Ridley Scott’s Gladiator was the first great blockbuster of the 2000s, with Russell Crowe giving one of the most memorable movie star turns of his generation, and it remains one of the most beloved and influential and most frequently quoted and cited movies of this century. Come on, his name is Maximus Decimus Meridius! He’s the commander of the Armies of the North, general of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife, and he will have his vengeance, in this life or the next.

 

As much as I loved Gladiator and as many times as I’ve revisited it through the last quarter-century, it never occurred to me there was a need for a sequel, or a prequel, or some kind of Gladiator Cinematic Universe offshoot or streaming series. The good news is that sometimes you don’t know what you want till it’s here.

With the 86-year-old Scott directing with great style, and an all-star cast led by red-hot stars Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal, not to mention the eminent Denzel Washington turning in theatrically fantastic work, this is a magnificently constructed historical epic that combines blood-spattered spectacle with soap opera melodramatics. Much of the plot feels like we’re retracing the footprints of the original, especially in the early going, and there are a few moments when the graphics look like one of those slick but cheap AI demonstration videos you see posted on social media, but “Gladiator II” is a welcome slice of R-rated, popcorn movie fun in the middle of the generally super-serious awards season.

 

I mean, this is the kind of movie where a character will literally pull a severed head out of a bag, and it will look about as convincing as a prop from a 1970s-era flick. The kind of movie where everyone in the audience sees the big turns and twists coming about three scenes before the characters figure it out. Even when the most sombre proclamations are issued and some of the most tragic developments come to fruition, you can’t take any of this too seriously. The sequel rarely matches the visceral gut-punch or emotional resonance of the original, and we’re still not sure it was necessary, but it is a solid piece of big-screen action fare.

 

The plot is thick and borderline convoluted, and the characters are many. But director Scott, screenwriter David Scarpa (who wrote the story with Peter Craig) and editors Claire Simpson and Sam Restivo deliver the material in a way that makes it relatively easy to follow along through the 148-minute running time.

 

In the opening sequence set in the Northern African province of Numidia, the soldiering couple of Lucius Verus (Paul Mescal) and his wife Arishat (Yuval Gonen) are declaring their undying love for one another just before an invasion by an armada of Roman battle ships led by Gen. Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal). Numidia falls. Arishat is killed. The devastated and rage-filled Lucius is enslaved, trains to become a gladiator and is eventually transported to Rome, where he wins over the bloodthirsty citizens who pack the Colosseum. If Lucius keeps on emerging victorious, he could win his freedom, but he doesn’t care about that; all he wants is his revenge against Acacias. Stop me if you’ve seen this movie before.

The “dream of Rome” has long since soured, thanks in large part to the regime of the corrupt and soulless and moronic co-emperors and brothers Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger), who sport alarming blond wigs and makeup so pale they look like twee vampires. In a most welcome return, Connie Nielsen reprises her role as Camilla, who is now married to Acacius — and it turns out Acacius might not be the villain he initially appeared to be.

 

The more dangerous presence skulking about Rome is the charismatic and duplicitous Macrinus (Denzel Washington), who was once enslaved but now has manipulated and manoeuvred his way to the doorstep of great power. Washington has the time of his life as Macrimus, who stomps about in his colourful garb, sporting twin gold earrings, flashing rings on every finger, making grand proclamations and exerting his influence everywhere. He’s like the great-great-great-however-many-greats-it-takes-grandfather of Alonzo Harris from Training Day. Mescal is great as well in the lead role, but I had a hard time buying his more chest-out, emotional scenes. He just didn’t sell a smouldering look or performance as well as say, Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atriedes in Dune 2 earlier this year.

The fight sequences in Gladiator II are all-out, highlighted by a mock naval battle in the Colosseum that would seem utterly cartoonish if not for the fact these spectacles, known as Naumachia, were a real thing in ancient Rome. One of the prime reasons that Gladiator II works despite all the familiar plot points and the near-corny late developments is that these great actors pour themselves into their respective roles, never winking at the camera. I seriously doubt a single person on the planet will argue the sequel is better or even equal to the original, but it’s a worthy, respectful and entertaining follow-up.

 

 

8/10 Fun Time at The Movies

Boluwatife Adesina
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Boluwatife Adesina is a media writer and the helmer of the Downtown Review page. He’s probably in a cinema near you.