“Gladiator II” takes place 16 years after the first film. It follows Lucius, the son of Lucilla, played by Connie Nielsen, and Maximus, played by Russell Crowe. Lucius is played by Academy Award nominee Paul Mescal. Estranged from his family for over a decade, Lucius coincidentally ends up reconnecting with his mother after his home is attacked by the Roman Army. He is taken by the army to become a slave-turned-gladiator like his father, and quickly rises to greatness, also following in his father’s footsteps. The film is packed with well-done action sequences, effective gore and a compelling story as Lucius fights to restore the Roman Republic – a dream his father wished to carry out.
Despite being released 24 years later, the sequel lives up to the original. If you can look past the historical inaccuracies, it is an enjoyable movie. With a runtime of two hours and 28 minutes, it is easy to assume that the movie would lose the audience’s interest after a while. That is not the case here because, with the help of solid pacing, it was engaging throughout. While taking a break from the main plot, the use of fight scenes still made sense as they contributed to building the overall story. The intense scenes made for a more captivating experience and helped keep the audience attracted.
However, the use of computer-generated imagery (CGI) was slightly overkill and only added to the historical inaccuracies. The gladiators had to fight a pack of rabid baboons, fend off sharks and outsmart a rhino. The baboons were dramatized and clearly not real, but that is even more of a reason why they need to look real. It is also understandable that there could not be real sharks on set and practical effects could not be used around explosions, but again, a shark should look real. There was also a scene where numerous boats sail through the sea, but the water looks fake. If a decision is made to use CGI in a film, there should be no questioning whether the water visually looks real. While CGI can be useful in places where practical effects would greatly inconvenience the production, many scenes would have benefitted from using real-life sets over CGI.
Mescal, like Crowe who won best actor for “Gladiator,” truly shines in his role. His performance resembles Crowe’s even before it is confirmed that Lucius is the son of Maximus. It would not be surprising if there is another Oscar nomination in his future. The physical casting of both Mescal and Pedro Pascal was perfect; they both look like they were born in that era and meant to be a part of the Roman Empire.
Joseph Quinn stands out as Emperor Geta. Pascal and Denzel Washington also gave notable performances, with Washington predicted to receive an Oscar nomination for his role.
The film concludes with Lucius becoming the Prince of Rome and continuing to fight for his grandfather and father’s dream of restoring the Roman Republic. Fans are split on their feelings regarding this sequel, saying it is a copy and paste of the first film, but there is no denying the incredible performances given by the cast. The director of both films, Scott Ridley, has already hinted at the possibility of a third “Gladiator” during the press tour and Mescal has also expressed interest in his return.
