As Gladiator II hit the box office on November 22, it continued 2024’s trend of sequels following Inside Out 2, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and Moana 2. When it comes to sequels, audiences often worry that the new film will not live up to the original, and this issue especially rears its head when it comes to Ridley Scott’s iconic 2000 film Gladiator starring Russell Crowe. The main factor that caused a widespread worry of Gladiator II‘s success is the nearly 25 years between the two movies in the series.
This historical action movie begins in the 3rd century AD Numidia where Lucius Vero (Paul Mescal), son of Maximus (Russell Crowe) and Lucilla (Connie Nielson) from the original, now resides under the name Hanno. 16 years have passed since the original with Rome now under the rule of the historical emperors Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn), sons and predecessors of Emperor Septimus Severus who ruled after the original movie’s Emperor Commodus. Under the twin emperors’ rule, Rome is expanding violently as General Acacius (Pedro Pascal) leads armies to an invasion of Numidia in which Lucius is captured and taken back to Rome as a prisoner. While held prisoner, Lucius’ fighting spirit and determination is recognized by Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a wealthy Roman who buys Lucius as a slave to make him a gladiator. Lucius now fights in the same arena that his father died in as he sets on a journey for revenge against General Acacius, the general who led the conquering of Numidia in which his wife was killed. Though he first tries to ignore his past, especially after learning of his mother’s relationship with Acacius, he eventually connects with his roots as he fights in the same arena as his father once did. At the same time, Lucilla and Acacius attempt to overthrow the corrupt twin emperors and restore order to Rome.
Lucius carries on his predecessor’s legacy, but did Gladiator II? Critics are divided. Some think that the cast doesn’t live up to the original’s iconic actors of the time– Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, and Richard Harris. The sequel does hold a fair number of newer actors such as Paul Mescal, Fred Hechinger, and Joseph Quinn, but still boasts a strong, well-known cast with Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, and even Connie Nielson returning from the first movie. When a sequel to a well-known movie comes out so long after the original, people often hold the original even more fondly with nostalgia, making it even harder to live up to. Although the sequel included a few historical inaccuracies and may have relied too much on the popularity of the original, the soundtrack, well-thought-out historical details, and intricate costumes, sets, and visual effects are undeniably impressive. Compared to Gladiator, Gladiator II fell a little flat as a sequel but is still an enjoyable watch on its own. Overall, Gladiator II is 4.5/5 shields.
