After his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now lead Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum and must look to his past to find strength to return the glory of Rome to its people.
Chuck says:
When a studio has a hit of the caliber of “Gladiator” on its hands, for good or ill, a sequel to it becomes, if not mandated, at least considered. Paramount Pictures has spent nearly a quarter of a century trying to find a narratively plausible way to make a follow-up to their Oscar-winning, half-billion-dollar grosser. Ideas were generated and discarded, the strangest being a scenario in which Russell Crowe’s Maximus is resurrected by the Greek Gods to serve as their vengeful instrument, ultimately doomed to live as a warrior for eternity. (Penned by the musician Nick Cave, the script is available online.)
With all the effort put forth, it’s rather ironic that director Ridley Scott has essentially done nothing more than remake the original. Though there are some variations, for all intents and purposes, “Gladiator II” is a pale copy of its predecessor, a film that mirrors the Bread and Circuses approach of the Roman politics at its center. There’s bloodshed aplenty, epic set pieces to marvel at, and gasp-inducing plot twists, yet all of this can’t obscure the “been there done that” feel the movie can’t shake.
Leading with his strong suit, Scott opens the film with a massive battle, as the Roman Army, led reluctantly by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal), invades Numidia, circa 200 A.D. Among those defending the African stronghold is Lucius, (Paul Mescal), who sees his wife Arishat (Yuval Gonen), fall in battle. This instills in him a sense of rage that will become valuable, as he is taken prisoner and sold to Macrinus (Denzel Washington), who has a troupe of gladiators he provides to the corrupt emperors Geta and Caracalla (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger) for their bloody Coliseum games.
Meanwhile, dissension is stirring, as Acacius and his wife Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) form a plan to dethrone the mad emperors. Yet, what they don’t bargain for is Macrinus’ own ambitions, as through a series of subtle maneuvers, he has put himself within arm’s reach of the throne.
It’s obvious David Scarpa realizes he’s covering well-trod narrative ground, as the battle sequences in the film are far too numerous, meant to distract the viewer from the threadbare plot. To Scott’s credit, they are spectacular, though they become more outlandish and downright silly by the end. Small hand-to-hand combat scenes evolve into a recreation of the massive naumachia events in which the Coliseum was flooded, and naval battles were reenacted. They do what they’re meant to do, providing blood-soaked thrills that, while not original, are rendered with flair. And in an effort to outdo the tiger appearances in the first film, baboons, rhinos and sharks are thrown into the mix during various fights. Surprisingly, all of them looking a bit shabby, the CGI effects used to render them looking cheap, what with the film’s $200 million budget.
The strain to outdo the 2000 classic shows throughout, the violence a bit more graphic, the set pieces a bit too long and the script a bloated exercise that has trouble balancing its various plotlines. The “more-is-more” approach eventually takes its toll, tedium setting in as the film reaches the two-hour point. No amount of spectacle can gloss over the fact the movie is simply a very expensive retread.
Granted, “Gladiator” was hardly an exemplar of originality, liberally cribbing from “Ben-Hur,” “Spartacus,” and others. Yet, the passage of time between 2000 and the heyday of the sword-and-sandal epics was enough to whet the audiences’ appetite for such fare. Equally important to its success was Crowe, whose movie star presence proved invaluable. The degree of subtle gravitas and humanity he brought to the film went a long way towards getting the viewer to invest in Maximus’ journey. As a result, it comes as no surprise that some of the most effective parts of the sequel are when the character is referenced.
Mescal, at this stage of his career, simply can’t hold us as Crowe did. To be sure, the actor has great potential, but it has yet to be honed in such a way where he can demand and hold our attention. Of course, Washington knows the score, walking away with nearly every scene he’s in, not even bothering to attempt any sort of accent or to abandon his contemporary mien.
“Gladiator 2” isn’t necessarily a bad movie; Scott and his crew’s ability to skillfully render an epic of this size can’t be ignored, while there’s no denying, the film is a great deal of fun at times, albeit in the darkest sense. In the end, the sequel’s biggest sin is its familiarity, which confirms just how unnecessary it is.
2 1/2 Stars
