Back in 2000, Dreamworks took a chance on an epic sword-and-sandal adventure from Ridley Scott. No one believed the film would be successful, but after winning five Oscars and becoming a box office smash and now regarded as one of the cinematic greats, Scott has decided it’s time for a long-awaited sequel. While it’s not a perfect movie, this is a spectacular action adventure that goes bigger than the original in its set pieces and has a performance that saves the whole film from sinking in overplotting and some dubious inclusions.

Lucius leads a quiet life with his wife on a farm until they go to protect their city from a Roman garrison. In the ensuing battle, his wife is killed, and he finds himself captured and forced into the gladiatorial ring to decide if he lives or dies. Proving his prowess, he is bought by gladiator trader Macrinus, who offers him riches if he succeeds in the arena. Lucius wants the head of the Roman general who led the charge on the city. Meanwhile, a plot is planned to overthrow the current Emperors of Rome: twin brothers turning the place into a corrupt land.

Like last week’s Paddington In Peru, there is no way this sequel will ever better the original. Sadly, it fails in that department, although plenty remains to applaud. Where it struggles is the emotional punch of Gladiator. Russell Crowe’s Maximus had a strong backstory that you could feel for. Yet Lucius’s backstory—and this is no plot spoiler to say—is that he is the son of Maximus, although he doesn’t want people to know. As an audience, we should feel for the young man who escaped the Romans when he was young and who now, as a grown man, has revenge on his shoulders. Yet we don’t have as much emotional depth as the previous film because the second plot keeps interrupting the story.

The corruption of Rome because of the twin brothers doesn’t come across as much as it is mentioned. The plot to overthrow the Emperors by having secret meetings and planning a coup isn’t fully developed, and so by the final act, it becomes a sidebar to the other twists that the film throws up. Maybe there is a longer version in which we can see the world the brothers have created, as they come across as mad as Caligula.

Scott’s ability to produce big epic films is where the film succeeds. The set pieces are jaw-dropping. The opening attack by the Roman garrison, in which arrows and bowls of flaming oil fly through the air, is both brutal and impressive and sets the mood for the rest of the film. The scenes of the gladiatorial games in the Colosseum are incredibly detailed and heart-stoppingly exciting. Russell Crowe had to face a tiger, and this time, we get baboons (more about those in a minute), a rhino, and a sea battle complete with sharks (again, more in a minute). The gore factor is turned up to compliment the size of the fight sequences, so limbs and heads are flying all over the place in colourful detail.

Let’s get back to the baboons and sharks. While you are amazed by the fights, we question, firstly, what kind of baboons they are and, secondly, how they got sharks into the Colosseum. These moments slightly distract you from the content, and they seem unnecessary, as everything else is so well produced.

As for the cast, they are impressive. As the Roman general, Pedro Pascal isn’t given enough time to develop his character entirely, and returning Connie Nielsen as Lucilla is a friendly reminder of the past. As Lucius, Paul Mescal certainly looks like he can handle himself as a gladiator and as well as giving a quietly brooding performance, he handles the action scenes well. Yet all these pale in the background whenever Denzel Washington hits the screen. As the former slave, now gladiator owner, he chews the scenery up, spits it out and chews it up again. He dominates every scene he is in, even when he is not the focus. It’s his most charismatic role, and you obviously see that he loves every second. Give him a flowing cloak; he knows what to do with it. Worth the ticket price alone to watch a master at work.

Gladiator II is flawed and struggles to keep the attention between the set pieces, but with such spectacle and with Denzel, this is still a massive crowd-pleasing blast. It was not the disaster as many thought it may be, but it still left me thoroughly entertained.

4 out of 5

Director: Ridley Scott

Starring: Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, Derek Jacobi, Fred Hechinger, Matt Lucas, Tim McInnerny

Written by: (also story) David Scarpa, (story) Peter Craig and (based on characters created) David Franzoni

Running Time: 148 mins

Cert: 15

Release date: 15th November 2024