Movie Review: Gladiator II

Twenty-four years after Gladiator was released in theaters, its sequel Gladiator II has finally arrived. But it may have come a tad too late. The director Ridley Scott directed the original film and the sequel. As of late, the director hasn’t had the best track record. Now, he’s directed classics like the original Gladiator, Alien, and Blade Runner. However, some of his recent movies, like Exodus: Gods and Kings, The Last Duel, House of Gucci, and Napoleon, have been met with mixed or poor reception. So, whether this film would hit or miss the mark, was in question. The film itself is well shot and, in a way, emphasizes a sense of grandeur that most films don’t have much of anymore. The action scenes are fun to watch. The gladiatorial combat and sword fighting are visceral, and the action can get pretty gory. Though certain aspects stretch the limits of historical accuracy, they make for more fun. If
Ridley Scott wants to add sharks to the water filled Colosseum ship battle, I won’t complain about that. The effects are overall done well enough. Although the CGI can vary at times, it’s specifically noticeable in a scene containing
monkeys (you’ll recognize it when you see it).
The musical score is good here, but it doesn’t hold the same impact that the original score does. Hane Zimmer did not return to craft the music score here, while Harry Gregson-Williams did compose a decent score. However, it lacks something the original composition had that made it feel epic in scale. The acting is good. Paul Mescal manages his own as the lead, Lucius. He carries himself well in the action sequences.

characters in the film seem to have an interesting premise and background, but they are left unexplored. It feels as if there were a lot of scenes cut or left on the editing room floor… which may be true since the movie clocks in at 2 hours and 28 minutes, and the director Ridley Scott claims
that the original cut of the movie is 4 hours. The original Gladiator is considered a modern classic and is difficult to live up to. I would still consider the original above this film in rank. However, in a world of thumbs up or thumbs down, I’d still give the movie a thumbs up. If you’re looking for
something to watch, this movie is entertaining enough to consider watching in theaters, if you get the chance.

Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal do well in their roles; Denzel in particular brings a certain movie star charisma to the film. Each actor does the best they can with the script they have been given. Each of the characters they play has understandable motivations, and that emotional ambiguity can make it
difficult to pinpoint who to root for; which can be a good or bad thing, depending on the viewer’s preference. The main issue with the movie comes down to its writing. It is very similar to the plot of the original movie, and the writing seems a bit clunky and disjointed. There are certain aspects of the script that seem to have plot holes or provide characters with blatant plot armor. Although plot armor can be excusable in certain stories and situations, here it comes off as a bit obvious. Some things happen in the movie that do not have time to breathe or develop on-screen, it just jumps to the next outcome. There are certain things that the characters go through and the movie does not really show either the emotional buildup to those scenes or the emotional aftermath. It lowers the impact of the characters’ arcs and makes the changes seem sudden and ‘out of the blue’ rather than gradual. Certain