Gladiator II

4 outta 5

Gladiator II may be guilty of copying and pasting a few things from the 2000 original Gladiator film but it’s okay because one is going to want to see Gladiator stuff in a Gladiator film. There is a lot more flab on this sequel even if the movies are pretty much the exact same length. Also try as the film might, the new lead can’t recapture the fiery energy of Russel Crowe’s original hero, Maximus. But this does offer spectacle, looks fantastic, has an interesting continuation of plot points from the original, lots of people getting wrecked with Roman swords, and a nefarious main baddie to supply the aforementioned Gladiator stuff in a Gladiator film.

In Ancient times, the Romans are conquering the world under the rule of the terrible twin Emperors, Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger), who send out their heroic general Acacius (Pedro Pascal) to wage war. His latest conquest was in North Africa, bringing back multiple slaves to fight in the Gladiator pits, such as the strong Hanno (Paul Mescal). General Acacius is tired of making war for the crazy twin Emperors, much to the agreement of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), the daughter of the former Emperor and lover of the deceased hero Gladiator, Maximus, so they plan to overthrow the Emperors and restore peace to Rome. While fighting as a Gladiator, Hanno attracts the attention of an arms dealer, Macrinus (Denzel Washington), who wants to use Hanno’s skills to attract the favour of the Emperors. But as Hanno starts to gain the love of the crowd, it is revealed that he is actually Lucius, the long-lost son of Lucilla and Maximus. Now, like his father before him, Lucius will win in the Gladiator pits although Macrinus is stirring things up enough to bring the Empire to its knees.

One homage to the original, and a mainstay of action movies since forever, is the main hero battling the villain at the climax, recalling Maximus vs. Commodus that ends the original, however here it is Lucius vs Macrinus. While in the original, Commodus stabbed Maximus for an unfair advantage, here Lucius is just tired from a long battle and Macrinus is, like, several decades older than him. And while Denzel can project intimidation, it kind of feels like a young man beating up on a senior citizen. It’s like watching Tyson vs. Paul again! Macrinus has been portrayed as such a terrible person that it is satisfying to see him get trounced (which he does, quite graphically). Washinton’s Macrinus can smile grandly but he will not hesitate to slit someone’s throat for power. He even gets in a monologue while parading around a decapitated head to a bunch of Roman senators to get the point across that he is a bad guy in charge.

Huge chunks of these movies are probably not historically accurate, but they are sword and sandals popcorn spectacle with lots of violence and cool images. Like at one point during the Gladiator games there is a recreation of a sea battle that involves flooding the Colosseum and sending in boats and sharks in the water. Does it make sense? No, but it looks neat. Also, at one point a Gladiator is riding a Rhinoceros and running people over. Probably historically inaccurate but looks damn cool. There is also some good spectacle, opening on a large-scale battle. Structurally and stylistically, there are big chunks that are repeated from Gladiator but, while cribbing from his own movie, Director Ridley Scott provides enough twists to make it different.

Mescal as Lucius seems to have the glowering down right to play the lead in a Gladiator film, but his snarling and righteous rage isn’t anywhere near what Crowe did 24 years ago. The movie keeps bringing up his father, Maximus, a heritage that was never made explicit in the first film. Also Lucius’ journey from Gladiator to Hero hits most of the same beats as Maximus, complete with him refusing to fight in his first training scene. Nielsen is one of the few returning actors from the first film and she adds emotional resonance. Also, there are some striking dramatic twists that happen in the finale that she is a part of. The only other returning vet is Derek Jacobi as a Roman senator who seems even more feeble decades later, and he gets a gory exit. Pascal’s Acacius has an interesting arc as a General tired of war, planning a big conspiracy to overthrow the Emperors. There are a few twists that end with him in the Gladiator pit, and his final scene is a shocker. Hechinger and Quinn as the twin Emperors are deliriously over the top, giving Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus a run for his money in the crazy Roman Emperor department. Quinn’s Emperor Geta is slightly more stable than his brother, as Hechinger’s Caracalla even appoints his pet monkey to a position of political power. Their inevitable confrontation lends some nastiness helped along by Washington’s schemer.

Gladiator II is a solid sequel to a classic action film that sticks a bit close to the shape of the original film. But it has neat twists and epic scale, and things in the Gladiator pit get satisfyingly messy. You are still entertained, although not as fresh as the first time.