Running Time: 148 minutes
This feature film from Paramount Pictures will be playing exclusively in theaters on November 22nd.
Back in the year 2000, the historical epic Gladiator arrived in theaters and became a critical and commercial success. The story followed general turned warrior Maximus Meridius (Russell Crowe), who ends up seeking revenge on the Roman emperor responsible for his family’s demise. The movie was intended to be a summer blockbuster, but surprised many by staying in theaters for nearly a year and winning Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor.
Naturally, everyone who saw the film was left with one burning question… what happened to the son of Meridius? Okay, truthfully no one was wondering about this, but the makers of Gladiator II came to the conclusion that it was an interesting enough idea to warrant a sequel. And bringing back the original film’s director Ridley Scott and a couple of minor characters allows for some connective tissue between films. The movie is slick and has some entertaining moments, but those who admire the original will find that this follow-up, while passable, doesn’t match its predecessor.
Set 16 years after the events of Gladiator, cruel twin emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) have taken over the throne and seek to expand their territory. Son of Meridius and secret heir to the Roman Empire Lucius Verus (Paul Mescal) is living a quiet life in a faraway province with wife Arishat (Yuval Gonen). Their peaceful existence is shattered when the Roman army, under the command of General Marcus Acadius (Pedro Pascal), ultimately invades and causes tragedy. Verus is sold into slavery under Macrinus (Denzel Washington), who sees his fighting abilities. The protagonist becomes a gladiator and fights his way to the Colosseum in Rome, determined to get revenge on Acadius. But there is other plotting afoot, with several characters hoping to usurp Geta and Caracalla and control the Roman Empire.
The movie features a solid cast and all of the performers do help sell the occasionally silly material. Mescal is a likable hero and Verus’ motivations are clear and simple from the outset. Washington appears to be having a great time as gladiator owner Macrinus. It’s entertaining to watch the wheeler/dealer move up the social chain, acting as a confidante, and then manipulate others in order to achieve his goals. This crafty character who makes an impression. Co-star Hechinger also earns chuckles as unhinged, erratic twin Caracalla, who suffers from cognitive impairment.
And of course, director Scott knows how to shoot and edit action scenes in a dynamic manner. Early on, the elaborate invasion scene is impressive to behold as an army arrives by ship and attempts to scale a massive defensive wall. The final sword fight between the main hero and villain is exciting to watch and features a wince-inducing moment or two.
Surprisingly, what doesn’t work as effectively are a few other moments in gladiator arenas. Some of them include a great deal of noticeable CGI effects. The gladiators are frequently fighting animals like apes, and they never really look convincing. At one point, the Colosseum is flooded with water, sharks are let loose and ships sail in with battling gladiators. Perhaps these kinds of events did occur (although one can’t imagine sharks surviving for more than a few seconds under these conditions), but they’re rendered in such a way that it never looks authentic.
There’s also an overly earnest moment between separated family members that doesn’t quite land. And even a supposedly rousing final speech doesn’t make as strong an impression as hoped for. This may be because it is delivered at a relatively normal volume by one man to a standing group of 6000 soldiers across hundreds of years (one wonders how anyone beyond the first row actually heard him).
Overall, Gladiator II possesses a layer of silliness that didn’t exist in the previous film. It’s a generally fun picture, but one that doesn’t leave a lasting impact. Somehow, the original managed to mix grandness with a more down-to-earth and affecting human drama. This one wants to deliver a bigger spectacle, yet can’t help but feel like a minor let-down.