Around 200 A.D. — almost two decades after the death of Maximus Meridius — Numidia is invaded by Rome under the orchestration of esteemed General Marcus Acacius (played by Pedro Pascal). During the invasion, a soldier named Arishat (Yuval Gonen) is killed while her husband Hanno (Paul Mescal) is taken prisoner and exported back to Rome. When twin emperors Geta and Caracalla (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger, respectively) decide to throw gladiatorial games in celebration of the new conquest, Hanno impresses in the Colosseum and, therefore, impresses Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a former slave looking to overthrow whoever he has to in order to gain power. Hanno wants nothing more than to kill General Acacius in an act of revenge for killing his wife. Macrinus promises his new gladiator that, if he keeps winning in the Colosseum, he’ll arrange for Hanno to fight whoever he wants. Problems for multiple characters arise when a long-lost family secret is discovered.
GLADIATOR II has a lot going for it, even before the projector is turned on. It’s the sequel of an Oscar-winning film, it boasts an incredible cast, it’s led by legendary director Sir Ridley Scott, it features beautiful costuming, gorgeous set pieces and an impressive grandiosity in every shot… but it feels arrogant. It’s almost as if the filmmakers said “Look what we have here! How can we lose?” and, like a young top-rated athlete, didn’t put in the work to make the final product everything it could’ve been.
Don’t get me wrong, GLADIATOR II is a good time out at the theater — and should be seen on the biggest screen possible, by the way (don’t wait for streaming) — but there’s a mountain of little things that could’ve helped it rightfully carry on the “epic” torch of the original film. For example, there were multiple convenient elements that stood out, the most glaring being during the prison breakout scene. The archer guards are poised and ready to quell any uprising from their second level perch yet don’t start shooting until Hanno has the opportunity to fight Viggo and deliver a line of dialogue, all while the other prisoners are fighting other guards. But, you know, wait to shoot until all of that is finished, I guess.
The performances are great, the story is interesting and the scope is huge. GLADIATOR II is a must-see in the theater but, unfortunately, it took it’s laundry list of assets for granted and only gives audiences loads of flavor without much sustenance.
JKG SCORE: 6.5
Untitled Film Project 