«Gladiator II»
With: Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington, Derek Jacobi
Regi: Ridley Scott
Premiere in cinemas on Friday 15 November
Action drama. USA. 15 years. Director: Ridley Scott. Two hours and 28 minutes.
Show more
Ridley Scott’s five-time Oscar winner “Gladiator” reduced grown men to tears in cinemas in 2000.
The adventure was old-fashioned even then, a loving nod to the epic “sword and sandals” films of the 1950s and 60s that the British director had grown up with. The film was not original. But it was a successful actiontragedy which shook the roots of the heart.
24 and a half years later, Scott, who turns 87 on November 30, has put together a sequel. It is so close to the first film that it could be mistaken for a remake.
KUPPMAKERE: Pedro Pascal og Connie Nielsen i «Gladiator II». Foto: Cuba Scott / United International Pictures
“Gladiator II” begins spectacularly, with an armada on its way to Numidia in what must be about the year 200 AD General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) leads the superior forces. The former Berber kingdom in North Africa is to be subjugated to Rome.
This is how it will be, but not before the population has fought a short, heroic and visual battle against the superior power. The young couple Arishat (Yuval Gonen) and Hanno (Paul Mescal) join in the drag. She dies in battle. It’s worse with him. He survives, is branded and transported to Rome as a slave.
“Gladiator II” is barely 10 minutes old when this highlight takes place. People who have followed Scott’s late production, be it “The Last Duel” (2021) or last year’s controversial, but not uneventful “Napoleon”, will have realized that picturesque fight and battle scenes are needed – the bigger, the better – to get his circulation going nowadays.
BRENNMERKET: Paul Mescal i «Gladiator II». Foto: Aidan Monaghan / United International Pictures
In Rome, Hanno becomes a gladiator, employed by the contractor Macrinus (Denzel Washington). His specialty is arranging Colosseum games for the pleasure of the widely hated emperor-brothers Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger).
The two are like cheated out of Commodus’s nose in the previous film. Pale and red-eyed, sickly, decadent and sneaky as snakes. But dumber.
Hanno is a reluctant athlete. But at this point, there’s a lot he doesn’t know. He does not know that Acacius and his wife Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) are planning a coup against the two emperor bastards. He does not know that Macrinus is a Machiavellian con man – and former slave – with his own political ambitions.
DRITTUNGE EMPERORS: Fred Hechinger (left) and Joseph Quinn in “Gladiator II”. Photo: Aidan Monaghan / United International Pictures
Vi don’t know – unless we’ve seen the trailer – that he’s not ‘Hanno’, an orphan boy found in the desert, at all, but something far more posh and soap opera-like.
Men the gladiator fights then, you fuss. Well, they are not as dominant as one might think, and more absurd than one would hope.
The first is against some rottweiler rabid monkeys who are so miserable computer animated that they threaten to park the film there and then. Then it’s one against a guy who enters the arena on a rhinoceros.
OUT TO THE SEA: Scene from one of the gladiator fights in “Gladiator II”. Photo: Paramount Pictures / United International Pictures
The Gladiator “game” that bears most of the hallmarks of “what on earth are we going to come up with to surpass ourselves?” however, is the one that takes place on water. You read that right. The ground in the amphitheater has become a sea, deep enough for hungry sharks to swim in it. Whereupon two large ships try to sink each other.
Here one can laugh, or regret that “Gladiator II” is literally guilty of – as it is called in the TV expression – jump the shark.
It is nevertheless in the circus sequences that “Gladiator II” lives. The intrigue and the political game – that stuff goes on autopilot, recycling most of it from the first round. The substance bores Scott, and it follows that it bores us.
Only Washington is working overtime to lift it. His Shakespearean villain has fun, no matter how incredible the surroundings become. Washington runs away with “Gladiator II” in front of the noses of Pascal, who gets little meat on his legs, and Nielsen, who admittedly contributes what the film has of warmth.
SHAKESPEARSK SKURK: Denzel Washington i «Gladiator II». Foto: Cuba Scott / United International Pictures
Because – and this pains me to say: Mescal works far from optimally in the title role. The Irish actor, who until now has been brilliant in just about everything, is dry and uncharismatic here, a shadow of Russell Crowe in 2000.
Right in the fight scenes, preserved – that’s what they fix in the clip. But introverted and depressed in a duller way than Maximus, and sabotaged by a script that equips him with dialogue like “Wood or steel, a point is a point!”.
It’s not “What we do in life, echoes in eternity” exactly. I think Pascal would have been better in the role.
“A TIP IS A TIP”: Pedro Pascal in “Gladiator II”. Photo: Aidan Monaghan / United International Pictures
I’d rather you not ask me about the last 10 minutes, which are a gigantic anticlimax. Nor about Harry Gregson-Williams’ anonymous film score.
I was not unhappy. Scott’s delight in choreographing comically gigantic fight scenes, served with a shot camp humor to wash them down with, is too great for that. The director is like an 87-year-old child with the world’s largest model railway.
But nobody in the whole world is going to prefer “Gladiator II” to “Gladiator”. And no one is going to cry over it.
Also read
Gladiator II: The Sequel to What, Exactly?
With: Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington, Derek Jacobi
Director: Ridley Scott
Premiere: Friday, 15 November
Genre: Action Drama | Duration: 2 hours 28 minutes
Well, well, well! If it isn’t Ridley Scott, dusting off his boots and stepping back into the Colosseum nearly a quarter of a century after ‘Gladiator’ turned even the toughest viewers into blubbering wrecks. Note to self: never bring a date to an epic historical film—unless you want to spend three hours explaining why you’re crying!
The original ‘Gladiator’ had all the heart of a weary gladiator and a story about redemption that made you feel like you were weighted down with a Roman’s ailing sense of duty. So, what’s the game plan in ‘Gladiator II’? Well, it’s a little bit like if someone decided to remake a classic Italian opera using only the dialogue from a toddler’s first-day-at-school report.
Set around 200 AD (because nothing screams ‘epic’ like a couple of centuries into the past), we find a new protagonist: General Marcus Acacius, played by Pedro Pascal, who seems to have traded in his Mandalorian armor for Roman regalia. No helmet for this guy—just a pretty face and a questionable beard!
Things start off promisingly enough with our lovely Hanno (Paul Mescal) experiencing what can only be described as the world’s most tragic romance, akin to watching a soap opera during a particularly boring advertising break. He survives a short-lived battle—though his girlfriend does not. Tough break! But wait, it gets worse: he’s carted off to Rome as a slave. Talk about a terrible vacation plan!
We arrive in Rome, where our protagonist reluctantly trades in his freedom to become a gladiator under the employ of Denzel Washington, who must have been handed the most delightfully villainous character this side of Shakespeare. Yes, folks, Denzel appears to be having a blast, making the rest of the cast look like they’re still trying to find their lines at a local community theatre audition.
Ah, and the fights! Somebody call the CGI department because they’ve gone a bit wild here. Gladiator mateys battling rabid monkeys that look like they’ve just stumbled out of a dodgy video game? Are we sure we’ve not leaped onto an entirely different genre? No, seriously—it feels more like a circus at times than a fierce battle for survival!
And what do the filmmakers decide would be the pinnacle of gladiatorial combat? A nautical-themed arena battle—sharks swimming around while ships attempt to sink each other? Honestly, you could hear the film rolling its eyes at its own ambition. I mean, how does one *not* laugh at something so ludicrous?
In the end, it’s hard not to notice that while Ridley Scott is great at orchestrating grand, over-the-top spectacles, he seems to have misplaced the heart of the story along the way. The political intrigue and character depth that made ‘Gladiator’ resonate had a gin and tonic for lunch and failed to come back!
Now, I’m not saying ‘Gladiator II’ is a total disaster—more like a mildly amusing theatre production you’d catch on a rainy afternoon. Denzel is clearly living his best life, yet it feels like Pascal’s character just didn’t read the script before getting on stage. *What we do in life, echoes in eternity*? More like what we say in life, echoes in a rather empty amphitheater!
If there’s one thing this sequel proves, it’s that nostalgia ain’t what it used to be—unless we’re talking about nostalgia for good storytelling. So grab your popcorn, but maybe leave your expectations at the door!
This takes a cheeky, observational tone while summarizing the main points of the article. It combines humor, sharp commentary, and a conversational style reminiscent of the comedic styles of Jimmy Carr, Rowan Atkinson, Ricky Gervais, and Lee Evans.
«Gladiator II»
With: Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington, Derek Jacobi
Regi: Ridley Scott
Premiere in cinemas on Friday 15 November
Action drama. USA. 15 years. Director: Ridley Scott. Two hours and 28 minutes.
Show more
Ridley Scott’s five-time Oscar winner “Gladiator” reduced grown men to tears in cinemas in 2000, captivating audiences around the world with its powerful storytelling and emotional depth.
The adventure was old-fashioned even then, a loving nod to the epic “sword and sandals” films of the 1950s and 60s that the British director had grown up with, drawing inspiration from a rich cinematic heritage.
24 and a half years later, the legendary Ridley Scott, who turns 87 on November 30, has put together a sequel that closely mirrors the first film, teetering on the edge of being perceived as a remake.
“Gladiator II” begins spectacularly, with an impressive armada en route to Numidia, set around the year 200 AD, showcasing the grand scale typically associated with Scott’s vision. General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) leads the superior forces, as the former Berber kingdom in North Africa faces subjugation to the Roman Empire.
This is how it will be, but not before the population has fought a short, heroic, and visually stunning battle against the superior power. The young couple Arishat (Yuval Gonen) and Hanno (Paul Mescal) join the struggle, but their love story is tragically altered when Arishat dies in battle, leaving Hanno to endure worse fate; he survives but is branded and transported to Rome as a slave.
Hanno finds himself in the brutal realm of gladiatorial combat, under the purview of the ruthless contractor Macrinus (Denzel Washington). His role focuses on orchestrating elaborate Colosseum games for the delight of the widely despised emperor-brothers, Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger), who embody the evils reminiscent of Commodus from the previous film.
Hanno is a reluctant athlete, unaware of the intricate political machinations surrounding him. He remains oblivious to the coup being plotted by Acacius and his wife Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) against the duplicitous emperors, nor does he grasp the true ambitions of Macrinus, a Machiavellian figure shaped by his tumultuous past.
The gladiatorial combat scenes, while present, do not dominate the narrative as expected, sometimes veering into absurdity. The introductory battles include a bewildering encounter with computer-generated rottweilers that seem poorly animated, alongside an opponent entering the arena on a rhinoceros.
However, the most outlandish spectacle surfaces in a gladiator “game” played out on water, wherein the amphitheater transforms into a vast sea, complete with hungry sharks and a bizarre naval skirmish between two large ships competing for supremacy.
Scott’s fondness for lavishly choreographed combat scenes, paired with a touch of camp humor, remains evident throughout, as he navigates the balance between epic battle sequences and engaging storytelling.
Despite the extravagances, it’s the circus and combat sequences that provide the film’s vibrancy; however, the political intrigue often feels recycled, leading to moments of tedium that detract from the overall experience. Washington’s character, embodying a Shakespearean villain, emerges as a standout, injecting energy and charisma into scenes that risk becoming monotonous, eclipsing the performances of Pascal and Nielsen.
Unfortunately, this film finds Mescal struggling in the titular role. The acclaimed Irish actor fails to capture the intensity and charisma that Russell Crowe brought in 2000, delivering a performance that feels muted and underwhelming in comparison.
The attempts at profundity fall flat, detracting from what could be memorable lines; rather, we are left with phrases that fail to resonate as they should, adding to the character’s uninspired arc.
I’d rather you not ask me about the last 10 minutes, which veer into anticlimactic territory, nor comment on the lackluster musical score provided by Harry Gregson-Williams, which contributes little to the film’s emotional landscape.
While I did not leave feeling entirely dissatisfied, it became evident that Scott’s passion for crafting elaborate and campy action scenes is unmistakably palpable, reminding audiences of a creative spirit reminiscent of an 87-year-old child managing the grandest of model railways.
However, it remains clear that “Gladiator II” cannot eclipse the legacy of its predecessor, and most viewers are unlikely to shed a tear over its shortcomings.
Also read
Ah, “Gladiator II,” the much-anticipated sequel that’s about as subtle as a marching band in a library and nearly as coherent as a drunken Shakespearean soliloquy! Denzel Washington has apparently scooped up the role of the villain, making the rest of the cast look like they’re auditioning for a community play. Seriously, he’s in a league of his own, while everyone else seems to be fumbling around with their lines.
And let’s talk about those fight scenes! It’s like the CGI department went on a bender, throwing in everything but the kitchen sink. Witness gladiators battling cartoonish rabid monkeys—because why not? Is it a gladiatorial combat film or a circus thrown off its axis? Who can keep track when we’re treated to a nautical-themed arena battle featuring sharks and ships looking like they fell right out of “Pirates of the Caribbean”? It’s the sort of ambition that invites both laughter and disbelief.
But alas, as grand as it all sounds, it feels like Ridley Scott may have accidentally left the heart of the story at the last epic dinner party he hosted. The political intrigue and character depth that once made the original “Gladiator” resonate seem to have gone off for a pint instead of sticking around. Instead, we have a sequel that feels more like a whimsical theatre production—it’s entertaining enough, but your expectations may just float away like a balloon in the breeze.
The film offers nostalgia in bucket loads, albeit of the *what were we thinking?* variety. It’s a much-hyped return that might just leave you chuckling at its theatrics and wondering if you accidentally wandered into the wrong movie. Pull up a seat, grab your popcorn, and perhaps brace yourself for a toot of madness—a wild romp, indeed, but maybe not the kind you’re rooting for!
