Are you still entertained? (Yes, I Am)
(This review dances around a major plot point which is thinly veiled at best, and which most of you have probably already figured out – but hey, I’m doing my part to try to help you go in unspoiled).
It’s not something I would’ve ever expected to say, but – Gladiator II is here! 24 years after the original, an unlikely sequel has manifested. Like Blade Runner 2040, and to a lesser extent Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, it finds Ridley Scott returning to his roots and creating a rather unexpected – but in no way unwelcome – followup to one of his best films.
Gladiator II‘s arrival has been prefaced by some chuckle-worthy attempts to discredit its historical accuracy, as if anyone were under the impression it were anything but fiction. The original Gladiator is such a hallowed favorite and proven classic that I think people may have forgotten its tone and slightly elevated its sense of gravitas in our memory. It’s a gorgeous film, but in no way ponderous or pretentious – or particularly historical. It’s a very action-packed, very mainstream banger of a fictional narrative that happens to be set in ancient Rome around 180 AD.
In that tradition, Gladiator II mostly lives up to the original. While it’s not quite as good, this is a sequel that works, even if it probably shouldn’t.
Echoing aspects of the original film, the film is centered on a young man name Hanno (Paul Mescal) who lives in peace with is wife in North Africa. When the Romans, under the command of General Acacius (Pedro Pascal), attack his seaside city, he leads the desperate attempt to rebuff the invaders. But the city falls, his wife is killed, and he ends up captured and shipped to Rome, eventually catching the eye of the wily Macrinus (Denzel Washington), who purchases him and trains him as a gladiator.
Unsurprisingly, Denzel’s performance is a major highlight, and his role reminds me of some of the conniving characters in Game of Thrones, like Peter Baelish – he’s clearly a flawed person and in pursuit of his own personal ends, but despite being unquestionably slimy, his manner is nevertheless quite charming and good-humored, and a total pleasure to watch. It’s not immediately clear if he’s a friend or foe, but either way he has a certain allure.
Hanno’s tale echoes aspects of Maximus: a brave commander turned gladiator whose success in the arena will capture the attention and respect of the Roman people in a time of cruelty (now under the leadership of the twin emperors Geta and Caracalla, played with convincing detestability by Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger.
As film goes on, his tale will intertwine more closely to the original – for the ghost of Maximus still holds power 20 year later. General Acacius, on whom Hanno has sworn revenge, is the husband of Connie Nielsen’s Lucilla, making her return. Lucilla sees the fighting spirit of Maximus in Hanno, but that’s pitted against his thirst for revenge against her own husband.
As with the original film, the violent action sequences both in and out of the arena are quite sensational, as is the score by Harry Gregson-Williams (taking the reins from Hans Zimmer).
The only aspect of the film that I felt didn’t even begin to live up to the original was in Hanno’s rapport with his fellow gladiators. Maximus developed palpable friendships with characters like those played by Djimon Hounsou and Ralf Moeller. Not only could you could see how he rose in stature to earn the admiration and devotion of his fellow fighters, but his companions were also some of the most enjoyable and lovable characters in the movie with genuine humor, rapport and pathos. Without this attention to the supporting characters, a similar arc in II feels limp and unearned by comparison.
No, Gladiator II isn’t as good as the original, but neither is it an unworthy followup. I enjoyed it immensely and the action alone makes this one to catch theatrically on the big screen.
A/V Out
