Denzel is a joy to watch but Gladiator II is a weak sequel — the sharks in the Colosseum don’t help

The events of Gladiator II take place about 20 years after the first film. The world, however, remains unchanged. The sacrifices made by Maximus were in vain and his legacy has been buried. Rome is under the rule of two pale, mercurial and cruel twins — one of which is suffering from the effects of syphilis. Like a perverted Romulus and Remus, they undertake the expansion of Rome to feed their egos and thrust the empire towards its ruin. 

Hanno (Paul Mescal) lives in a small African village, still untouched by the Roman Empire. He has a beautiful wife and they’re both skilled fighters. When General Acacius (Pedro Pascal) arrives at their gates by the sea, the pair put on their armour and grab their bows to defend their village. Scenes like these exemplify what Ridley Scott does best, capturing the scope of the moment and the small gestures of the crowd. Though using digital effects, he has a talent for rooting spectacle in the micro — keeping them human. By the end of the fight, Hanno’s wife is dead, he’s been taken as a prisoner and will soon be shipped to the outskirts of Rome, where he will be tested in the ring against ravenous baboons. 

As the film progresses, Hanno gains prominence as a gladiator. Filled with rage and a desire to avenge his wife’s death, he has a single-minded goal of killing Acacius. Hanno’s owner Macrinus, a flamboyant Denzel Washington, guarantees that he will get his revenge, as long as he continues to win. The film examines, as can be expected, themes of legacy, power and class. 

Some critics will argue that the movie works best when it embraces the absurd. Given that the film is not rooted in actual history, Scott’s flourishes include sharks in the Colosseum, reaching for an impression of the moment rather than a documentary of it. Much of the film is coloured by accidents of fate and classic misunderstandings, which capture a vague mysticism that feels true to how the Romans perceived themselves. Denzel Washington is genuinely an absolute joy to watch as he parades through the film in beautiful shining costumes, having the time of his life. The twin emperors are also a delight in their cruel absurdity. But, realistically, these moments are few and far between. Gladiator II is more serious than not, and rather than enliven the events, these tonal shifts only feel stupid.

Thinking about the actual events of Gladiator II for more than a few seconds reveals how unimaginative it is. The film basically follows the plot points of its predecessor, but with many awkward call-backs as well. Much like recent Star Wars films, Gladiator II’s script falls into the trap of making the world feel small by leaning too heavily on “easter eggs” and strained connections to the earlier film. In doing so, it also seems to endorse the idea of bloodlines as a legitimate governing legacy, especially as it denigrates the moral and ethical authority of the Senate. Though, like the 2000 film, the movie broadly tackles the notion that Rome should belong to the people, the actual narrative substance of the story often contradicts this idea.

The film’s final act just feels rushed, as if they packed an entire other movie into the final 30 or 40 minutes. We move so swiftly from one place to another that your head might spin, and important events are quickly glossed over to the detriment of understanding. Any goodwill established in the set-up of events goes out the window, and the entire thing becomes an absolute slog. 

Gladiator II isn’t without its moments of joy and pleasure, but running at two-and-a-half hours, it more than overstays its welcome. Ridley Scott is always an interesting director and the film is unmistakably his own, but the inclusion of footage from part one only underlines how unfocused and uninteresting this one is. For fans of the original Gladiator, the films are unmistakably related in look and feel, but more like cousins than siblings. Rather than a true original, this unwarranted follow-up cannibalizes the earlier film’s narrative and retreads similar ideas with far less impact. ■

Gladiator II opens in Montreal theatres on Friday, Nov. 22.

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