Pop Commentary

“Gladiator II” had a tough act to follow. The original scored five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and became a cultural phenomenon with the line “Are you not entertained?” entering the lexicon. While I was indeed “entertained” by the long-awaited sequel, it didn’t quite live up to the magic of its predecessor.

If you haven’t seen the original “Gladiator” or just need a refresher, it’s about a former Roman general named Maximus (Russell Crowe) who’s forced into exile and slavery by the heir to the emperor’s throne (Joaquin Phoenix). During his captivity, Maximus trains as a gladiator and returns to Rome, intent on avenging the murder of his family by killing the new emperor.

The sequel continues the epic saga in Ancient Rome. It follows Lucius (Paul Mescal), who’s forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with foolish bloodthirst. You learn Lucius has ties to Maximus and the former leaders of Rome. He looks to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.

As a standalone movie, “Gladiator II” was good. It packed plenty of action into its 2 hour and 28-minute runtime. I enjoyed the plot, though the first quarter of the film was a little boring. The film jumps right into a war scene that could have used some more context to get the audience invested in the stakes. It then takes quite a bit of time introducing Lucius before we enter the Colosseum, where the action really picks up and doesn’t stop until the end.

Like the first film, my favorite scenes in “Gladiator II” were in the Colosseum. Each was unique and kept me on the edge of my seat with captivating battles. My favorite was the scene where the arena was filled with water and sharks, though I’m not sure how historically accurate it is. My only issue with the battle scenes was the CGI animals. The vicious apes depicted in the film seemed rushed and took me out of the fantasy. I truly don’t understand how animated animals have gotten less life-like in the era of “live-action” reboots, but here we are.

Outside of the bad visual effects in the arena, the film’s cinematography was serviceable. It incorporated a lot of gray and brown tones, which could have made it dull, but it created an ambiance that matched that of the original movie. There was some camerawork that seemed a bit off, especially for such a big-budget film. Specifically, there’s a scene where Connie Nielsen’s character, Lucilla, was distractingly out of focus.

As for the acting, Mescal does a great job as the protagonist. His fighting skills were top notch, his emotional scenes were believable, and he wasn’t bad to look at! Though he was a good lead, his performance wasn’t the standout. That was all Denzel Washington, who played a flamboyant villain named Macrinus. His character seemed the most flushed-out, his line delivery was top tier and his story arc was the most interesting. I went into the movie thinking Pedro Pascal’s role of General Marcus Acacius would have played a larger part in the action, but it was much more of a side part, unfortunately. Lastly, I found the two emperors played by Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger a little too over-the-top and distracting, especially the latter actor. They had some good lines, but I think the film would have benefited from the two emperors being more distinct and believable.

With all that being said, if you’re into action movies and the Roman Empire is your “Roman Empire,” you’re still in for a treat and it would make a great movie to see with your dad!