Movie Review: GLADIATOR II

They sure don’t make films like this much anymore. Ridley Scott’s GLADIATOR II is a throw back to the “Sword and Sandals” flicks of the 1950’s/’60’s and (breath easy GLADIATOR fans), it continues - and adds to - his own 2000 Oscar Winning film that tells the story of men who fought to the death in front of cheering crowds in ancient Rome.

Picking up 14 years after the original GLADIATOR (earning a Best Picture Oscar and Russell Crowe a well-deserved Best Actor Oscar), GLADIATOR II follows an ill-fated warrior who loses in battle, is enslaved and seeks redemption in the ring.

Sound familiar to the earlier film? That’s intentional because it is, but in the hands of a veteran like Scott, this Gladiator is “same, yet different” standing on it’s own as a cautionary tale of “absolute power corrupts absolutely” as well as a personal redemption story for our hero.

And that hero would be played by Paul Mescal (Oscar nominated for the 2022 film AFTERSUN) and he more than holds his own as the anchoring center of this film as well as standing nobly to the image of Russell Crowe’s Maximus that is often referred to in this film. It’s a tricky role to play (especially living up to the memory of a character/Oscar-winning performance of 20+ years ago), but Mescal (and Scott) are more than able to fill those mighty shoes…I mean…sandals

A quick note on this film. While it is not NECESSARY to view (or re-view) the first Gladiator film, it would be helpful so you can fill in some deeper plot machinations. For example, Derek Jacobi shows up to reprise his role from the first film. Did you know that Jacobi was in the first film? Until I rewatched it this week in preparation for this, I did not. While you don’t NEED to remember Jacobi’s role from the first film, if you do your understanding is deeper.

But I digress.

Speaking of performers from the first film, Connie Nielsen reprises her role as Lucilla and she anchors her part of the film very well, indeed. And that can be said for ALL of the Major cast of this film. Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger all bring heft and seriousness (or serious danger) to the the proceedings, so you buy into lapses in plot because you are having way too good of a time watching what’s going on.

And then…there’s the work of Denzel Washington who proves that he still has his fastball. One wonders what Washington is doing in a “Sword and Sandals” film, but Washington easily answers that question and very nearly steals the film from Mescal - and the spectacle that Scott puts on the screen.

Almost.

For 80-something year old Director Scott made a very bold…and smart…choice for this film, he put a vast majority of the special effects in this film in the camera, choosing for practical effects over CGI as much as he could and the results show on the screen. It is a SPECTACLE of a film and is very worth watching on the big screen for every dollar Scott spent explodes in front of your eyeballs, so see this on the biggest screen you can.

Expect GLADIATOR II’s name to be called come Oscar nominee time (at least for the FX and, probably, Denzel’s performance), this film is in no way perfect (there’s more than one plot hole, over-the-top moment and Scott could have trimmed some time out of the sagging middle of this film), but it is a wonderous adventure EPIC, the likes of which is not seen on the big screen much anymore.

Letter Grade: A-

8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)