Gladiator II

Starring: Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, Peter Mensha, Matt Lucas, Alexander Karim, Yuval Gonen, Richard McCabe, TIm McInnerny, Rory McCann, Alec Utgoff, Yann Gaal
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Adventure, Action
2024


Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A man (Paul Mescal) with a mysterious past has his life destroyed by a roman general (Pedro Pascal) and is forced to become a gladiator, where he seeks vengeance.

Review:

Tim: Ridley Scott's Gladiator is one of the greatest movies ever made. I'd personally put it in the top 5 without a second thought, and perhaps higher than that. So, I had mixed emotions when he was determined to make a sequel, two decades later. Not that this film is flawless, and of course, it couldn't reach the perfection of the first movie. However, I still believe Gladiator II is a great movie. It pays homage to the original, it's expertly executed, and it tells a powerful, memorable story. I really loved the movie in a lot of ways and it's in my top 10 of 2024.

I had a lot of fun with this film- the political intrigue, the insane coliseum battles, the big roles for great actors. Everything here feels larger-than-life. We don't get nearly enough of these kinds of movies anymore, and Ridley Scott is one of the all-time best at delivering them. Historical epics are important and in a sea of superhero films (which I also love), this movie felt like a throwback, a needed recollection of where Hollywood used to go for superhuman exploits. The movie is beautifully presented- the cinematography is excellent, the fight scenes intense. This just feels like a well-made movie from beginning to end. Now, yes, there are issues- the "newspaper" is perhaps the low point of the film in many ways. However, I was okay with Scott taking some creative liberties to tell an exciting, engaging story. Overall, as Maximus said in the previous film, I was entertained.

One of the biggest issues I had with the film is the insistence on tying everything back to said Maximus. He was a great guy, no doubt- but this movie goes beyond homage to hero-worship. He seems to have done no wrong, everyone was impressed and influenced by him. Maximus' shadow looms heavy over this film and it does more damage than not. I would have much preferred a lighter touch. Those who watched and love the first film know Maximus' importance. This movie beats that to death and it becomes annoying and redundant. Interesting, one of the worst aspects of this film is its attempts to tie itself to the previous one. I'd have much preferred this one work to stand more on its own.

That being said, this was still a wild, entertaining ride. The choice of Paul Mescal for the protagonist was a brilliant one. He gives a great performance and he has just enough of an edge that feels like he's channeling Russell Crowe. I liked his character and I found him easy to root for. The film doesn't do a good job of establishing WHY all these other men would drop everything to follow him- that was definitely a weak point. But, his story is a wonderful one. We see him at the beginning, happy. He faces great devastation at the hands of the Roman army. He loses everything, and like Maximus, is forced into becoming a gladiator. It's there that he finds his calling- he confronts his past, he steps into a leadership role, and he challenges a corrupt authority. Mescal was excellent in this role and I loved following his character's story.

The movie does a great job of establishing those in power and what absolute power can do. Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger both give strong performances because they are so repellent. Quinn is really emerging as a powerhouse up-and-coming actor, and I loved his work here. Hechninger portrays this broken character so well that you almost shy away from him on screen. Denzel Washington is a big part of the scheming political aspect of this story and it's wonderful to see him fully embrace this character. He's menacing, charismatic, memorable- the role leverages all of Washington's strengths and allows him to shine on screen. I thought he gave a very strong performance- maybe a tad uneven at times, but overall, one of the most memorable aspects of the whole movie.

I thought Connie Nielsen was excellent in reprising her role from the first film. Her role is so critical as a linkage and I thought she gave one of her best performances here. I also loved seeing Derek Jacobi- I hadn't seen him on screen in so long. This part of the story pulls in Pedro Pascal, an actor who is everywhere and I love it. Pascal is incredible in this role- there's something about him that just makes you love him so much. He's cool, charismatic, easy to root for. I really loved his portrayal of the conquering Roman general and the quieter side to his character as well. He makes you feel something for him. I was a huge fan of the grey areas of his character- he's one of the most well-written, complex characters on the screen. The whole cast is strong, but when you consider you get Washington and Pascal stealing scenes with their incredible performances, Mescal rooting the whole film in his fascinating character, Nielsen giving her best performance in a while, and actors like Quinn delivering strong performances, too- you know you're watching something special.

I thought the action sequences were especially well done. There might not have been true standout moments like in the original, but they are immense fun. We get to see gladiators fight killer monkeys, a rampaging rhinoceros, we see the coliseum flooded for a ship battle, and a whole host of other exciting sequences. This push incredulity a bit too far, but I was willing to sacrifice some realism for an exciting, engaging action film. Overall, I had fun with those scenes.

I do think Gladiator II was a bit undervalued by critics. Sure, it got strong reviews across the board, but it was only nominated for 1 Academy Award, for Best Costume Design. This felt wrong- there were many weaker films that were more recognized. I know this film has flaws, but it's insanely difficult to pull a movie like this off, especially as it exists in the shadows of one of the all-time greats. Scott doesn't get close to perfection here- no doubt, this movie is substantially worse than the original. However, in the context of all the movies released every year, this is one of the better ones out there. It's exciting, memorable, engaging and emotional. It tells a powerful story that is connected to the previous one. I loved this movie and I'd consider it great and a resounding success.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, The Tragedy of Macbeth