Last Friday evening, I decided to rewatch Gladiator in preparation for this long-awaited sequel. And as I gazed upon this Best Picture Oscar winner from some 25 years ago, a couple of thoughts came to mind.
Firstly, wow. Sir Ridley Scott’s original Roman blockbuster, starring Russell Crowe in his Academy Award-winning performance, really is one of the greatest films ever made.
It feels like a Golden Age historical epic from the 1950s, but shot in the modern era, with its lavish sets, costumes, and compelling story of tragedy, vengeance, and redemption.
Top that all off with Hans Zimmer’s iconic score and the director’s signature bloody action sequences and it’s hard to beat. But then I was also left thinking, why on earth would you make a sequel to Gladiator?
Certainly that’s how many fans felt when the film was announced and also in the YouTube comments of its first trailer. After all, even calling it Gladiator II appeared rather tacky; as though a cynical studio cash-in for blockbuster success.
The only saving grace in the news seemed to be that Sir Ridley Scott was returning to the director’s chair to tell the story of the boy Luicius all grown up after the demise of both Commodus and Maximus in the first movie. Additionally, early reactions for Gladiator II have been very positive, so I was feeling somewhat hopeful as I headed to the BFI IMAX in London this morning to witness the end result.
And what I can tell you is that, yes, this sequel is a totally unnecessary rehash of much of the original’s plot points down to Connie Nielson’s jail cell visits (what echoes in Gladiator echoes in Gladiator II), but nevertheless, we were bloody well entertained from the off.
Gladiator II takes place in 200AD, 16 years after the events of the first film, with Lucius, the grandson of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, living in exile in North Africa with his young wife. That is before the Romans attack, making him like Maximus the husband to a murdered wife, who is enslaved and, you guessed it, made a gladiator in the Colosseum.
Just like the original, the sequel opens with one of Scott’s unmatched historical battle sequences in all its gory glory, even if some of the CGI boats looked a little ropey. The thrills continue in the arena throughout, with ravenous monkeys, an enraged rhino and even blood-thirsty great white sharks. The action really is where the movie is at its very best.
Gladiator also sports an impressive cast from Mescal’s bellowing lead through Denzel Washington’s scene-stealing scheming slaver to Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger’s spoilt brat co-Emperors giving off serious Joffrey Batheron vibes. Additionally, there are some delightful cameos from Brits as slimy senators from Tim McInnerny and Matt Lucas to a returning Derek Jacobi; while Pedro Pascal’s Roman general could have had a little more to do.
Throughout the excellent wordbuilding of this slightly too-long blockbuster, the colourful characters are decked in mountains of bling as they float through lavish setpieces smothered in decadent amounts of gold. This is well-contrasted with the brutal, dirt-ridden existence of the slaves in an ancient world where the strong rule over and crush the weak.
Overall, is Gladiator II more of the same but different? Yes. A needless sequel? Yes. But are we not thoroughly entertaining? Entirely. Scott, 87, has already teased he’s working on Gladiator III and if it’s as engrossing as this step back into the arena, my thumb remains pointed upwards.
Gladiator II is out in UK cinemas on November 15 and in US movie theatres on November 22.
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