Sometimes, sequels aren’t needed. They are often used as quick and easy cash grabs, more than anything. I can’t fault those involved. I used to get frustrated about my favorite films getting unneeded sequels, though not nearly as upset with remakes of my favorite movies. I now accept that sequels, remakes, reboots, and prequels will continue to exist as long as the profits are large. But that doesn’t mean the producers, directors, cast, etc., only need to go through the motions, pick up their paycheck, and call it a day before moving on to their next project. Gladiator II is a movie that didn’t need to be made and didn’t have the most original story. However, despite its lack of need and poor script, it is a captivating film, rich in action sequences, visuals, and sound. It’s not a film to seek out, though if you watch it, experiencing it on as large a screen as possible with surround sound is the best way to go.

Ridley Scott (Robin Hood, All the Money in the World) directs the follow-up to his successful 2000 film, which earned 13 Academy Award nominations and six wins, including Best Picture. Scott (who earned four Best Director Oscar nominations but has yet to win) has been hit or miss since then. For every The Last Duel or The Martian is a House of Gucci or Napoleon. When Napoleon flopped with critics and at the box office, I was slightly worried about Gladiator II when I learned the film had the same screenwriter, David Scarpa. While the script for Gladiator II was the worst thing about the movie, much was going on to offset a predictable story that offered few surprises.

The film takes place in 200 AD, 16 years after the death of Maximus Aurelius (Russell Crowe’s title character in the first film). The Rome he turned over to the Senate after he freed the gladiators is now controlled by twin emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn—Avengers: Doomsday, A Quiet Place: Day One) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger—Nickel Boys, Thelma). The Rome Maximus had dreams of has fallen to the corrupt brothers.

For those who watched the first film, yes, this is the same Lucius, the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen – Wonder Woman, Nobody). However, no one knows Lucius is alive except for us, the audience. After he was sent away as a child, it was assumed he had died. There is another reveal about Lucius that I will not reveal.

Macrinus (Denzel Washington – Training Day, Flight) is an intelligent, conniving stablemaster with a vision for how he sees Rome. Macrinus is constantly in the ears of both brothers, with a deeper relationship to Caracalla. Macrinus also oversees the gladiator battles. Much like Proximo to Maximus in Gladiator when he tells him, “To gain his freedom, he must win the crowd,” Macrinus reinforces to Lucius that he’ll get the chance to kill General Acacius if he keeps winning his gladiator battles.

There isn’t much else to the story. Gladiator II is very much a carbon copy of Gladiator. Gladiator II is a revenge story. While I wouldn’t say it has a twist, it doesn’t follow the complete trajectory of Gladiator. That does not mean it isn’t a good film. Because it very much is. If not for Gladiator, this movie may have been more well-received. Still, 71% of critics and 82% of the audience favored the film. This is an impressive feat for a movie with a lot to live up to and an audience aware of this fact. Because of the first film, Gladiator II didn’t have the “wow factor” opportunity afforded to Gladiator.

We root hard for Lucius, just as we did Maximus. But Lucius isn’t Maximus, and Gladiator II isn’t Gladiator. For many aspects of the film, Gladiator II felt like Gladiator, but not as good. As great as Mescal was, he wasn’t Crowe, who won a Best Lead Actor for the original. Geta and Caracalla are evil but aren’t as diabolical as Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus. While more visually impressive, the battle scenes didn’t carry the same importance. I loved the gladiator battle scenes, but there were one or two too many. We knew how they would go. It didn’t allow us to get to know the other enslaved prisoners as well as we did in the original. Mescal and Washington were great. Washington is on a shortlist of names for Best Supporting Actor.  I wouldn’t have gone that far. Pascal and Nielsen were unmemorable.

Visually, the movie is spectacular. With all the technological advances, you’d expect better in-sequence cinematography than the 2000 film. We got that and then some. During coliseum scenes, you’ll feel like you’re one of the spectators. The technological advancements of the last 25 years allowed us to be closer to the battles than we were in Gladiator. Harry Gregson-Williams’s score rivals Hans Zimmer. But, like with almost everything else in Gladiator II, it doesn’t match up.

While not a perfect film, Gladiator II is enjoyable at the movies. It does not require a lot of thought to enjoy. It meets all of the requirements for a pleasurable escape film, and those who found value in the original Gladiator will have a good time with this one.

Plot 7/10
Character Development 8/10
Character Chemistry 8/10
Acting 9/10
Screenplay 8/10
Directing 8.5/10
Cinematography 10/10
Sound 10/10
Hook and Reel 10/10
Universal Relevance 8/10
87.5%

B+

Movies You Might Like If You Liked This Movie

• Gladiator
• Kingdom of Heaven
• Napoleon
• The Last Of The Mohicans
• The Last Duel