A remix and retcon of the original that pales in comparison
A good sequel is often tasked with a fine balancing act. Maintain enough of the elements that made the first film successful, but add in new ideas to make it fresh and impactful all over again. Gladiator II is a curious beast, where its strengths essentially lie in a play by play remix of the first film’s emotionally driven action set pieces, and its weakness lies in the clunky plot maneuvering to tee them up.
Picking up around 20 years after the event of the first film, the dream of Rome has turned into a nightmare, as twin Emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) have brought cruelty and corruption to bear. Intent on solidifying their legacy, they have charged General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) to expand Rome’s borders. The latest target is the African city of Numidia, a bastion whose defense is led by an adoptive son Hanno (Paul Mescal). The cities inhabitants, including his ill-fated wife Arishat (Yuval Gonen) are unaware of his true identity as Lucius, son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and true heir to the Empire. Sequestered away after the events of the first film for his protection, lost to another continent, and now dragged back home in chains as a prisoner of war to be sold at a slave market. His festering resentment for Rome, and palpable anger is noted by local power-player Macrinus (Denzel Washington) who puts him into the gladiator pits, and soon starts to leverage his desire for revenge against Acacius as a means to stir up political chaos, and elevate his own position within the empire.
Yes, that young doe-eyed boy from the first film (played by Spencer Treat Clark) is all grown up. A rough around the edges man, whose moral code stems from his memories of the honorable acts of one Maximus Decimus Meridius (the OG, Russell Crowe). His life mirrors that of Maximus. Battle hardened from his time overseas, now losing the his love to the greed and corruptive sprawl of Rome, dragged in chains to the arena, and coming to realize that his path through the games doesn’t just take him to simple revenge, but a chance to make a difference by ridding Rome of the tyranny at its core.
The script from David Scarpa is utterly beholden to the original. Plot beats, supporting players, character motivations, set pieces, all feel recycled. In true sequel style, things are bigger for instance now instead of one Emperor, we have two. The plot elements and especially the actions sequences also replicate similar beats in the rise of Maximus in the eyes of his fellow gladiators, and the people of Rome, only now it’s Lucius. Instead of a towering man to fight, we have a towering man atop a rhino. Instead of a chariot historical reenactment with chariots in the coliseum, we have one with boats (and sharks!). The action in these set pieces is vibrant and compellingly composed, so it feels off to to nit pick these elements too much, but these grander feats lack the emotional heft of the first film. An effort to address this, and tie the film more closely to its predecessor comes with a retcon of Lucius’s parentage. While there’s a logic to this, the execution doesn’t just fall flat, but actually feels egregious as it only serves to sully the nobility of Maximus that was so carefully sketched out in the original. Compounding matter is the film’s conceit that the sacrifice witnessed in the first film didn’t amount to much. Maximus is mentioned in hushed tones, and the reason seems largely so they can allow the whole scenario to just play out all over again.
An element that offers some opportunity for advancement is in exploring the corruption that has started to consume the Empire from the inside, and we’re not just talking about the syphilis addled brains of one of the Emperors. The political maneuvering of Lucilla and Acacius and the rallying of senators to reclaim Rome for the people is overly simplified and dealt with in a rather blasé manner. Lucilla holding a sprig of lavender under her nose is as subtle as the film gets when pointing out the rot that festers in Rome.
Tonally, the film aims for gruff seriousness with occasional forays into melodrama. This is largely centered around the personal journey of Lucius. Mescal’s shifts from stirring leading man, to frankly spoken working class fellow are as ungainly as the rest of the film, but when settled, his allure is palpable. Pascal, usually a bright spot in any project, is a subdued presence which is appropriate for the role, but feels a misuse of his talents. Side characters and plots plunge the film into the welcome respite of good, campy fun which comes courtesy of some key performances. Quinn and Hechinger plunder some of the more notorious elements of Roman Emperors to craft an unhinged and erratic pairing. Two Brits standout in Matt Lucas (as the coliseum announcer) and Tim McInnerny (Blackadder) as the sniveling and pliable Senator Thraex. The real plaudits must be reserved for Denzel Washington who is operating on a different level to everyone else, grabbing every moment, and relishing every line, as a low level mover and shaker who exploits the situation and people involved tin an attempt to elevate himself to the highest stage in Rome.
Gladiator II is a muddled swing, but its a swing nonetheless. An attempt by Ridley Scott (who just turned 86) to revisit one of his films on a grander scale, and like in The Last Duel and Napoleon, allow him to explore ideas of power and legacy. But in this the film falters, doing a disservice to the politicking and family drama. Perhaps an extended cut (which Scott is infamous for delivering) could give a more well developed, and well rounded experience that the lopsided effort here. Many will revel in the chance to revisit Scott’s Rome, but the more discerning eye will see Gladiator II for what it is, a reworking of the first film with a updated façade. An echo of greatness, nothing more.
Gladiator II hits theaters on November 22nd
