Gladiator II forgoes emotion in favor of blood and spectacle
In the summer of 2000, Gladiator reinvigorated audiences’ desire for the sword-and-sandal epic. This subgenre had mostly been relegated to the “classics” section of movie rental stores, with the likes of Spartacus and Conan the Barbarian. And yet, the subgenre died out again after the Gladiator copies had their swings at glory in the early-2000s. Unfortunately, very few directors like Sir Ridley Scott have the talent to produce a sword-and-sandal epic. So here we find ourselves, in 2024, and Sir Ridley is again hoping to re-popularize the subgenre with Gladiator II, a sequel to the Best Picture and Best Actor Oscar-winning 2000 film. While undoubtedly entertaining from start to finish and featuring a stellar Denzel Washington performance, Gladiator II suffers from the flaws of “sequelitis” and an insecurity about whether audiences recall the original film.
Gladiator II takes place sixteen years after the end of the original film, when a pair of blood-thirsty and power-hungry brothers, Emperor Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Emperor Caracalla (Fred Hechinger), rule the Roman empire. The Emperors have been sending their Roman army, under the leadership of General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal), to conquer vast regions of Africa. One such siege of Numidia in Northwest Africa finds our protagonist, Hanno (Paul Mescal), formerly Lucius Veras Aurelius, the grandson of the late Emperor Marcus Aurelius, defending the coastal kingdom. Lucius becomes a prisoner, then is quickly purchased by a scheming arms dealer and businessman, Macrinus (Denzel Washington). Macrinus also owns gladiators, and Lucius becomes one in a similar fashion to Maximus in the first film. Through numerous gladiator battles and behind-the-scenes politicking, and with assistance from Lucius’ mother Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), Macrinus and Lucius set their eyes on power and vengeance, respectively.
Paul Mescal is no Russell Crowe. At least not in this setting. Mescal proves he is up to the challenge of leading an action epic, and his charisma and physical presence do the story justice. However, the tonality of his line delivery and his reactions to events around him stay within a few degrees of range for the entire film, and at times he’s unable to shake the self-awareness of an actor with the weight of carrying a Gladiator film on his shoulders. A few better emotional scenes would’ve assisted in rounding out his performance. The same goes for Nielson, who like Mescal, must labor against subpar editing and dialogue in the few quick emotional scenes she has. On the other hand, Pascal gives a strong but tender performance as the conflicted Acacius, which effectively plays against the wildly unhinged performances by Washington, Quinn, and Hechinger. The latter two performers are caked in white makeup and get to scream and cackle through their scenes. Meanwhile, Washington delivers a surprisingly layered awards-worthy performance, exuding menace and calculative charm as he maneuvers up through the paths to power.
Baboons are no tigers, either. Sharks are no tigers. And rhinos could be as good as tigers but not a blatant CGI one. Here’s where Gladiator II’s “sequelitis” is most glaringly apparent. One of the best sequences of the original Gladiator was a one-on-one gladiator battle featuring a few real tigers swiping at them. By the power of movie magic, the actors looked closer to the tigers than they actually were. In the sequel, there are CGI animals in three fight sequences, and they all look silly and fake. The monkeys, specifically, are truly bad-looking creature designs (how did they get past the producers and special effects supervisors!) while the rhino is more realistic but noticeably fake. The sharks are completely unnecessary in an otherwise thrilling Colosseum naval battle. Gladiator II also features a handful of quick flashbacks to the first film (with musical cues to match) and a few flashback sequences of young Lucius. These sequences are cheesy and immediately forgetful, removing the viewer from the narrative momentum of Lucius’ present day storyline. It’s not like the plot of the original Gladiator, a Best Picture winner and cultural phenomenon, was too difficult to recall. A few lines of dialogue could’ve easily been substituted for the full collection of flashbacks.
Despite these shortcomings, Gladiator II remains a triumphant cinematic spectacle. The Roman army battle scenes are thrilling, and the palace politics being played within marble-floored chambers and monolithic pillars are scintillating. Scott’s team of production designers, makeup artists, and costume designers present a fully realized ancient world. What the story lacks, the striking visuals mostly make up for.. Scott is familiar with the sentiment that the theatrical moviegoing experience was intended for films such as the ‘sword-and-sandal’ epics, so he has ensured that Gladiator II rewards theatergoers. There are moments within the final stretch of Gladiator II that are truly breathtaking, thanks to remarkable camera work from returning Gladiator director of photography John Mathieson and a brass-blaring musical score by composer Harry Gregson-Williams.
Considering that the original Gladiator ended in a manner that didn’t necessitate a follow-up, any new storyline for a sequel could have easily led to disaster. Gladiator II is much better than it had any right to be. Perhaps to play it safe, Gladiator II and the first film have a very similar plot structure. With a few adjustments – remove the CGI animals and the flashbacks – and suddenly Gladiator II would be an instant classic. Nevertheless, I strongly suspect the film will achieve greater appreciation over time and after multiple rewatches. If Gladiator II is not an awards contender this year, it will eventually earn a spot amid the upper middle portion of Sir Ridley Scott’s robust, iconic filmography. What Scott directs in life echoes in eternity.
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Gladiator II opens in theaters on Friday, November 22nd.
