The Screen Scribe

I wanted to let this one ruminate for a couple of days. Gladiator is, after all, my favourite film, whether it be in this life or the next. I didn’t want to just jump into this review until I’d sat with the sequel in my head for a few days. I think I owed it to the original to be completely clear in how I felt about its sequel. The original Gladiator is one of those few films where everything has aligned perfectly. Writing. Casting. Composer. Director. Acting. It is an astounding achievement of cinema that has stood the test of time and remains an absolute masterpiece in every sense of the word. I was, and remain to this day, utterly entertained by Gladiator.

When the sequel was announced, I was instantly apprehensive. Why would you risk tainting the legacy of this timeless classic? I would like to say it’s the usual Hollywood obsession with reviving old franchises to cash in on nostalgia. But I don’t think this sequel can be so simply categorized. Ridley Scott is Hollywood royalty, despite his recent slate of films being a case of hit and miss projects. Napolean was a bloated mess of indulgence that never should have been made. I do genuinely believe that Scott and his team felt there was a sequel here worth making. And maybe there was. But I don’t think what we got was the sequel the original deserved.

Gladiator 2 proved my reservations correct. This was a sequel that nobody asked for, and very few wanted. Like Napolean, this was another indulgence of Hollywood director royalty. While entertaining in a sense of pure spectacle, Gladiator 2 delivers a far from convincing narrative that at times stretches the realms of believability and is far too reliant on nostalgia that at times feels forced and very much like fan service. The sequel does it’s best to honour the original, perhaps too much to step out from it’s shadow and offer something new and bold. It borrows heavily from its predecessor in terms of plot, structure, character and visuals. It even goes as far as reusing scenes from the original that felt genuinely out of place.

One of the most beautiful aspects of the original Gladiator is that the entire narrative is driven by its main character, Maximus Decimus Meridius. His quest for vengeance is the main vehicle of the narrative and not even the emperor of Rome stood in its way. The same cannot be said of the sequel. While Irish actor Paul Mescal does an admirable job in the arena, he is largely relegated to swinging a sword and attempting to replicate Russell Crowes brooding, seething but honourable Maximus. But for the majority of the film, Mescal’s delivery feels wooden, dull and largely uninteresting as the plot takes place around his character Lucius, instead of him driving it. The twisted, maniacal twin emperors are largely entertaining but never given much development beyond being the archetypal mad villains. Pedro Pascal does what he always does, a committed memorable performance that, to be quite honest, would have made for a far more compelling lead character than Lucius had his story been made front and centre and explored more thoroughly. However, the true star of this ill-made sequel is by far Denzel Washington. The American favourite delivers a Machiavellian performance worthy of the original, even if his character remains shrouded in mystery until the final act, making his motivations confusing at times. Denzel carries much of the film on his shoulders and would arguably not have been worth seeing at all without his stunning performance.

The score is largely forgettable, lacking the rousing, emotional notes that Hans Zimmer immortalised. While Harry Gregson-Williams does a decent job, I never felt swept away by the music, and will have no desire to purchase the soundtrack and listen to it endlessly as I do the original.

Some may find this review harsh in light of the films projected financial success, but to borrow from Maximus, what we do in life echoes in eternity. The original will forever echo in eternity. I wish I could say the same for the sequel. While rife with potential, it falls short of the monumental legacy of its original. Boasting brutal, thrilling action sets and stunning visuals, Gladiator 2 lacks the one thing that made the original a timeless classic: a soul.

2.5 / 5 ✨ from the Screen Scribe.

Strength and Honour.