Gladiator II
Gladiator II
Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius 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.
Tanalien reviewedFebruary 15, 2025
When 2000’s Gladiator was made, Hollywood worked differently. Studio executives would hear a story pitch. If they saw potential, they would pay a screenwriter to pen a couple drafts. If the studios liked the drafts, they’d shop for a director who could assemble a team. Nowadays in Hollywood, movies get funded through a “package” deal. If a script is written, a director is attached, and the star power signs on, then a studio is ready for a pitch.
Let’s say Ridley Scott, the director of Gladiator, and Denzel Washington, the legendary Oscar-winning actor, walked into your office with a finished script for Gladiator II. Mr. Washington would pitch his role as a smart-talking slave owner with higher ambitions. Mr. Scott would explain how he turned down many sequels in the past, but now he believes in the script. Most would be thinking, A sequel to a beloved film with this talent attached? This is the horse to bet on. I certainly would.
2024’s Gladiator II has the elements for great film on paper. An anachronistic story of political corruption, a fantastic ensemble cast, and a fabled director returning to the helm. But after the euphoria breaks, the doubt would creep in: Is it too good to be true? Unfortunately for all the movie-lovers, it is.
The film is an uninspired remake, expanding the story so far that each plot point feels thin. So much is crammed into Gladiator II, but somehow the film still feels excruciatingly slow. There is a tale of vengeance, two plots about political ambition, a Moses-like story of a child sent away, and another tracking the national renewal of Rome. Which one is the main plot? I could not tell. Gladiator II crisscrosses between each subplot so frequently that it is hard to stay engaged as a viewer. The script feels like a meandering first draft that needed more focus. I hail the massive scope on display, but the execution was poor.
More importantly, a larger issue is that the audience’s empathy for the characters is assumed to exist. We are not shown much to make us root for or empathize with them. The opening fifteen minutes foreshadow this issue, along with the narrative confusion. A farmer (Paul Mescal) and his wife (Yuval Gonen) are in love in the countryside. They hear a call to arms, a horn in the castle nearby. As soldiers, they answer. Within seconds, our lovers are geared up for a battle. Against who? Why? We do not know anything - about them or this battle! The audience could piece it together, but we have nothing to work with!
When something emotional happens, there is never any dramatic build-up. The plot moves forward in a half-baked way, with a minimum of set-up. In moments, characters turn on a dime. As an audience member, you can try to engage but be warned: You will not be rewarded. There are too few opportunities to emotionally invest in the story. This is the folly of Gladiator II.
Compared to the visual effects mastery of 2023’s Godzilla Minus One and 2024’s Dune Part Two, Gladiator II leaves something to be desired with its computer generated imagery (CGI). The costume design and practical sets are beautiful, but the CGI feels too obvious in comparison. It took me out of the movie in big action scenes. The film score has its own issues. Aside than Hans Zimmer’s iconic themes from the original film, Gladiator II’s score enhances the moment but never connects emotionally in the same way. I did not hear new themes to draw us in. In their own ways, these factors contribute to a sense of emotional hollowness, which is the film's main issue.
The cast is extensive, but the script limits what they are able to do and never pushes them to give their best. Take Denzel Washington as an example. As always, I was excited to see him in a movie. However, he plays a part that feels written for his film persona. He asks questions, retorts quickly, and displays authority. The script demands nothing new from Mr. Washington, just more of what he has already done in other films. Mr. Washington is great, but his role leaves much to be desired.
In the finished product put onscreen, Gladiator II lives within the epic shadow of the original. Fundamentally, it is a sequel whose story is deeply integrated with its predecessor, but it is difficult to find elements which are done better. Clearly though, there is untapped potential.
For example, I found a clear resonance with Gladiator II’s short-lived focus on the restoration of the Roman Empire. Ruled by tyrannical emperors, one man wants to resurrect the national story: A true democracy where men and women are free. A land of liberty. He will stop at nothing to make that dream a reality. This brief plot excursion should have been the main story; it would have fit today's moment so well.
Instead, Gladiator II’s connections to the original weigh it down. The film does not carve a new path for itself. Sadly, the film in theaters is Ridley Scott’s director’s cut. This time, there is no studio to blame for an undercooked movie. Like the characters, we can dream.
P.S. If you are looking for a more satisfying film about the Roman Empire, watch 1960’s Spartacus. I think Russell Crowe’s Maximus Decimus Meridius would agree with that recommendation.