In preparation for the highly anticipated “Gladiator II,” my mother and I sat down to watch the original “Gladiator.” I had only seen it once before many years ago, and I barely remembered a thing. Over the next 2 hours and 35 minutes, Russel Crowe and his fellow cast members took my breath away. I know that this has all been said before numerous times over the past 24 years, but for the sake of this review, I have to stress that “Gladiator” is just an amazing, unique, heart wrenching movie.
When we went to the theater the next day to finally see the sequel, you can imagine how high my hopes were. I was sure that I was about to see a glorious movie, one that honored the legacy of the original film while cementing itself as a classic for the new generation. Unfortunately, I couldn’t have been more disappointed.
While “Gladiator II” has almost the exact same run time as its predecessor, give or take 7 minutes, it felt like a slog I would never get through compared to the quick and engaging original that makes you forget how long it is. Before I get into why the movie failed in my opinion, I will say it wasn’t all bad. Denzel Washington as Macrinus is absolutely amazing, and I’ve seen people all over social media emphasizing his role as the best part of this film, which I wholeheartedly agree with. The two twin emperors of the film, Geta and Caracalla, played by Fred Hechinger and Joseph Quinn, bring charisma and a good dose of crazy, fun, villainy that the movie desperately needed. Ridley Scott lived up to his legacy of brilliant cinematography and sweeping soundtracks, and the opening credits seen, which tells the story of the original “Gladiator” through a series of animated paintings is a brilliant way to start the sequel.
However, that was about all I liked. In the original, Russel Crowe’s presence gives the film such magnitude and instills the audience with belief in him, in his power, in his strength, from the very get-go. Paul Mescal, playing his son (another gripe I have with the film that I’ll get to later) doesn’t have the necessary charisma or aura, which leaves the film without a commanding lead. They were obviously trying to create a new Maximus in Mescal, but his character falls flat and we barely get to know him, leaving us wondering why we should even care about him at all.
The main plot is basically the exact same as the original. Mescal’s wife is killed in an attack by the Romans, and he is taken as a slave from his home in Numidia in North Africa. He is fueled by his desire to kill General Acacius, played by Pedro Pascal, who led the assault against his people. He finds himself as a gladiator, working for Macrinus, and eventually reunited with his mother Lucilla, played by Connie Nielsen. This is where my major gripe with the film comes in. In the original story, Lucilla and Maximus seemed to have history, but they bonded over the fact that their sons were both the same age, 8. Now in the new film, Lucius is said to be 12 in the original, and his mother reveals that his father was Maximus, not her husband.
In my opinion, this cheapens both “Gladiator” and “Gladiator II.” Maximus is driven by his love for his wife and son, but now we find out he had an affair and another son the whole time? It doesn’t even make sense for the logistics of the film, and it’s clearly just a way to connect the two films yet again. The movie beats it over your head that Lucius is Maximus’ son, and at some point, it’s so obvious that it just makes it painful to watch.
The film ends with the deaths of practically all the main characters except for Macrinus and Lucius, the latter of whom kills Macrinus and then claims his rightful place as emperor of Rome. This was yet another revelation that didn’t even make sense, as Lucius hated the Romans and despised the empire, yet switched to fighting for the “dream of Rome.” It was too quick of a flip for me to believe it, and it left the film feeling hollow.
If I hadn’t seen “Gladiator” before this film, I’m sure I would have enjoyed it. Yet I did, and sadly the original so far out shadows its successor that I just couldn’t like it. I’ve heard another future installment of the saga is in the works, and I can only hope that the next one is more creative and original.