well. Pedro Pascal is also good in his role as a conflicted and reluctant general, and the target of Mescal’s revenge. That dynamic between the two actors/characters  definitely had potential but we didn’t get quite enough of it, and Pascal felt oddly underused. It’s a shame, because I was actually more interested in his character than Lucius. Connie Nielsen is good as her role of Lucilla, one of the only characters to return from the first movie. Although like Pascal, she also feels underutilized. Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger are great as the two evil emperors of Rome, over the top and unhinged, incompetent yet dangerous. That said, I really wished that we spent more time with them and learnt about them. Denzel Washington is absolutely the standout and scene stealer of the movie. While he’s very much in a supporting role, he felt like the star of the movie. As his scheming and conniving character, he’s compelling and delightful to watch, and it would’ve been a lesser movie without him.

Ridley Scott unsurprisingly directs this incredibly well, he’s once again made a film that feels epic and on such a large scale, and it was great to watch on the big screen. The cinematography is stunning, and the production design and costumes are top notch. However, it’s the action and battle sequences which shine the most, especially the scenes in the Colosseum. It goes all out with the intense combat, it doesn’t hold back and is ruthless and gnarly at points. The fights are choreographed and captured well, despite the occasional moments of weird looking CGI. Harry Gregson-Williams’s score is decent enough and builds off the score in the first movie, even if it’s not nearly as memorable.

Gladiator II isn’t as good or compelling as the first film and it definitely retreads some old territory. However, it is a solid, entertaining and well directed historical epic and sequel, with great action set pieces and stellar performances.