Gladiator 2 (2024)

Gladiator II (2024)

 

6/10

Starring

Paul Mescal

Pedro Pascal

Denzel Washington

 

Directed by Ridley Scott

 

This is an okay movie, fun to watch, but I cannot say it is worth your time and not seeing this movie will not make you feel like you missed a masterpiece.

Spoiler Warning: The movie takes place sixteen years after the events of the first movie Gladiator (2000), where Maximus (Russell Crowe) is dead. Now, the story shows us the events after his death. If you recall, in the first movie we are given an idea that Maximus was the father of Lucius (whose mother is Lucilla). So here in this movie, that was ascertained, and we learn that Lucius was sent away by his mother to protect him from assassins after the death of Maximus.

This movie fails to rise above its predecessor. The first Gladiator movie was a 10/10 in my book. This sequel had more action scenes than the original, but it doesn’t make up for the lack of a deep story. While there’s more action and blood, the film’s overall feel suffers due to the absence of the plot depth that made the original great.

For me, it felt as though they took the first film’s storyline and tried to redo it with some changes. The main eye-catching addition in this movie is Denzel Washington. Also, it was a sad realization when you hear the intro music and think, “Hans Zimmer is back,” only to discover later that he didn’t return to score the movie. He chose not to be involved, which affected the film’s atmosphere.

The plot itself is the movie’s weakest point. Lucius lives in a land called Numidia, which was invaded by the Romans. He is enslaved along with other prisoners, and Macrinus (Denzel Washington) notices him, taking him under his wing. Lucius’s goal is to kill General Acacius, the leader of the army that invaded Numidia and killed his wife. He’s promised revenge if he can rise in the Gladiator ring, as you can see, the storyline offers nothing new. Just like the first movie, he needs to rise in the ring to be able to get his revenge.

So, as expected, we get a repetition of the first film’s structure – the struggle for power in Rome, the Gladiator battles, and the final bloody confrontation. The changes made in the plot don’t offer anything new, and the movie’s reliance on action and fighting to make up for the lack of depth becomes obvious.

Watching this movie is essentially deciding not to compare it to the first Gladiator, because it simply doesn’t measure up to the original’s plot, acting, or depth. It’s an entertaining but forgettable sequel that doesn’t reach the heights of the first film.