Gladiator II: A Continued Story of Legacy, Rage, and Vengeance
Even with familiar beats, and its inability to match the epic scale of its predecessor, Gladiator II still proves itself a worthy addition to a series that may not be quite done with its story just yet
When it comes to sequels, the cliché is that they are never as good as the first film. Honestly, I have always found this to be ridiculous when you consider movies like The Godfather II, The Empire Strikes Back, and Aliens, all second entries, are some of the greatest films of all-time.
With that said, it was definitely surprising to hear that 24 years after Gladiator, Ridley Scott was planning to release a next chapter in a story that seemed to be a perfect “one and done”, due mainly to how incredible it wrapped things up at the end. But then when news broke that both Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal had been added to the cast, I think it was safe to say there was cautious optimism that this would turn out just fine.
The story continues years after the first movie ended. With Lucius (played by relative newcomer Paul Mescal), the grandson of former Caesar Marcus Aurelius, now a nomad fighting against the same Roman Empire he was once positioned to rule one day. Thrown into captivity, and fighting for survival as a gladiator himself, the power-hungry and devious Macrinus (Washington) purchases Lucius, unaware of the royal bloodline his newest prize possesses.
For Lucius, his path and ultimate end goal is very similar to that of Russell Crowe’s Maximus in the first movie. Whereas Maximus had his eyes on vengeance against the tyrannical and murderous Commodus (played by Joaquin Phoenix), Lucius is focused on taking out the Roman General (Pascal) who captured him.
While there are two creepy and unhinged Emperor brothers (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger) at the helms now, uprooting them feels inevitable as they seem to be their own worst enemies in terms of maintaining power and order. Which Macrinus eyes as an eventual opportunity to usurp both and take over as Caesar himself one day.
Whereas the first movie mainly focused on the battlefield and fighting in The Colosseum, Scott’s biggest flex in this sequel is expanding the universe of The Roman Empire. We get to see way more of the political backdrop due to Macrinus’s aspirations, but also get an added perspective of the Roman streets, the culture, and the ever-shifting chess battle between royalty, the citizens of Rome, and the gladiators themselves. Scott and screenwriter David Scarpa (who he collaborated with on last year’s Napolean) do a remarkable job making you really feel like you are right in the middle of Rome, especially in The Colosseum with all the terrific battle sequences that take place in this one.
The performances are also universally outstanding. Mescal, while a little on the short side to play such an intimidating figure, makes up for this with his intensity and charisma. Lucius is a character driven by rage, vengeance, and wanting to redefine and recapture his legacy. If he is to become a free man, and potentially a big player in changing the scope of Rome’s power structure, he knows he’s going to have to earn it by fighting for his life and rallying those around him (including his estranged mother, played again by Connie Nielson) to see his vision.
There’s also a lot more to Pascal’s General Acacius character than what you’d guess initially upon first meeting him. He’s excellent here. And Washington is clearly having a blast chewing the scenery and throwing some Training Day like delivery and grins in for good measure. Quinn is a phenomenal secondary villain thanks to his psychopathic stares and maniacal soliloquies, with Hechinger filling in nicely as the clearly weaker and more easily manipulated of the two emperors.
There’s a lot of moving pieces, and at times, especially in the third act of the film, this Shakespearean-esque story threatens to careen off course into sheer lunacy because of the high-stakes drama taking place. But somehow, Scott keeps it all together.
Some of the storyline comes close to plagiarizing the first movie, and sometimes you feel the weight of the film’s two-and-a-half hour run time when it hits some slow points, but there’s still enough new and interesting material and characters here to warrant its existence. Especially the final act, which is epic and thrilling, and leaves the door open for a potential third film (which Scott has said he’s open to).
Ultimately, while no one was particularly asking for it for nearly a quarter of a century, Gladiator II is a rousing and successful follow-up. The storytelling, battle scenes, and character arcs all come together nicely thanks to the firm, confident direction Scott provides, and the nice writing balance Scarpa strikes in this layered piece of historical fiction.
If you were a fan of the first one (like everyone seems to be), don’t think twice about seeing it. Try to catch it in IMAX to get the full experience. It’s more than worth it.
Rating: *** out of ****