Gladiator 2 (Movie Review)

After what has felt like a lifetime in development hell, we finally have a sequel to the largely beloved historical epic, Gladiator. Released in 2000, that film had wowed critics and general audiences alike, effectively raising the bar for all subsequent sword-and-sandal movies from that era. This might help explain the degree of skepticism I had heading into Gladiator 2, especially considering how long it has been since I first heard Russell Crowe's Maximus ask us, "Are you not entertained?" But is the new film worth the wait or has it come 20-odd years too late?

The film begins with a stylized opening credit sequence that recaps the events of the first movie. And much like that film, it quickly segues into a large-scale battle showing the Roman army amidst their latest conquest. Except here the invasion takes place over the sea and they are led by Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal), a seasoned general that has grown weary of the Roman empire's endless expansion. On the receiving end of the crushing defeat is a grown-up Lucius (Paul Mescal), who like his father, Maximus, quickly finds himself enslaved and forced to fight as a gladiator. But as his reputation grows as he works his way through the ranks of the Colosseum, so also does his bloodlust and his overriding quest for vengeance.

Despite being one of the most respected Hollywood directors out there, Ridley Scott has had more misses than hits of late. And while he would like to blame the shortened attention spans of today's youth for that, one could say it has more to do with the limited appeal of his most recent movies than anything else. Gone are the days when simply having the name of an A-list director or actor attached to a movie was enough to get butts in seats. Nowadays, the movie has to offer something more or somehow manage to tap into the cultural zeitgeist ala Top Gun: Maverick.

Speaking of Top Gun, if there's one thing that 1986 movie and its 2022 sequel have proven, it is that it is never too late to follow up a beloved classic with another entry. But like most recent sequels, prequels and reboots, Gladiator 2 is more of a rehash than a continuation of the story introduced in the first film. The movie hits a lot of the same story beats as the first one, even if it did manage to throw a few curveballs along the way. Notwithstanding, it falls into the very safe category of "more of the same," which depending on who you ask could be considered a good thing.

And like any good sequel of its ilk, the movie tries to one-up the original in one key area: the spectacle. And for the most part it succeeds, with the opening battle scene and another nautical-themed battle inside the Colosseum being the clear highlights. The production team definitely did a great job in replicating the sets from the original film, with the Colosseum looking nearly identical. There is a lot more CGI at play this time around though, especially with the animals used in the gladiatorial games, which sometimes felt like a step backward and nothing quite like the real tigers in the first film. Those tigers did receive a brief callback though, so there's that.

In terms of the story, I found the plot to be a little too contrived and convoluted in places, especially towards the end when things become almost borderline video-gamey. I can't get into specifics for fear of spoilers but suffice it to say that some character actions were too unbelievable for my liking. I understand that the characters needed to arrive at certain decisions for the narrative to work, but some of the ways in which they get there felt so heavy-handed that it frequently took me out of the movie. I am also starting to feel some serious Pedro Pascal fatigue so perhaps it had something to do with that as well.

It is also worth noting that I felt the movie lacked most of the emotional resonance that made the first one so great. There's just something about Russell Crowe's performance as Maximus, and the journey he went on, that immediately endeared him to viewers. I never felt anything remotely on that level with Lucius or any of the other characters here, and it wasn't for a lack of trying because quite some time is invested in setting up those characters. And while it was nice to see both Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi reprise their roles from the first film, it was still a bit jarring to see how little the characters themselves had evolved since then, effectively serving the very same functions as before.

The one character I did find somewhat intriguing was of course the villain, Macrinus. Denzel Washington gives a praiseworthy performance that was both understated and over-the-top, proving once again why he is one of the very best in the business. I only wish we had gotten to see him ham it up more, and sooner too, but the little glimpses at the extremes of his character were satisfactory enough. I won't go as far as say he deserves a Best Supporting Actor nomination at next year's Oscars but I wouldn't be surprised to hear his name get called out as one of the nominees when that time comes either.

Gladiator 2 is a spectacular but ultimately inessential film that skirts by on the goodwill of its predecessor. It is clearly the weaker of the two Ridley Scott Gladiator movies so I don't imagine it enjoying anywhere near the impact and success that the original film did. That said, in this day and age of frequently botched sequels, sometimes the best we can hope for is one that recaptures at least some of the magic of what came before and Gladiator 2 certainly manages to do that much.