MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Epic Historical Action/Stars: Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Sir Derek Jacobi, Peter Mensah, Matt Lucas, Alexander Karim, Tim McInnerny, Rory McCann, Yuval Gonen, Alec Utgoff, Yann Gael/Runtime: 148 minutes
If you were to ask me to name 7 movies from the long-ago year 2000 to you right away and give me 3-4 minutes to do so then I have no doubt in my mind that one of the titles that would be part of the list you would have me (for some weird reason) rattling off to you would be the movie Gladiator. Of course, that shouldn’t be nearly as much of a surprise as some of you might think it to be. I mean not only did it win Best Picture at the year’s Oscars, get Russell Crowe his 2nd of 3 straight Oscar nods (to say nothing of his sole win of the 3), and prove to be the 2nd highest grossing film of the year, but (and on a perhaps more important note) it’s just a freaking awesome movie period. Not just because of the lines which to this day are still uttered with glee by people, but because the action beats are incredible, the direction by Sir Ridley Scott holds up even after close to 25 years (as of this writing), the story is genuinely intriguing, and it’s just (for people 15 and up) a genuinely remarkable movie through and through….So naturally with such a slice of cinema it should not be too much of an eyebrow raiser to learn that, ever since it’s initial release, there have been grumblings of various decibel levels that a sequel was in the works. Of course, due to a variety of factors, most of the ideas for said follow-up were abandoned either because they weren’t feasible, they were just plain stupid, or some hybrid of the two. As a result, I think a lot of movie goers (myself included) had definitely felt that this was one cinematic Roman-themed vessel that had left port and was never coming back. Or at least that was the case until a few months ago when I heard that at long last a Gladiator II was in fact coming to theaters and among its cast was none other than screen legend Denzel Washington. Suffice it to say that, being both a life-long fan of both Denzel and Ridley Scott, it was those 2 together for the first time since 2007’s American Gangster that made me decide to go and check this slice of cinema out for you today. Imagine my complete and utter happiness then to tell you that this is actually not as bad as I feared it was going to be; rather I found myself, if you’ll pardon the expression, fairly entertained. To be sure, it’s not on the same level as its predecessor, but with the aid of fairly solid work on both sides of the camera Gladiator II is still one long-in-the-wings follow-up that is as engaging for fans of the original as it hopefully will be for movie lovers stepping foot into this distinct cinematic arena made up of equal parts blood and sleazy political machinations for the very first time.
The plot is as follows: Taking place 16 years after the events of the first film, Gladiator II gets its story underway by showing us that, in the time since, things have changed in Ancient Rome though not entirely for the better. To be fair, there is a fair amount of wealth and prosperity going around should one know how to play the game in order to acquire it for themselves and yes the social atmosphere isn’t exactly one that I would willing go out into without having a dagger handy lest someone else try to stab me in the back first. At the same time however, not only is Rome now ruled by a pair of fairly amoral (to put it lightly) emperor siblings named Geta and Caligula ehhh Caracalla (my bad), but the Senate has become even more corrupt in the ensuing decade plus to say nothing of the fact that there also does seem to be more than a fair amount of time being spent on having the army, now under the command of one General Marcus Acacius, go out and seemingly conquer everyone in sight. Incidentally it is one of those conquering trips that sets our story in motion since it is during the invasion of a province known as Numidia that we are introduced to a young Roman refugee by the name of Lucius Verus. A young man who finds himself being taken captive and made to fight against a group of wild monkeys in order to promote his potential as a member of that distinct group in Roman culture known as gladiators. It is during this fight incidentally that we see Lucius catch the attention of an individual by the name of Macrinus. A man who, among other attributes worth knowing about him, was at one time a gladiator himself, but who has since managed to carve out quite the respectable niche as a quasi-sorta trainer/manager and an arms dealer providing vital supplies to the populace of Rome. Yet despite the fact that our hero wants nothing to do with the gladiatorial lifestyle, we see that he eventually acquiesces to the idea following Macrinus promising him that he will provide him with an opportunity to avenge his loved ones and kill Acacius should he win enough matches in Rome. Thus, it isn’t long before Lucius is getting the chance to show what he can do with his incredible fighting skill becoming the must-see event in the Colosseum (at least until Jake Paul and a faulty Netflix connection try to get in on the action, but I digress). At the same time though, it is also starting to become clear that Macrinus might have a hidden agenda of his own. One that involves not only our hero and Acacius, but some other familiar faces, the emperor siblings, and potentially all of Rome as well. Thus, can our hero effectively channel his grief and rage to get his revenge on those who took what he loved most or is this one fight that’s going to cost him more than he could ever imagine?
Now right off the tip of the gladiatorial sword, it should be said that the work done by the individual teams operating behind the camera on this cinematic outing, while not entirely on the level of what we as movie goers were treated to with its predecessor, still manage to do their parts and make this as engaging of a viewing experience as it ultimately turns out to be. Without a doubt in my mind by any stretch of the imagination, this starts with the work done from the director’s chair by Sir Ridley Scott and, for a guy who is in 5 days (as of this writing) about to celebrate his 87th birthday, I find myself in respectful awe of the man’s still as incredible as ever gift for bringing audiences films that are very much a treat for all 5 senses. Indeed not only does Scott present audiences here with a story that is fairly engaging due to its intriguing blend of new ingredients and ones we have seen before, but he does a phenomenal job here of conjuring up the world of Ancient Rome for movie goers on a level that I can’t see someone even half his age pulling off with this degree of style and spectacle. To be sure it’s not the most historically accurate in the world (something that should not come as a surprise to long-time fans of Scott’s filmography especially after 2023’s Napoleon), but it also cannot be said that what Scott delivers here (pardon the throwback) is not some degree of entertaining. Along with the work done by Scott at the helm, this slice of cinema also contains a fairly well-done script written by now 3-time Scott collaborator David Scarpa following them joining forces on both 2017’s All the Money in the World and the aforementioned Napoleon. Yet whereas I really enjoyed the work Scarpa did on the script for the former, I really do feel like this might be a teeny-tiny bit better. This is because what Scarpa has given audiences here is more than just a script that respects this film’s predecessor (perhaps a bit too much at times), but also one that (despite a fair bit of disjointedness at the start) manages to come into its own and not only construct for us characters worth following, but also be wonderful degrees of both tense and suspenseful. Not just toward the outcome of the incredible action beats that this film possesses, but also toward the sleazy and slithery political intrigue weaving its way throughout the story as well. Along with the work done by those two departments, this film does benefit from having its’ predecessor’s cinematographer, one John Mathieson, come back to those duties here. Indeed not only does Mathieson’s work brilliantly synch up with Scott’s direction in capturing the epic and larger than life feel of Ancient Rome on display here, but he also succeeds in making the action beats on display feel dynamic, lively, and absolutely engrossing as well. Last, but certainly not least I feel like this section would be lacking if I didn’t talk about the work done by Henry Gregson-Williams on this film’s musical accompaniment and I must admit I was a tad bit let down. To be sure, this is not the worst score I have ever heard, but honestly I felt like the score here (unlike the one provided by Hans Zimmer for the first film) was less rousing and epic and more in the vein of well-done gladiatorial elevator music to whatever you are seeing unfurl before you on screen at the time. Suffice it to say that when you also incorporate into this distinct brew well-done work from the visual effects, costume, and editing departments it’s clear that this slice of cinema might not share the same pedestal as its predecessor, but it is still a more than worthy follow-up all the same.
In addition to the more than capable work done by the units operating behind the camera, this slice of cinema is also the blessed recipient of a collection of performances in front of the camera that, while not flawless, are still fairly solidly brought to life despite some in the group doing far more with the material than others. Without question, this starts with the lead turn provided here by Paul Mescal as Lucius and he is quite engaging here. Indeed perhaps the key thing that aids Mescal’s work here is that his character is not a second-rate copy of Crowe’s character from the original. Yes there are similarities, but whereas Maximum was a fighter who was as much intellect as he was brawn, we see that Mescal instead decides to give us a character that is more of a sheer physical force to be reckoned with be it in going after a squad of feral primates and chomping down on them like he’s some kind of Ancient Roman Mike Tyson or just blitzing the heck out of a foe in a one-on-one battle. At the same time though, we see that Mescal is also successful at making his character one that, at every given opportunity, is able to showcase an effective emotive degree to reveal an individual who has been stripped of everything save for seeking and getting the vengeance he feels he deserves as well. Suffice it to say it’s a solid performance and one that I hope gets its performer more opportunities in the future because he is definitely a talent to keep an eye on. Far and away though, the performance MVP (and overall if I’m being honest) has without question got to be the one given by screen legend Denzel Washington in the pivotal role of Macrinus. Yes, this is very much a supporting role and yes I am not going to dive too deep into his character due to spoilers, but from the moment he first shows up on screen I can say that Wahington is an absolute delight here at giving audiences a character that is equally hilarious as he is conniving to say nothing of a terrifically malevolent force of nature who has no qualms about using everyone and everything at his disposal so long as the end result is one that benefits him and him alone. Suffice it to say that it’s a truly electric performance and one that I hope gets its performer at the very least a Supporting Actor nod from the Oscars. Last, but most assuredly not least I feel like this section would be woefully incomplete if I didn’t take some time to talk about the work given to us as movie goers by the dastardly dynamic duo Joseph Quinn (Eddie Munson on Stranger Things) and Fred Hechinger (2020’s News of the World) as Emperors Geta and Caracalla respectively. Indeed not only do both men effectively portray their characters less like Roman Emperors and more like (and I can’t believe I’m saying this) Beavis and Butt-Head, but the complicated dynamic they share really makes their characters two that whenever they are on screen either separately or especially together you are simply unable to take your eyes off of for one second. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in performances from such screen talents as Pedro Pascal who does well-done work here as the skilled and valiant yet more than slightly battle weary General Marcus Acacius, Connie Nielsen and Sir Derek Jacobi (both reprising their roles from the first film though the former most assuredly is given more to do here than the latter), Lior Raz, Peter Mensah, Alexander Karim, Tim McInnerny, and Rory McCann among others it’s clear that this film might have its issues, but by and large the work done by this cast of individuals is happily and most assuredly not one of them.
All in all and at the end of the day is Gladiator II a practically perfect film in every way possible and then some? Sadly, and as much as I personally would like to say that it is, I am afraid that I cannot do that. Along with that, is this a follow-up that manages to be in the same rarified air as its nothing short of iconic predecessor? Again I would love to tell you that, but I am afraid that is not what you are getting here (in my opinion at least). At the same time though, is this a terrible film that should be avoided at any and all cost to say nothing of the worst film made by any of the people involved in the making of it? Oh heck no! Not even close. To be sure, and as previously stated, this is not a flawless slice of cinema by any means. Indeed not only are there moments where this film feels like a more than slight retread of the same narrative path as its predecessor, but the pace can be a bit off at points, there is an inequality to be amongst the characters in regards to narrative material, and the musical score is sadly not on the level of greatness that a film like this deserves it to be. With that being said, there is also no denying that the work done by Ridley Scott at the helm is just as on point as ever, the cinematography is absolutely breathtaking in every sense of the word, the script is not badly written by any stretch despite the issues it is faced with, the score is by no means phoned in, the visual effects here are truly stunning, and the performances by the more than capable cast (with particular regard to the ones provided by Mescal, Pascal, film MVP Washington, Nielsen, Quinn, and Hechinger) all in their own ways manage to get the job done here even though it is beyond obvious that some of these individuals, as talented as they all undeniably are, are getting far more substantial narrative material to operate here than the others. Suffice it to say then that no Gladiator II is by no means a slice of cinema that is able to attain the same status as its iconic predecessor from over 2 decades ago, but even so I can promise you that in terms of its ability to keep you, the viewer entertained that is definitely one thing this film is able to achieve and then some in the grandest way possible. Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give Gladiator II a solid 3.5 out of 5.
