Twenty-four years ago Gladiator brought the Roman ideal of ultra-masculinity roaring into the mainstream, and did it with a chiseled and ripped Russell Crowe in a Best Actor-winning performance in a Best Picture-winning historical epic. It was only six years later that we’d see this idea taken to the ultimate degree with Zack Snyder’s 300. I think Gladiator is still the best historical action film ever made. So much so that I saw it twice the same day, that’s how much it blew me away then and still does to this day. After years of wildly conceived sequel ideas, Ridley Scott returns with Gladiator II, a well-conceived, highly-entertaining, opulent spectacle that is missing a couple of key ingredients to fully restore the glory of Rome, but adds one that nearly does on its own.
For one thing, Gladiator II doesn’t have Russell Crowe, and you just can’t replace the sheer dynamism of his performance as Maximus. In his place is Paul Mescal as Lucius Verus, the now-adult son of Maximus and Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), and also secretly the heir to the Empire. Mescal is a more thoughtful, considered actor than Crowe and he doesn’t quite have the same charisma. But he’s gotten himself into incredible shape for an intense, physical role and he’s still one of our best actors in the world. There’s tragedy buried deep in his soul, seen in his expressive eyes and heard in his measured speech. It’s a great role for Mescal that shows what a diverse actor he is already in such a young career.
Set in 200 A.D., about sixteen years after Maximus’ death, Lucius has been hidden away in Numidia, which had been resistant to Rome’s power grabs. But when the small African region is under siege by Roman commander Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) in a huge battle, Lucius loses everything, including his freedom. Enslaved much as Maximus was, Lucius is sold into gladiatorial combat, bought by the sleazy ex-slave Macrinus, played by Denzel Washington, who has his eyes set on Rome’s downfall and his own rise to power.
What Gladiator II has that elevates it tremendously is Denzel who is clearly relishing this rare shot at playing the bad guy. It’s doubtful that Denzel received a single note of instruction from Scott, as he seems to be doing whatever he wants whenever he wants, whether it makes sense or not. His scheming Macrinus speaks and gestures with a flourish, “Politicsssssssss” he slithers like a snake, with a con artist’s smile ever plastered to his face. Denzel is worth the price of admission alone.
The problem with having Denzel is that he overshadows everybody, including Mescal. To be fair, Denzel has been dwarfing his co-stars for decades, but it’s especially problematic in Gladiator II. It doesn’t help that Lucius is sort of a supporting player in his own story. He doesn’t drive the action and the dramatic sweep the way Crowe’s Maximus did. It’s fair to say that we get as invested in Macrinus’ Machiavellian tactics as we do Lucius’ unfocused journey which starts out as revenge but whips on a dime to something else entirely.
The other thing Gladiator II is missing is the old Ridley Scott, who is more bloodthirsty and crafts a film that’s less serious-minded than before. Reunited with Hannibal writer David Scarpa, Scott once again leans hard into black comedy with the Caligula-like psychosis of Roman co-emperors Geta and Caracalla (played by Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger, respectively), who literally monkey around with the fate of Rome in their hands. We’re expected to see them in the same light as Joaquin Phoenix’s deranged Commodus but he was a believably spoiled, power-hungry tyrant whereas these two are cartoons.
Scarpa’s screenplay sticks very closely to the rhythms of the prior movie, but is smaller by comparison as events turn much quicker than before. Scott manages to recapture that old Gladiator feeling again, by repurposing much of Hans Zimmer’s score and bringing back cinematographer John Mathieson. Mathieson’s return is appreciated for capturing the grand scale that Scott favors, while bleak scenes sending Lucius into the afterlife are gorgeous and show such a stark contrast. The gladiator battles are also similar in a lot of ways, with Scott proving that he hasn’t lost a step in framing massive set pieces. They’re still extremely gruesome, but the biggest and best battle actually happens much earlier in the film as Lucius defends his homeland. Pascal is also good in this sequence, looking every bit like a powerful Roman conqueror. Marcus is one of the more tragic figures in the film, as his relationship with Lucilla puts him right in Lucius and Macrinus’ crosshairs.
Thinking about where Gladiator II started from to how it ended up, Scott deserves a ton of credit. I can’t think of anyone who thought there needed to be a sequel but Scott has managed to pull off a gorgeous, thrilling epic that crowds will be happy to champion and see multiple times in IMAX. While it doesn’t have the same Best Picture aspirations as its predecessor, there may still be gold in its future, especially for Denzel. Clocking in at 148-minutes, the film has clearly been edited down to preserve a much longer director’s cut, as is the Scott custom. You can sense it most in the final act, and it’ll be interesting to see what was dropped in the extended version. When Gladiator II comes to a close, you’re left with the feeling that Scott has a third and final movie in mind. If that happens, Scott is going to have an incredible trilogy that he’ll forever be remembered for.
Gladiator II opens in theaters on November 22nd.
