Pedro Pascal plays Marcus Acacius in Gladiator II from Paramount Pictures.
It’s good to step back into the blood and sand.
Directed by Ridley Scott, Gladiator II returns to the world of Ancient Rome 16 years after the death of Marcus Aurelius and the iconic gladiator, Maximus (Russell Crowe). Now, in Nimidia, Lucius Verus (Paul Mescal) lives the life of a warrior with his wife. However, after his wife is killed in battle, Lucius is thrown into the life of a slave, and demanded to sacrifice himself in the arena as a gladiator. Upon his arrival in Rome, Lucius’ skill attracts the attention of Marcus Aurelius’ daughter, Lucilla (Connie Nielson) who can’t quite help but feel there’s something familiar about the young man.
With the return to the arena, Scott has created something truly while and enjoyable. This is an epic of the grandest scale, featuring everything that an audience could want from a tale of bloody battles and political intrigue. However, whereas Gladiator was a lightning bolt to the cultural zeitgeist of its day, its sequel feels like the thunder. In essence, it’s big, bold and brings the necessary bluster and noise but doesn’t quite have the impact of its predecessor.
Admittedly, it’s absolutely clear that Scott is having more fun with Gladiator II than he has in many years. Not since 2015’s The Martian has Scott seemed as focused on creating something truly engaging. In Gladiator II, he creates characters that we care about, set pieces that often dazzle the eye and even shows a sense of humour in moments. Despite other attempts at grand, sweeping epics (like last year’s Napoleon), this feels like a return to form for the iconic director.
Led by strong performances by Mescal and an utterly captivating Washington, one can’t help but get swept away by the utter pageantry of the piece. For his first major blockbuster, Mescal carries himself with a steely glare reminiscent of Crowe’s Maximus. He commits to the action scenes and never feels out of place in the middle of the arena. However, it’s Washington who completely steals the show. Too often, Washington falls into the trope of his own likeability yet Gladiator II allows him to flip that characteristic on its ear. In this film, charisma becomes the cover of ambition and Washington absolutely revels in the chance to play a character with such slimy conceits. It’s a refreshing performance that is worthy of potential recognition with a nomination come awards season.
However, where Gladiator II falls short is simply due to the fact that it lives in the shadow of the original. Winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, Gladiator was a shotgun blast to cinemas at the time. It was fiercely original with iconic performances that still resonate. As such, the sequel struggles to differentiate itself from the legacy of the beginning of the story. Hitting many similar (albeit necessary) beats, one would be forgiven for feeling that the second film feels eerily familiar in moments. For those who haven’t seen the first story, there’s no question that this is a story that can leave a mark. But for those who remember the first with fondness, it’s possible that these small complaints will keep the sequel from matching its quality.
In short, it’s not that Gladiator II isn’t excellent. It’s a stunning epic that remains absolutely fun. But it simply doesn’t match the fury of its original.
Having said this though, there are some notable differences. Without giving any spoilers, the film takes on a much larger scale than the original. Whereas Maximus’ journey of revenge feels like an individual battle, the sequel acknowledges that there are far greater things at stake. This isn’t merely one man’s vendetta. This is a battle for the soul of Rome itself. (Think of the battle as a move from ‘me’ to ‘we’.)
But most importantly though, Gladiator II feels… timely. Somehow, given all that has happened in American politics over the past month (year? decade?), Gladiator II seems to carry more passion and power than ever. This is a tale of a cultural response to the corruption above them. It’s a world where the rich continue to hold power by pitting the poor against one another. It’s an outcry for change in a world that needs a hero.
Never has Ancient Rome felt more current.
In this way, Scott has tapped into the firepower of the era and allowed it to fuel a cry for justice in an unjust time. The return to the Coliseum feels as though it gives voice to a culture that’s exhausted by the tyranny of a regime that seeks to retain power at all costs. And that passion makes returning to the heat of the arena worth the experience.
Gladiator II is available in theatres on Friday, November 22nd, 2024.
