Gladiator II (dir. Ridley Scott)
By: Adam Freed
Nearly a quarter century after Sir Ridley Scott’s epic Gladiator (2000) gave reason for global audiences to fantasize about the Roman Empire, the British auteur returns to ancient Rome with his legacy sequel Gladiator II. While Gladiator firmly cemented Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix as household names, its sequel takes a far more calculated approach to central casting. Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner) overcomes the inescapable weight of expectation by wisely placing his faith in a diverse group of generationally representative actors. Most notable amongst this collection is Denzel Washington, who allows his influence over the film to develop methodically, serving his character Macrinus and Scott’s film magnificently. Washington (Malcolm X, Fences) is joined by Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) who plays conquering general Marcus Acacius, and Paul Mescal (Aftersun) who picks up the shield of leading man, a title that seems to fit the young Irishman with a palpable level of comfort.
Gladiator II opens with a wonderfully rendered artistic callback to the original film, which acts as both a reminder and table setter for the events to unfold. If there is an area in which Sir Ridley’s film feels thin, it is in its plot based proximity to its predecessor. Although the battle sequences are visually fresh and violently appealing, it is difficult to avoid a lingering sense that one is witnessing already covered ground. As is the case with Gladiator, avid historians may feel betrayed with some of the historical liberties taken by Scott's epic, but neither film claims to be anything but a work of historical fiction. One is best to approach this iteration of the Roman Empire as a transportive thrillride, and embrace its eccentricities, rather than critique its more dubiously derivative moments. To this end, entertainment seeking audiences are likely to be wowed by the grand visual epic unfolding before their eyes. One of the most notable environmental additions to Gladiator II is its use of aquatic warfare, a development betrayed by the film’s trailer, but invigorating nonetheless.
What may come as a delightful shock to fans is how interconnected the sinews of the Gladiator II storyline are to the people, places and plots from its original. Most notable in this pursuit is the return of Connie Nielsen as Lucilla, the now aged daughter of former Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Lucilla enters the film as the most recognizable character evidence of Rome’s former regime, and despite the death of her brother and former Emperor Commodus, has found a way to remain close to the heartbeat of power within the Roman Empire. 16 years prior to the events of Gladiator II, Russell Crowe’s Maximus gives his life to achieve a free Roman Republic, a once popular sacrifice that appears to have done little to inspire true change. Compounding the issue is that a single bloodthirsty ruler has now been replaced by twin Emperors Caracalla and Geta, equally unhinged and willing to expand their glory at all costs, even to the detriment of those whose loyalty they require. There is enough meat on the bone in Gladiator II for audiences to feel they have experienced a worthy eleventh hour addition to the legendary filmography of Sir Ridley Scott, a visionary filmmaker who once again provides permission to ponder the depths of the Roman Empire.
Target Score: 6.5/10 Gladiator II is a faithful and sweeping sequel despite never fully unleashing the same emotional barrage upon audiences as its predecessor. Paul Mescal’s engaging lead performance is ultimately overshadowed by the slow burn gravitational brilliance of Denzel Washington, in a role that is sure to become the core memory of Sir Ridley Scott’s entertaining epic.