The long-awaited thirst fest is gracing silver screens with plenty of mixed feelings. Ridley Scott has dared to make a sequel to the only Best Picture winner to his name. With that comes numerous expectations.
In Gladiator II, we follow Lucius (Paul Mescal) two decades after the events of Gladiator (2000). The son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and Maximus (Russell Crowe) now lives with his wife in Numidia. Roman soldiers led by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) invade Lucius’s home, killing his wife in the process. This forces Lucius into slavery. His saving grace is to fight as a gladiator under the teachings of Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a former slave, plotting to overthrow the young emperors of Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn).
The film is ninety percent a carbon copy of the first installment. It’s bred from nostalgia and an ongoing need to revive what works. Nothing is genuinely shocking except for maybe one or two murders along the way. Along those lines, Gladiator II stands aside as an admirable work of blockbuster proportions thanks partly to its star-studded cast. Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal are amongst the most notable.
Pascal’s presence in the film flows through with nobility and fierceness. He is a blade wielded by the twin emperors at large. Serving for corruptness, he seeks to bring it down once and for all, similar to Maximus. Washington, on the other hand, offers up a motive akin to Oliver Reed’s Proximo. However, while his intentions appear familiar at face value, his character evolves to unleash something much more innovative. It may force audience members to question whether he is good or bad. Instead, he thrives in the gray areas of an empire on the brink of collapse.
Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, and Connie Nelson support the main event. Nelson is the connecting thread between the first installment and its sequel. While she could have had more beyond a damsel in distress, much like the first film, she can add a touch of softness to a feature overflowing with “big, brave, strong boys,” as Paul Mescal described on Sean Evans’s Hot Ones. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum stand Quinn and Hechinger. Their dedication to the role is reminiscent of that of Joaquin Phoenix. They bring forward nostalgic tidbits such as the thumb-up or thumb-down motif. However, their performances split the multiple aspects of Pheonix’s Commodus personality into two. Hechinger brings forth the somewhat comical inability to act upon reason. Quinn relies on portraying the ire fueled by paranoia and hunger for control.
As for the film’s star, Paul Mescal shines in his subtleties. Some might consider it a detriment to the overall project, but it does not go without its virtues. Any shortcomings from his performance have less to do with his acting capability and more to do with the script itself. There are a few aspects of his character that do not develop naturally. Despite its almost three-hour runtime, Gladiator II bulldozes through character development for its main character. He goes from loathing his mother to then mourning her fully. Beyond his portrayal of Lucius’s emotions, his physicality is unprecedented within his career.
As for its grand scale, Gladiator II’s set pieces weren’t undersold. During its press tour, cast members such as Joseph Quinn boasted about the privilege of being on such a set. This was due in part to the grand scale of the production design. Plenty of films in the wake of Marvel Studios’ success, for example, with its big-budget superhero blockbusters, have relied on minimal sets, lazily depending on CGI to do the heavy lifting. While digital graphics can be consumed as an art form, when its workers are treated fairly, there’s been an absence of passion on our screens. Films have lacked color and conviction. Scott’s Gladiator II rises to the challenge thanks to his long-time collaborator Arthur Max. In Max’s hand, the world of the film is worthy of salivation. As he describes it, it’s “Gladiator on steroids.”
When it comes to Scott’s latest, there is bliss in familiarity. Fans of the original will not be disappointed. Newcomers will most likely bask in the commanding nature of almost everyone involved. The grand scale of the moving pieces may flutter the hearts of a few who miss the adventure that films such as Pirates of the Caribbean command on the screen. Gladiator II whisks its audience away to the past while reflecting on the present and future. Could it have improved what we’ve witnessed before beyond simply tweaking parts here and there? Yes. But it’s one hell of an entertaining show.
Rating: 7/10
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