Product Info

Studio

Paramount Pictures

Director

Ridley Scott

Genre

Action, Adventure, Drama

Rated

R

Theatrical Release Date (NA)

Nov 22, 2024

Film Length

2hr 28min

Purchase From

Director Ridley Scott has yet again made a wonderful film full of action and drama as only he can. Managing to blend a good amount of the original, Gladiator II does not get bored with the subject and even gets a little closure with the death of Maximus.

Unlike a lot of sequels, this one actually takes the time to answer a multitude of questions from the original film without fabricating more questions. Yes, this movie can be regarded as a sequel, though there does seem to be enough material for an additional story somewhere between films one and two. We’ll see about that in the future.

Are You Still Not Entertained?

This segment begins 16 years after the first movie ends with the death of Maximus. The story begins in a small city where the boy Lucias, played by Paul Mescal (Normal People), has been living since his mother Lucilla, played again by Connie Nielson (Gladiator, Boss), sent him away for protection immediately after the Commodus vs Maximus bout at the end of the original movie. This city is scrambling as the alarms of pending invasion from the Romans are ringing. The Roman General Marcus Acacius, played by Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian, Game of Thrones) and current husband of Lucilla is leading this invasion by sea. The city, of course, is lost and Lucias gets captured and eventually sold to Macrinus, played by Denzel Washington (The Equalizer, American Gangster), who is a popular gladiator dealer and eventual political force.

All eventually collide in Rome where the bulk of the story takes place. This is where Lucias learns about his past, his lineage, and of course how corrupt and cutthroat Rome is and was. Disillusioned to say the least, Lucias now begins thinking in the only way he can as both he and the audience now know his genetics would dictate. The Colosseum is still the spectacle it was sixteen years ago with a couple unique uses thrown in to show its multi-use design quite well. This point is best illustrated with a fighting scene that includes, of all things, sharks! It’s difficult to say if this actually happened back in the Roman era, but it’s certainly entertaining.

Two are Better Than One

How to double the threat? You guessed it: two emperors! Acted with great effect, they are named Geta (played by Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (played by Fred Hechinger). The “Twin Emperors,” as they are called, are quite eccentric on a good day and show the nature of what Rome has become very well indeed. With all the posturing going on with the people around the emperors, it becomes obvious a change is coming soon. Here the plotting and scheming of the politicians hits overdrive but none more so than Macrinus, who does his best to stay behind the scenes in order to effectively progress his stealthy power grab in great fashion. Between the action with the gladiators and the drama of the politicians, this 2.5 hour film flies by well enough to satisfy the viewer and set the Gladiator franchise up for a myriad of possibilities.

No Background Needed

As good as the writing and directing are with this movie, apparently both figured these characters needed no backstory nor introduction. The movie does have an animated painting recapping the events in the first movie as the opening credits roll in. It’s a creative way to begin the second film.

A format of same positions, different people, different time seems to be the train of thought here. From the very first scene, the action starts right away with a bunch of people the audience does not know who to notice or even care about. One can guess sure enough. The Roman general is important maybe, but what or who else? It’s a different approach to a sequel that is perhaps not a bad idea, since most of these questions do get answered later on while not propagating any more. The main battle scenes are well done for sure, but they are not overwhelming. It seems the colosseum fights take up more film than any of the battle scenes.

The Final Stage

Gladiator II makes an entertaining sequel that captures what made the first one great and goes deeper for what it feels like a full closure of the story with Lucias and his lineage. Whether this is also the end of Gladiator as a franchise is a story that has yet to be told.

An early screening provided for this review. Gladiator II arrives in theaters on November 22, 2024. Fans can visit the official website for tickets and information.