In 2000, Ridley Scott made Gladiator, a film that, with its release at the turn of the century, felt like an expansion on the sword-and-sandals films like Spartacus and Ben-Hur of the past, done with a flair and grandiosity that could only be made in the present. The film was one of the highest-grossing films of Scott’s career, earned 12 Oscar nominations, and won five, including one for its star Russell Crowe, and became Scott’s only film to win Best Picture. For the last decade, Scott has mostly been digging into the past for his grand epics, be it with the greatly underrated The Last Duel, the misstep of Exodus: Gods and Kings, or last year’s Napoleon, which reunited the director with Gladiator’s Joaquin Phoenix.

While there’s still plenty of story to tell when looking back at the Roman Empire, Gladiator always felt like an odd film for Scott to return to. Except for The Godfather Part II or Creed, it’s rare for a sequel to a Best Picture winner to live up to the high regard of the original, not to mention that Gladiator ended with Russell Crowe’s Maximus dying, heading into the afterlife. However, considering Scott is the man who made two prequels to his masterpiece Alien, the greatness of a film is not an intimidating reason to close up a universe with potential and never return to it again.

Gladiator II, however, is a strange beast of a film. This sequel expands the world beyond what we saw in the 2000 original, focusing on the backstabbing nature of politics, complete with rage and ambition that help someone climb up that blood-covered ladder. The scale is greater, with an appreciation for the absurd Colosseum battles and the wars that helped build Rome’s empire. And yet, it’s a film that frequently calls back to the original, reminding us of what made that film so great, and in doing so, highlighting the ways that this sequel can’t compete. It’s an impressive feat how this film broadens its scope yet still feels personal in its twisty relationship dynamics, but the shadow of Maximus looms large over the entire project, for better or worse.

What Is ‘Gladiator II’ About?

Years after the events of Gladiator, the dream of Rome returning to its former greatness has been forgotten. Now ruled by two unpredictable brother emperors, Emperor Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Emperor Caracalla (Fred Hechinger), Rome is on the brink of falling apart, despite expanding its borders. As the people of Rome become more disillusioned by the way the empire is being run, the potential for hope that Maximus once brought into the arena has faded away. Rome is diseased and with no cure in sight.

While Maximus’ memory exists only in whispers, his son Lucius (Paul Mescal) has long left Rome, living in the coastal town of Numidia, the last free city in Africa. When his town is invaded by the Roman general Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal), which leaves Lucius’ wife Arishat (Yuval Gonen) dead, Lucius is forced into slavery and has to fight in the Colosseum. Taught by a former slave, Macrinus (Denzel Washington), Lucius vows to get revenge on Acacius. Meanwhile, unrest in Rome grows, as Macrinus connives his way to greater power, while Lucius’ mother, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), crafts her own plan to take these two brothers down, unaware that her only son has returned to Rome after sending him away to safety.

‘Gladiator II’ Expands Ridley Scott’s World in Fascinating Ways

While the original film was primarily told from the perspective of Maximus, Gladiator II’s strength comes in how it fleshes out this world with intrigue and compelling new characters. With a screenplay by frequent Scott collaborator David Scarpa (All the Money in the World, Napoleon), from a story by Scarpa and Peter Craig (co-writer of Top Gun: Maverick and The Batman), finds exciting new viewpoints to explore this world from new eyes. By focusing on the politics of the period, we get to see how someone could deceive their way to power, utilizing whispered secrets and plenty of money to ascend to a place of influence. There’s a bit of a Game of Thrones nature to this approach, and Scarpa’s narrowing in on the political intrigue makes the most captivating moments happen outside the Colosseum rather than inside of it.

Even though almost the entire cast is new, this focus makes Nielsen’s Lucilla one of the most entrancing characters in this sequel, building her up in a way that the original couldn’t. While her story shifts in the second half to put this political angle on the back-burner, Lucilla is one of the most well-rounded characters in this series, thanks to the work done to make her even more integral in this film.

Quinn and Hechinger are brilliantly unhinged, more content to let the blood flow in the Colosseum than worrying about whether their people have food. They’re both intimidating when they need to, yet always joyfully over-the-top in performances that require this sort of absurdity. Also quite strong, although underutilized, is Pascal as Acacius. From the moment we see him, we can see regret in his eyes for the death and destruction he’s caused in the name of Rome. There’s a deep sorrow within this character, and Pascal brings it out beautifully. It’s just a shame that Gladiator II doesn’t have more for him to do.

But as one might expect, all of these supporting performances are overshadowed by Denzel Washington, whose Macrinus is electric in every scene. Even though this is a supporting role, Washington commands our attention, making even the best actors in any given scene seem like amateurs by comparison. There’s a Shakespearian quality to Washington’s performance, and he’s delightfully devious in how he uses others to get what he wants. While everyone else in this film seems to be playing checkers, Washington’s Macrinus is playing political chess, and it’s wonderful to see Washington relish in a role that allows him to be this untrustworthy.

Paul Mescal Is Good, but Can’t Live Up to Russell Crowe
Image via Paramount Pictures

Yet it’s Mescal as Lucius that is the center of attention, and while the actor is doing an admirable job at leading his biggest project yet, Gladiator II’s script doesn’t do him any favors. The largest issue overall is that Gladiator II can’t help but largely borrow from Maximus’ story to create the story of Lucius. From Lucius’ wife dying, leading to his enslavement and fighting as a gladiator to enact revenge, the beats are far too familiar. Occasionally, Gladiator II tries to play this off as a son following in the great footsteps of his father, as we see him even preparing for battle in the same way, but narratively for Lucius, this often feels more like Gladiator II simply recreating this same story 24 years later.

By putting Lucius on a similar path to Maximus in the first film, it’s also hard not to compare Mescal’s performance to Crowe’s star-making role. Mescal’s character simply doesn’t have the opportunity to build to the same emotional levels as Maximus did. We don’t feel the heartbreak once his wife dies the same way we did in the original, nor do we feel the overwhelming rage that motivates both these characters. Maximus felt like a bomb biding his time until he could explode, whereas Lucius simply doesn’t have quite the same amount of layers to make him equally mesmerizing of a character. That isn’t a knock on Mescal’s performance, but rather, the film’s inability to build Lucius in a way that allows him to stand on his own two feet without what we already know from the original.

Ridley Scott Can Still Impress With Grand Action Scenes and Twisty Intrigue
Image via Paramount Pictures

The sheer size of Gladiator II is impressive by Scott, and it’s easy to take his talents for granted as the creator of these types of immense epics. From the opening battle in Numidia to a remarkable fight between ships within the Colosseum with the added danger of sharks, Scott can present jarring, unexpected surprises in his action sequences. However, with this attempt to make things bigger and better, some of these scenes are a bit egregious with their use of special effects. In Lucius’ first battle in the Colosseum, he and the other slaves must face off against a brutal pack of wild monkeys. While it’s meant to be a terrifying fight that seems almost inescapable, the artificiality of the sequence makes it impossible to overlook, which stops the scene from being as effective as it should be.

Gladiator II can’t live up to the lofty expectations Gladiator set up, yet the sequel is at its best when it tries to carve its own path in this Roman world. Maybe the action would be as enthralling as the political aspects if it didn’t also feel like a rehash of what we’d seen back in 2000. This incredible cast, especially Washington, Nielsen, and the overlooked Pascal, and this expansion of the compelling political machinations make Gladiator II a worthwhile sequel, even if it can’t match its predecessor. Gladiator II will leave you entertained, but leave you with an unfortunate feeling of déjà vu.

Gladiator II is best when it expands this world through political intrigue, yet falters when it follows the footsteps of the original film..ProsThe focus on the politics of Rome is a fascinating direction for this series.Denzel Washington and all the supporting performances are wonderful additions.Ridley Scott’s penchant for scale is as impressive as ever. ConsPaul Mescal’s Lucius feels like variations on Maximus to a disappointing degree.Some of the CGI in the fight sequences gets a bit laughable.

Lucius Verus, the son of Maximus’s beloved Lucilla, returns to Rome after years in the wilderness. Captured by Roman forces led by General Marcus Acacius, he is thrust into the gladiatorial arena. As he battles for survival, he encounters Macrinus, a former slave-turned-merchant, and faces the corrupt twin emperors Caracalla and Geta.Release Date November 22, 2024 Cast Paul Mescal , Pedro Pascal , Denzel Washington , Connie Nielsen , Joseph Quinn , Fred Hechinger , Derek Jacobi , May Calamawy , Peter Mensah , Matt Lucas , Alexander Karim , Tim McInnerny , Lee Charles , Chidi Ajufo , Alfie Tempest , Riana Duce , Chi Lewis Parry , Paul Candelent , Hadrian Howard , Alexander Simkin , Mikhail Basmadjian , Matthew Charlery-Smith , Maxime Durand , Lior Raz Expand

Gladiator II comes to theaters on November 22.

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