Gladiator II, 2024.
Directed by Ridley Scott.
Starring Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Djimon Hounsou, Matt Lucas, and Derek Jacobi.
SYNOPSIS:
After his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now lead Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum and must look to his past to find strength to return the glory of Rome to its people.
On its release in 2000 Gladiator proved to be a mammoth smash, grossing nearly five times its budget and sweeping awards season winning Best Picture and Best Actor at the Oscars among many others. In the 24 years since its release, it has continued to have a dedicated fanbase and is among the most iconic films of the 21st Century. There have been many failed attempts to make a sequel including a script from Nick Cave about resurrecting Maximus. Remarkably Ridley Scott has now made a sequel, a quarter of a century later focusing on Lucilla’s son Lucius, grandson of the late emperor Marcus Aurelius. Here Lucius is played by Paul Mescal (Normal People, Aftersun). The question many will have is whether this belated sequel lives up to the weight of expectation surrounding it and if it is a worthy successor.
Ridley Scott has made his fair share of historical epics from Kingdom of Heaven, 1492: Conquest of Paradise to The Last Duel and 2023’s Napoleon which earned decidedly mixed reviews. At 86, remarkably, he can still make films of this scale and in quick succession. Renowned as one of the most visually striking directors of his age, Gladiator II certainly has a sense of scale and awe to it. This is evident from the opening battle sequence which sees the Roman army invading Numidia, by sea. This sequence perhaps lacks some of the intensity of the opening barbarian battle in the first film but is an impressively staged set piece regardless that speaks of the scale of the film.
We follow Lucius as he is captured in this battle, becoming a slave and ultimately a gladiator. Ultimately falling into the possession of Denzel Washington’s Macrinus, a former slave himself who looks to use Lucius’ strength to his advantage, to help move up to the upper echelons of Roman society. Corrupt Emperor’s Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn) in his sights.
Washington is a true delight, campy and hammed up to the maximum beguiling whenever he is on screen, bringing years of Shakespearean work to the fore. At times it can feel like he is in a different film to others, a twinkle in his eye and a hugely unpredictable force of nature. The pair of Emperors match some of his energy and are decidedly unhinged, not far from Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus. The marketing has perhaps made some roles seem larger than they in fact are in the film, Pedro Pascal’s Marcus Acacius on paper has one of the most interesting arcs but in truth is not in the film enough for it to be fleshed out as it should.
Mescal is without a doubt one of the hottest actors of his generation and a talent on stage and screen. Until now he has done largely small-scale character-driven projects like Aftersun, Normal People or All of Us Strangers so the step up to a project like this is a big one. While he is solid as Lucius you can see the effort he is putting into it while Russell Crowe’s Maximus felt effortless and commanding the screen at all times. It will be interesting to see if this is a shift in terms of projects Mescal opts for or more of a one off.
Where Gladiator II comes up short against its predecessor is in its story that at times can feel like a heavy copy of the first film. Once again we follow someone who has lost everything, becomes a gladiator and vows his vengeance against Rome. At times it feels lost in deference to the first film, awkwardly lifting dialogue and references that can stifle the momentum of this film. Marcus Aurelius’ dream of Rome from the first film recycled, following years of neglect and corruption with Lucilla at the forefront of keeping its dwindling flames alive.
As epic as some of the action is there is clearly greater use of CGI than in the first film, especially prominent in some of the larger battle sequences and fights with animals, a particularly gruesome fight involving Lucius’ group of slaves and some decidedly large monkeys. The first film’s action felt more urgent and organic. However, it is good to see epic films such as this continuing to be made and there seems to be a huge demand for the film on the big screen.
Gladiator II certainly has its share of high points from some of the action to Denzel Washington’s scenery chewing performance. Its story that is at times overly repetitive and following familiar beats, means it often fails to escape the looming shadow of its predecessor. With talks of a third film, this may not be the last we see of Ridley Scott’s Rome or Mescal’s Lucius. If not the all time classic the first time has become over the years, it may well find success in its own right and inspire future epics.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Chris Connor
