*Spoilers*
November 22nd marked the release day of Gladiator II; a sequel of Gladiator that was released in 2000. Directed by Ridley Scott, Gladiator II follows Lucius– played by Paul Mescal– a warrior who gets involved in the brutal world of colosseum combat. The film included brilliant visual effects, fight sequences, and great performances from Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and Denzel Washington.
The action was breathtaking, from an intense battle at the beginning to Colosseum battles that included sharks and other thrilling situations. With this comes a good Rotten Tomatoes rating from critics and the general public. With critics giving it a 76% score and the audience an 84%, Gladiator II proved to hold up almost as well as its predecessor. However, it is not protected by some criticism. One critic stated, “Gladiator II won’t have the lasting power of Gladiator. It’s well-made and very entertaining, but it’s chained to a hackneyed script.”
Many may agree with this considering it is hard to make a sequel better than the original, but I thought it did well despite this. I thought the look of the entire movie was as good as the original, but lacked the same emotional weight. Looking at the struggle that Maximus, the main character from the first Gladiator, had can be hard to replicate. On the other hand, something to bring to light is the fantastic performances, particularly from Denzel Washington. Playing Macrinus, Washington gets malicious with the role and participates in the plot twists that follow the entire storyline. I found that the performance could win him an Oscar.
Regardless of the flaws it may possess, Gladiator II accomplishes an intriguing narrative about corruption and legacy. It is a worthy sequel that should be seen as a great opportunity to feel nostalgia for the first.
