Straight out of the gate Gladiator (2000) is one of my top five favorite films of all time. I have the books, the collectables, the extended version, and I even regularly listen to Hans Zimmer’s divine soundtrack of the film. To make a sequel to such a cinematic classic is a very dangerous task as the filmmakers have to tread the line between expectation and doing something completely fresh. While the shadow of Maximus looms large, Sir Ridley Scott has managed to craft a sword and sandals swashbuckling epic that will be sure to leave you thoroughly entertained. 

 

Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honour to return the glory of Rome to its people.

 

Gladiator II is the kind of movie that we don’t see anymore on the silver screen. Sword and sandal epics are too risky and too expensive, so they have gone the way of TV streaming series instead. But Gladiator II is everything that you’d expect from a Sir Ridley Scott blockbuster, every frame is popping with vibrancy and detail. 

 

The narrative takes a while to build because of the raft of characters and the complexity of the plot. This is where Gladiator II takes a little bit of a stumble where, and I won’t spoil it for you, Lucius makes a pivotal decision that changes his character trajectory which feels a little rushed. 

 

Perhaps some of it is because Gladiator II is caught between who they want Lucius to be. Is he the rage filled gladiator, who just wants to tear down the empire or is he a revolutionary who wants to restore Marcus Aurelius’s idea that was Rome?

 

That being said Gladiator II is just down right entertaining. From the opening fury of a battle waged from sea to the blood drenched coliseum filled with rhinos and sharks (yes, sharks) and the political backstabbing and intrigue, this is cinema writ large. 

 

Paul Mescal is a revelation as Lucius filled with fiery fury and brute force; this is him staking his arrival to absolute stardom. Denzel Washington reminds us once again, as if we needed reminding, of the acting force he truly is. He lights up every scene and will once again be in the running for every gong going come award season. 

 

While the shadow of Maximus looms large, Sir Ridley Scott has managed to craft a sword and sandals swashbuckling epic that will be sure to leave you thoroughly entertained.