Never let it be said that you can’t make a sequel to any movie. Heck, 2010’s Titanic II proved Hollywood will put any seemingly unthinkable sequel into production, and over the past few years we’ve had various unexpected follow-ups, including Top Gun: Maverick, Coming 2 America, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
The latest unexpected sequel to add to the list is Gladiator II, the follow-up to 2000’s Gladiator. Yes, you read that correctly, they’ve made a sequel to Gladiator!
And when I say ‘they’, I am of course referring to director Ridley Scott and the guys over at Paramount. Twenty-four years after the first movie was a big hit, Scott and Co. felt audiences needed a sequel, and now we have one.
Starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Tim McInnerny, and Derek Jacobi, Gladiator II opens in UK cinemas from Friday, and will arrive in the US from November 22nd. More importantly, it’s rather good – which is ultimately what you want to know.
Picking up a couple of decades on from the events of Gladiator, Lucius (son of Maximus) finds himself branded and taken into the Colosseum, after his home is conquered by the Roman general, Marcus Acacius. Put to work as a competitor in a brutal game against baboons (!!), Lucius proves he has stamina and the skills to survive no matter the opponent.
Taken to Macrinus, a former slave who has risen up the ranks, Lucius is trained to become a gladiator. Macrinus sees great potential in Lucius and is keen to see him go far.
Likewise, Lucius comes to understand the benefit of succeeding in the arena. Not only will it keep him alive, but will also provide him with the opportunity to get revenge against his captors.
Now, as with most sequels, you could argue there is no need for them to exist and if we really want to split hairs, you could certainly make the same case for Gladiator II. Gladiator felt very much like a stand-alone tale, and I don’t believe audiences were petitioning Ridley Scott to make another one.
However, if we can put the sequel debate to one side, and just focus on the movie itself, Gladiator II is thoroughly entertaining. As with its predecessor, this is a blood-thirsty sword and sandals adventure film, which is both engaging and enthralling.
The fight sequences are exhilarating, the costumes and sets are lavish, and the fight against oppression and slavery is inspiring. Plus, this film is backed by a superb cast, with Washington, Jacobi, Pascal, and Nielsen providing excellent support to lead star, Paul Mescal.
Mescal, incidentally, is heroic and hunky in all the ways you would want and/or expect. He effortlessly picks up the mantle from Gladiator star, Russell Crowe, and runs with it.
Is Gladiator II as strong as the original? I’d argue it’s not quite, but it remains a lot of fun regardless.
It’s also a bit camp and bonkers too. Remember the baboons I mentioned earlier? Well, there are sharks as well!
There is an entire fight sequence which happens about half-way through the film, in which Lucius and various gladiators are put on boats and forced to battle it out in shark-infested waters, all while in the middle of an arena!
Madness. Utter madness.
But who doesn’t want a bit of madness in an epic blockbuster such as this? When it comes to the story, you pretty much know what you’re going to get with Gladiator II, so allow Ridley Scott to lean into the spectacle and just go with it.
While it might not have the same impact as the original, and the story doesn’t really attempt anything new, there’s a lot to like in Gladiator II. The film is a solid action-adventure picture with all the cast on fine form and all the robes, Romans, and rippling muscles present and correct.
If you weren’t bowled over by 2000’s Gladiator, this latest instalment might not tug your toga, but if you were a fan, then throw yourself back into the arena. Gladiator II gets the ‘thumbs up’.
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