★★★★☆
Gladiator II, the sequel to the original Gladiator, is an intense film about duty and legacy. It boasts both an impressive cast and direction under Ridley Scott. Unfortunately, a few critiques guarantee it will never live up to the greatness of the first movie.
Set 16 years after the events of the first Gladiator, the story follows the stoic soldier Lucius Verus Aurelius (Paul Mescal), a name that avid watchers of the prequel will surely remember. He resides in a North African colony called Numidia, which quickly becomes the target of Roman conquest under General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal).
During the ensuing fight, Lucius’ warrior wife, Arishat (Yuval Gonen), is shot and killed by archers under Acacius’ command. The Roman forces enslave Verus Aurelius, who bottles his rage and utilizes it when he is forced into a life of combat as a gladiator. He dawns the name Hanno and enters the city of Rome, vengeance burning in his heart.
Rome itself is beautifully portrayed in the film. The introduction of the Eternal City comes in the form of a sweeping shot of the restored empire—glorious, proud, and efficiently hiding the starving residents and unseen cruelties behind grand architecture. Still, perhaps Marcus Aurelius’ initial dream survives.
Tension brews as, similarly to the first film, malicious forces rule the city in the form of twin emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger). The two take much inspiration from Commodus 16 years prior, with a deep love for the superficial games of the Colosseum and responsibility for widespread corruption.
A triangle of opposition exists between Verus Aurelius, Acacius, and the twins. At its center lies a slaver named Macrinus (Denzel Washington), someone entirely removed yet deeply close to all the main players. He comes to possess Verus Aurelius and promises to fulfill his appetite for revenge. Macrinus is deceiving, cunning, and power-hungry—an opportunist at heart and obsessed with glory.
All the actors and actresses perform phenomenally, immersing the audience within the setting and allowing them to buy into the stakes of the conflicts. This includes a returning character—Lucilla Aurelius (Connie Nielsen)—who plays a key connective piece in the flick. Alongside especially noteworthy fight scenes and setpieces, the actors are definitive highlights of the film.
The audience will quickly pick up on Maximus’ impact during his prior time in the arena. The film emphasizes the history he generated through his legendary bouts, both directly, via overt name drops and flashbacks, and indirectly through recycled quotes and mannerisms, such as when Verus Aurelius rubs his hands with the arena’s sand.
Even the recurring flashes of the afterlife in Gladiator, represented by the infamous field of reeds, are replaced by images of the River Styx and the boatman Charon whisking Arishat away to the land beyond.
Despite all of those praises, a few necessary criticisms must be mentioned. The first is the plot. Certain plotlines feel a bit contrived, a problem most likely generated by forcing a sequel out of a seemingly complete story. At times, the film insisted on making ties to the first film that did not make sense, causing the story to attempt to push a square peg in a round hole to maintain continuity.
Take, for instance, the plotline of Acacius and Lucilla, which feels a touch underbaked. In the end, the pacing of the story entirely falters, leaving the plotline disappointingly unfinished.
Additionally, much to a historian’s chagrin, there are historical inaccuracies throughout the film. While this is to be expected to some degree, going as far as to allow sharks to be present in the Colosseum is irresponsible and over the top. The choice, likely included more for marketing purposes than historical exactness, impairs the audience’s immersion in the story.
Ultimately, the picture repeats the vast majority of what made the initial film great. Though that may seem like a positive comment, Scott missed out on a chance for true innovation, as most sequels achieve. It more or less does the same story again, which is certainly sufficient. An audience who enjoyed the first film will also enjoy Gladiator II.
Even so, the film overall has big shoes to fill. While it reminds the audience how phenomenal Gladiator was, it also leaves people expecting to see Verus Aurelius step into the sandals of Maximus in order to truly command their attention. Due to a few missed beats, Gladiator II cannot carve itself out to be a timeless classic like its prequel.
