Ridley Scott revisits ancient Rome to bring us a new chapter of Maximus’ legacy in Gladiator II. Scott is a fascinating filmmaker with a stacked body of work, tackling various genres and subjects from an interesting tonal and visual perspective. His filmography is vast and unique, with almost every entry bearing unique traits compared to the last. In the last few years, love or hate them, he’s given us The Last Duel, House of Gucci, and Napoleon. However, Gladiator II is the most impactful story he’s created over a decade.
He has not tackled a sequel to his previous films outside the Alien franchise. Expanding on this story as a legacy sequel towards the end of his filmography makes sense. As far as legacy sequels go, especially for a film as iconic as Gladiator, it can feel gratuitous if there’s nothing to say- or a message behind it that resonates today. The film’s biggest strength is the parallel to what we’re experiencing. The sheer need to be divided, seek retribution, and pursue power by any means necessary. The emperors (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger) are foolish. They act on impulse, and they’re sad excuses for leaders.
While they’re bumbling, Macrinus (Denzel Washington) is highly calculated. His character reflects how people focus on their self-interest rather than how certain ideals affect the whole. The majority is caught up in envisioning a world better for themselves while ignoring the glaring misfortune of others. They want to change their circumstances but impose the same onto others when given the opportunity. What we do in life does, indeed, echo in eternity, mainly for the worst. Our hero, Lucius (Paul Mescal), seeks to challenge that.
This film honors the original while paving a new path. Lucius’ journey differs from Maximus’, but the characterization is similar, which could quickly feel tediously contrived. Lucius avoids that due to Paul Mescal’s refined performance. Mescal ditches the sad boy roles he’s known for, like Normal People, Aftersun, and All of Us Strangers, in favor of bruised knuckles and bloody teeth. He’s one of my favorite young actors today, and I enjoyed seeing him in a new light.
In an age where blockbuster action stars are essentially extinct, it was a bold choice to take on such an unexpected role, requiring heroic gravitas and facets of his talent that we’ve yet to experience. Lucius allows vengeance to motivate him, which is exasperated by the deception of the power-hungry people around him. Mescal brings that to life beautifully. He is a force to be reckoned with, commanding our attention every moment he’s onscreen.
Speaking of the performances, what a terrific ensemble! Denzel Washington is a scene stealer, exuding charm while playing a manipulative anti-hero of his own story. His motivations are deeply complex, and although I disagree with the path he chose to deal with his revenge, it’s understandable. Washington looked like he was having a blast while shooting this film; his performance stands out among the best of his over the last decade. I don’t know if this character would work in the hands of another actor; Washington captures pure magic in his craft. Quinn and Hechinger were great choices for the two emperors. Quinn came onto most people’s radar after Stranger Things, but his turn inA Quiet Place: Day One and this film has shown off his range. I wanted to see a bit more of Pedro Pascal’s arc throughout the movie, but he portrayed his character with so much depth that it makes up for that.
Technically, most of the aspects hit it out of the park. The weakest part is the screenplay, which can sometimes feel meandering and unnecessarily draw out specific beats while speeding through others. No spoilers, but I feel like his journey gets rushed through the best part- we don’t have the opportunity to live and breathe with the character and his growth. We never really get the grand moment where Lucius decides to welcome his ancestry and pivot his attention to the actual villains. It just kind of happens and then quickly ramps up from there. However, it shines when balancing the serious themes with moments of comedic relief.
The cinematography and lighting on the set pieces create that rich, authentic feeling to the world created when it’s grounded. The fun choices call back to epic’s the epics of yesteryear (who cares about the historical inaccuracies? There are sharks in the coliseum!). The first film has a cooler color palette, while this one embraces a warm tone throughout, which I much prefer for a story like this. The grit in the details was palpable as if we were living in it with them- the blood, sweat, and dirt under fingernails.
After the last week of woes, Gladiator II was the catharsis I needed. Brimming with stellar performances, well-directed action sequences, and effective themes, it shows what a potent legacy sequel should be like. The film echoed a lot of beats from the original. Still, it successfully brought the story to a new audience by modernizing the mid-2000s action epic and invigorating the genre with timely themes and modern questions posed.
Rating: 8.5/10