‘Gladiator II’ REVIEW: Chaos Returns to the Coliseum
‘Gladiator II’ REVIEW: Chaos Returns to the Coliseum
Years after the death of Maximus, Lucius Verus Aurelius (Paul Mescal), now older and going by the name “Hanno,” is forced to fight as a gladiator in the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the twin tyrannical emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger).
As the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), Lucius must reflect on his royal past and journey back to Rome in all its former glory, with the hopes of fulfilling the dream of his grandfather, the former emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), to establish a democratic republic ruled by its people.
The official poster of Gladiator II / Photo taken from IMDb
Ridley Scott fires back with a sequel to the historical epic, Gladiator, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Actor for Rusell Crowe, who portrayed the titular gladiator Maximus. With wrestling fans chanting “You still got it!” when it comes to veterans proving their skill, Ridley Scott clearly still has it. Even as he is reaching the age of 90, we’re still living in a world where a new Ridley Scott film is possible. Granted, Scott’s recent works have been a hit or miss. There’s been underrated gems like The Last Duel and polarizing ones like House of Gucci and Napoleon.
Gladiator II didn’t need to exist, as the original film had a perfect ending, complete with a memorable performance for the ages. Continuing the story for a new generation — with a new hero and a rising star in Paul Mescal — Gladiator II is a legacy sequel that honors the original while exploring new characters for a modern audience.
First and foremost, it was an experience to witness the visual spectacle of the Coliseum (even with the inaccuracy of the sharks in the naval battle scenes). While the first film relied more on practical sets, Gladiator II does feature noticeable green screen moments that are hard to miss.
Nevertheless, the film's stunning costume and set design help compensate for this aspect. If you’re expecting action, you’re going to get it. The film’s opening invasion sequence draws you in, along with the gladiator battles that capture the epicness of the first one.
Lucius fends off his enemies in Gladiator II / Photo taken from IMDb
Historical inaccuracies aside, Gladiator II is still a truly cinematic experience. The promotional materials promised an action-packed spectacle, and they delivered. The film aims to immerse you in the year 211 AD as believable as possible, and it captures this effortlessly.
Paul Mescal is front and center in the starting lineup, with Scott handpicking him after watching Normal People — I mean, I get it, Ridley. The Irish actor’s performance in the 2020 BBC romantic-drama series is one for the books, and since then, he has gone on to mesmerize us with his performances in All of Us Strangers and his Oscar-nominated turn in Aftersun. Although some may say he sticks out like a sore thumb, often cited as a miscast role, I believe he was simply overshadowed by performances that had so much more to work with.
The character of Lucius feels like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the film showcases other characters besides Lucius; on the other, it makes Lucius' character arc feel predictable as if we didn’t need time to see him fully fleshed out. Lucius is somewhat Maximus 2.0, rising the ranks as a mighty gladiator waiting until vengeance is his.
Lightning never strikes the same place twice, and it’s not Mescal’s fault he wasn’t able to deliver the kind of performance he had in his previous roles. Moreover, you can’t really compare a performance from low-budget, story-driven pieces to a big-budget studio blockbuster.
Macrinus (Denzel Washington) in Gladiator II / Photo taken from IMDb
A standout performance in the film is from Denzel Washington, who plays Macrinus, a former slave with plans to take control of Rome and overthrow the twin emperors. Becoming a mentor-like figure to Lucius, Washington has an aura on screen that provides a charismatic and sometimes playful performance. Apart from Lucius, whose character arc and search for vengeance are already expected, Macrinus’ journey is calm and calculated, ultimately becoming the film’s true villain.
Emperor Geta (Joseph Quinn) in Gladiator II / Photo taken from IMDb
On the other hand, one of the supposed antagonists of the film, Joseph Quinn as Emperor Geta, takes cues from Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of Commodus in the first film. No doubt Quinn had fun playing the character, as he gets to be silly, childish, and downright brutal in more ways than one.
He adds a layer to his character that shows how manipulative he can be to his twin brother, Emperor Caracalla, played by Fred Hechinger. Caracalla, the role Barry Keoghan had to drop out of due to scheduling conflicts, is far less stable than Geta and acts as more or less a follower and second fiddle to Geta in some ways. Both Quinn and Hechinger portray the twin emperors as unfit to lead Rome as if there are those power-hungry enough to take the throne away from them. The way we can easily hate their characters solely based on the nature of their personalities is effective.
Lucius and General Acacius (Pedro Pascal) square off in the arena in Gladiator II / Photo taken from IMDb
Meanwhile, General Acacius, played by Pedro Pascal, is a foil to Mescal’s Lucius. But he becomes more than just that. The husband of Lucilla, played by Connie Nielsen, and a beloved hero and general of the Roman army, Acacius is an adversary to Lucius from a physical standpoint. Pascal has portrayed tried-and-tested characters that offer so much more than what is seen at face value.
Here, we see a general who is consumed by war and violence and suddenly brings some humanity to a character that could otherwise come off as bland and repetitive. Even in scenes with Lucius, Acacius brings so much more because of the way we are still intrigued by where and how far his character can go.
Gladiator II serves its purpose by harkening back to what made the first film resonate, with a story fueled by familiar tropes of vengeance, redemption, and an expected underdog narrative. Although it slightly suffers from bringing more of the same, the hero’s journey formula was used effectively for storytelling.
Though it makes for compelling cinema, there are moments in this film that may feel otherwise. Nonetheless, while the first film wouldn’t be at the top of everyone’s list for wanting a sequel, this is still a nice continuation that moves the story forward, packed with emotional and strong performances from the cast that make for an entertaining watch.
Historical epics like this aren’t really my cup of tea or the kind of film I’d spend hours watching, but I was definitely entertained. The sharks in the naval battle did not disappoint, and the coliseum battles alone are worth checking out.
‘Gladiator II’ is now showing in Philippine cinemas.
