Review: ‘Gladiator 2’s strength is in spectacle, but it fails to recapture the original’s glory

After over two decades, director Ridley Scott returns to Ancient Rome for Gladiator 2, a sequel to his critically acclaimed 2000’s epic starring Russell Crowe. Unfortunately, while Gladiator 2 has enough star power and breathtaking set pieces, it struggles to hit the same emotional chords as the original.

Set about 19 years after the events of Gladiator, the sequel follows Paul Mescal as the adult version of Lucius, the son of Maximus and Lucilla (Connie Nielsen). As we quickly discover, Maximus’ sacrifice in the first movie was not enough to make the dream of the Republic a reality in Rome. So, Lucius, as the rightful heir to the throne, had to hide in distant lands while the vicious twin emperors Caracalla (Joseph Quinn) and Geta (Fred Hechinger) seized power for themselves. Rome is a greedy beast, though, and when the armies of the Empire come knocking at his door, Lucius is forced to confront the past he tried so hard to forget.

Gladiator 2 doesn’t explain the minutiae of its game of thrones, preferring to thrust Lucius into a journey to rediscover his fate and risk his life to restore Rome to its former glory. Of course, this quest goes through the arena as Lucius retraces Maximus’ steps to become a champion of the people, rising against the Emperors’ tyranny. It’s a familiar story made to evoke Gladiator’s success. Too familiar, perhaps, as it constantly reminds the audience Gladiator 2 doesn’t quite reach the heights of the first movie.

Let’s start with the best. Gladiator 2 is a beautiful movie filled with eye-popping combat scenes that are more than worth the theater entry. Thanks to 24 years of technological development in special effects, Scott can unleash his imagination and craft astounding gladiatorial battles that make the audience awe. The first movie is a masterpiece in terms of set pieces, and the sequel makes justice to its memory by shattering expectations regarding how elaborate the Colosseum spectacles can be.

Sure, some of these scenes will challenge your suspension of disbelief, as they don’t acknowledge the architectural limitation of arenas built with sand and stone. Then again, Scott never allowed things like historical accuracy to get in the way of him shooting a movie. So it’s best not to think much about it, sit back, and just enjoy the show. If you manage to do that, you will be entertained.

Nevertheless, Gladiator is an ageless classic not only due to its ability to wonder, but mainly because it uses the epic to spread grandiose messages of honor, duty, and loyalty. By tapping into universal themes, Scott’s epic transcends the limitations of its historical setting, creating a testosterone-infused story that’s highly seductive. Gladiator 2 does the same, but slightly worse.

Counting the parallels between Gladiator and its sequel is impossible because there are too many. Once again, we have bloodthirsty Emperors who use the Colisseum to distract the people of Rome from their misery while depleting the empire’s resources for their amusement. However, Caracalla and Geta don’t have a single scene to flesh out their motivations. That means that, despite the talent of Quinn and Hechinger, they are only a shallow copy of Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus, shoved into the movie to become oppressors to depose, even though we know nothing.

Mescal suffers from a similar issue. The actor is pouring his heart and soul into Lucius as he tries to give weight to every moment that he’s on the screen. Yet, his character arc is a copy of Maximus’. Once again, we watch as a mighty warrior becomes a slave, is consumed by revenge, and decides to let go of his rage in the name of something greater: the future of Rome. Unfortunately, Gladiator 2 doesn’t manage to get the pacing of Lucius’ rise to glory right, which leaves the awful sensation that we’ve seen the story before — and it was told better elsewhere.

It’s unfair to compare Mescal with Crowe. Crowe fits with Maximus in a way that few actors do with their roles, which is why the general-turned-gladiator is still the star’s most recognizable character. Crowe’s take on Maximus is legendary, and asking Mescal to repeat the feat is unfair. But it seems like Gladiator 2 expects that because instead of giving Mescal a unique adventure, the movie constantly brings Maximus back and forces Lucius to be his shadow.

As for Pedro Pascal, he gets lost in the middle of the plot after a solid first impression, showing the writers didn’t know what to do with new characters. And while it’s nice to see some familiar faces, such as Nielsen and Derek Jacobi, they are often reduced to glorified cameos.

The past also restricts the overall script. Gladiator features a perfect mix of political scheming and bloody combats, so the sequel tries to do likewise. Again, Gladiator 2 mostly mimics the first movie’s main beats, setting up similar twists and betrayals that sabotage any possibility of surprise.

The only major curveball of Gladiator 2 comes in the shape of Denzel Washington. To be fair, Washington’s character doesn’t get the best text to work it. So, it would be understandable if Washington said his lines, got his check, and focused his energy on a more layered role. But no. Washington didn’t come to play in Gladiator 2. He came to win. His Macrinus is the highlight of Gladiator 2, by far, thanks in grand part to Washington’s gravitas. If only he could get a better script, this would easily be a role to consider for the award season.

Washington’s case reflects the issues of Gladiator 2. The sequel was made to be a blockbuster, and it will likely get the box office love it unquestionably deserves. Why wouldn’t it? It has a fantastic cast, juicy action scenes, and a message about integrity that pleases anyone, despite their background. In addition, it was a near-impossible achievement to one-up Gladiator, a movie that set the tone of Hollywood epics for decades. So, the fact the sequel doesn’t surpass the original is not even unexpected. The problem is that Gladiator 2 doesn’t even try to do its own thing.

Even if Gladiator 2 has enough fresh pieces to build something new, it still tries to shove everything into the same picture that was Gladiator. In place of a fully-fledged sequel, we get a retelling of what came before, adapted to a new generation. That’s enough to make a good movie, for sure, but it is not enough to make a masterpiece.