Gladiator II is set years after the events of the blockbuster hit Gladiator, which won the 2001 Best Picture Oscar, starring Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix.
Paul Mescal in ‘Gladiator II’ Paramount Pictures
In the sequel, Lucius Verus, portrayed by Paul Mescal, the son of Crowe’s Maximus, is forced to fight in the Colosseum after his home is conquered by Rome’s tyrannical emperors.
Pedro Pascal’s General Marcus Acacius lays siege to Lucius’ home of Numidia and he must draw on his past to find the strength and honor to restore Rome to its former glory.
Multiple Osvar winner Denzel Washington steps into a rare villainous role as Macrinus, a former slave turned master of gladiators.
The sequel continues director Scott’s slate of large-scale Hollywood epic feature films, reviving film franchises he had originated over his lengthy career, as he did in directing Prometheus and Alien: Covenant.
Scott was nominated for the best director Oscar for the original Gladiator, but it is unlikely he woud score one for his sequel.
In terms of brutal spectacle, elaborate period detail and vigorous set pieces–battles, swordplay, bloodshed–the sequel should satisfy the basic instincts and expectations of the genre’s fans.
That said, there’s a déjà vu quality to much of the “new” film, a narrative slavishness that goes beyond the caged men who are forced to fight for their survival.
The sequel suffers from imbalance between story and action–the numerous beheadings and swordfights tends to overwhelm the characters’ personalities and motivations.
In the end, Gladiator II reaffirms Scott’s natural tendency toward grandiosity, but seldom justifies its very existence.
The movie is sporadically entertaining with its wildly crazy overblown set pieces, but try as they might, they cant’s help the feeling that the movie is a rehash, with a big emotional hole at its center, made flr sheer commercial considerations.
Gladiator II: Ridley Scott’s Vigorously Violent but Emotionally Hollow Spectacle (Sequel to his 2001 Oscar Winner)
In the sequel, Lucius Verus, portrayed by Paul Mescal, the son of Crowe’s Maximus, is forced to fight in the Colosseum after his home is conquered by Rome’s tyrannical emperors.
Pedro Pascal’s General Marcus Acacius lays siege to Lucius’ home of Numidia and he must draw on his past to find the strength and honor to restore Rome to its former glory.
Multiple Osvar winner Denzel Washington steps into a rare villainous role as Macrinus, a former slave turned master of gladiators.
The sequel continues director Scott’s slate of large-scale Hollywood epic feature films, reviving film franchises he had originated over his lengthy career, as he did in directing Prometheus and Alien: Covenant.
Scott was nominated for the best director Oscar for the original Gladiator, but it is unlikely he woud score one for his sequel.
In terms of brutal spectacle, elaborate period detail and vigorous set pieces–battles, swordplay, bloodshed–the sequel should satisfy the basic instincts and expectations of the genre’s fans.
That said, there’s a déjà vu quality to much of the “new” film, a narrative slavishness that goes beyond the caged men who are forced to fight for their survival.
The sequel suffers from imbalance between story and action–the numerous beheadings and swordfights tends to overwhelm the characters’ personalities and motivations.
In the end, Gladiator II reaffirms Scott’s natural tendency toward grandiosity, but seldom justifies its very existence.
The movie is sporadically entertaining with its wildly crazy overblown set pieces, but try as they might, they cant’s help the feeling that the movie is a rehash, with a big emotional hole at its center, made flr sheer commercial considerations.