February 7, 2025

FILMHOUNDS Magazine

All things film – In print and online

Roman Nostalgia – Gladiator II (Film Review)

Paramount Pictures

Twenty-four years after Maximus Meridius graced our screens to reek vengeance on the Roman Empire, we return to Ridley Scott’s Rome through exiled Lucius Verus (Paul Mescal), son of Lucilla Aurelius (Connie Nielsen). After failing to defend his adopted homeland against the invading Roman army led by Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal), Lucius is captured and sold as a Gladiator to Macrinus (Denzel Washington), making a name for himself in a new political landscape where Marcus Aurelius’ dream of a free Rome’s been forgotten and is now ruled by the twin Emperors, Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger).

Gladiator II opens with a painted recap of the first film, including Maximus’ sacrifice at the end where he died to make sure that the dream of Rome returning to a republic would be realised. Fans of the first film will remember that that film ends with the iconic song “Now We Are Free”, implying now we are free from tyranny. The sequel shuts that ending down to tell you that the “dream has been forgotten”. Maximus then essentially died for nothing, as 16 years later, Rome is ruled by similarly despotic leaders to Commodus. This shows the audience that the film was made more for nostalgic purposes than to tell a new and original story. The film obviously does have major differences to the original and can sometimes be surprising in the direction it takes some of its characters but for the most part the basic plot beats are the same and the sequel ultimately ends up as a re-tread of Ridley Scott’s original epic. People looking to watch Gladiator before seeing this may actually be advised not to do that.

Ridley Scott does manage to serve up some of his usual epic battles with phenomenal production design drawing you into this ancient world. A highlight is the opening naval battle where we’re introduced to Lucius and Marcus Acacius. Though every time the film takes the audience to the Colosseum – which is a lot of the time – they’re treated to a wide variety of iconic battles, some more intimate, others very grand and epic though not always the most grounded (e.g. sharks and demonic wolf monkeys in the arena).  It’s clear that this was always Scott’s intention with this film as the script often becomes like that of a Mortal Kombat game where most scenes are placed there just to set up the next fight. If you’re looking for a heart-pounding, battle filled epic to watch in IMAX then you’ve found your film of the year. However, if you’re looking for a story akin to Dune Part 2, you may be disappointed.

The cast is made up of returning faces like Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi, some of Hollywood’s rising stars like Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn and also Denzel Washington who seems very happy to be there. All give passable performances, but none excel because the script doesn’t allow it. None of the characters have much personality and are very one note, Mescal and Washington are the most entertaining to watch but only because they’re copies of other, better characters (Maximus and Frank Underwood from House of Cards respectively).

Gladiator II is a welcome, if slightly stale, return to Scott’s ever more fantastical version of Ancient Rome, it feels like an excuse for more duelling and battling rather than a chance to tell an actual continuation of the saga so falls flat at attempting to be anything other than nostalgia bait. Though it’s still an epic worth watching on the big screen.

Gladiator II releases in UK and Ireland cinemas on 15th November