Gladiator II – Movie Review
First Reaction – Gladiator II sees Denzel Washington shine and the political battle for Rome take center stage.
Watch Gladiator II in the Cinema Now
Director: Ridley Scott
Writer: David Scarpa (Screenplay)
Writer: Peter Craig, David Scarpa (Story)
Cast
- Paul Mescal (Aftersun)
- Connie Nielsen (Mission to Mars)
- Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us)
- Denzel Washington (Training Day)
- Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things)
Plot: After his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now lead Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum and must look to his past to find strength to return the glory of Rome to its people.
Runtime: 2 Hours 22 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Gladiator II starts as General Acacius (Pascal) leads the latest invasion for Emperor Geta (Quinn) and Emperor Caracalla (Hechinger). They conquer the land where Lucius (Mescal) lives in freedom with his wife. Lucius witnesses his wife killed in the conflict and is taken back to Rome as a slave. Macrinus (Washington) picks Lucius to be one of his gladiators to entertain the Emperors.
However, Lucius’ return to Rome starts a catalyst of events which sees Macrinus make a power plan. Meanwhile, General Acacius already has his plan with his wife Lucilla (Neilsen) and Lucius becomes an important part of the battle for control of the city.
Verdict on Gladiator II
Recap
We follow Rome as the control of power has left plenty of casualties. An enemy soldier is captured and forced to fight in the Colosseum while a bigger political power is creating disruption in Rome.
Best Parts
The political story is easily the most interesting part of the movie. It shows the different power players who have their eyes on the throne and how they need the pieces put in the right place. This does have more of a feeling of watching Game of Thrones, as everyone has their ideas in place. A special mention for the beautiful opening credits in a painting style.
Worst Parts
The action sequences can feel like an afterthought for large portions of the story. They rarely achieve anything in the storytelling process and end up wanting to do a lot more than they need to do. Everything about the movie feels like a very forced sequel, and Emperor Geta doesn’t seem as psychotic as suggested.
Performances
Denzel Washington steals the show with his planning and scheming character. He demands the screen and when he is not around, you can see your attention slip. While nobody is bad in the movie, nobody else feels that standout in what is meant to be an epic story.
Final Thoughts –Gladiator II ends up being a more entertaining political thriller, than an epic saga.