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DIGITAL

IMAX

Opening Date

14 Nov 2024

Rating

M18 Violence

Runtime

148 mins

Language

English with English & Chinese subtitles

Genre

Action, Adventure

Director

Ridley Scott

Cast

Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington

Synopsis

From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. 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 honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.

Reviews

By InCinemas 13 Nov 2024

We are but mildly entertained.

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It’s been 24 years since Gladiator entertained us. Now, Ridley Scott brings us back to Ancient Rome with a bigger and bolder sequel.

Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, Connie Nielsen, and Denzel Washington.

Set sixteen years after the events of the first film, a now grown Lucius (Mescal) – son of Lucilla (Nielsen) – sees his wife killed and home invaded by the Roman army led by General Acacius (Pascal). He is forced into slavery and becomes a gladiator under Macrinus (Washington), a former slave who plots to overthrow the young emperors Geta (Quinn) and Caracalla (Hechinger).

When he was younger, Lucius was sent away by his mother to protect him from Rome's corruption. While he still clearly remembers who she is, he disregards his Roman ancestry, vowing vengeance against the army that took everything from him. His revenge story is nothing new to those familiar with Russell Crowe's Maximus going down the same path and this isn't even the only similarity both films share as we soon find out.

The trickiness of making a legacy sequel is having to live up to the glory its predecessor once basked in. Many have tried in the past but few have succeeded in creating a continuity worth celebrating. Gladiator II seems to fall within the majority, recycling its predecessor’s winning formula and lacking in freshness or excitement for fans. Safe for returning characters, everyone new in the sequel seems to be replications of the originals – Quinn and Hechinger's tyrannical twins follow in the footsteps of Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus while Maximus' characteristics are shared between Lucius and Acacius. Even Macrinus comes across as a mashup of Commodus and Oliver Reed’s Proximo!

As if its name isn’t connection enough, Gladiator II bridges the films even more by having Lucilla reveal to Lucius that he is in fact Maximus’ son. This has been a long-running theory ever since the release of Gladiator, a theory that stemmed from the characters' shared moments in the film and one finally confirmed in this sequel. While this might finally put something to rest, it also begs the question if the reveal was even necessary. It is unclear if there was ever intention for this relationship to be true in the original but watching Gladiator II grasp at straws to give the connection meaning now only makes it come across at a desperate attempt at fan servicing. None of the flashback scenes used to service this revelation held enough weight for the lineage to really matter.

Mescal is indubitably talented but shines brightest in quieter roles. His first venture into blockbusters here is commendable as he does a fine job filling in Maximus’ sandals but the dramatic actor still lacks the je ne sais quoi of a big budget action star to make a lasting impression like Crowe had.

This sequel is not short of its inevitable battle sequences but their entertainment factor – regardless of simplicity (men with swords and nothing else) or grandeur (a water-filled Colosseum with CGI sharks, anyone?) – comes second to the scene-stealing Washington who plays a deliciously conniving villain full of flair and charisma. His playful yet menacing aura makes for the best scenes the film offers.

Despite its imperfections, Gladiator II still boasts remarkable visuals thanks to the attention to detail of its costumes and set designs. This sequel may not come close to achieving what its predecessor did two decades ago but it is still a worthy big screen spectacle that works best for an audience unfamiliar with the latter.
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