“Gladiator II” dethroned its predecessor, racking in around 55 million during its opening weekend.
“Aftersun” actor Paul Mescal portrays Lucius, the nephew of usurper Commodus and grandson of Marcus Aurelius from the original film. Sent away in his youth and now grown he lives in Numidia, the only remaining African Kingdom, until General Acacius (Pedro Pascal) conquers it at the behest of corrupt twin emperors Geta and Caracalla (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger). Now enslaved alongside his fellow soldiers, Lucius is forced to fight as a gladiator in the Colosseum for entertainment. As he holds his grandfather’s “dream of a free Rome” close to his heart, a plot from this outside unfolds to take down the cruel emperors.
The film pays very close attention to historical accuracy, whether it is the accuracy of battles or basing its characters on real people. The naval battles shown in the film actually did take place, though, for viewers skeptic to begin with, the CGI sharks can truly take one out of the movie. However, Geta and Caracalla truly were co-emperors and it is rumored that Caracalla had his brother killed. The actions of the characters though are more speculative and the film takes liberties. Unfortunately, no, Caracalla did not appoint his pet monkey as the “first consul” of Rome, though it is inspired by a Roman legend.
The supporting roles of Pascal as General Acacius and Denzel Washington who played Macrinus were a major highlight of the film. Pascal is able to capture the conflicted nature of General Acacius. On one hand, the emperor orders him to continue his conquests throughout neighboring regions while internally he secretly spearheads a rebellion alongside his wife Lucilla, Connie Nielson reprising her role. Moreover, as a former slave turned arms dealer and political figure, Washington shines. His powerful performance portrays a deceitful and social-climbing nature that contributes to the complex web of power that director Ridley Scott creates.
Compared to his co-stars, Mescal’s performance falls a bit flat compared to Russel Crowe’s. His physicality and delivery feel on point, however as the movie attempts to capture the magic of the first too literally, it brings out a staleness which hurts Mescal’s performance. Overall, the emotional beats of the movie don’t feel as impactful as they should.
While “Gladiator II” does leave spectators in awe, it is safe to say that for viewers looking for a thrilling plot where one can invest emotionally, it might be best to stick to the original.
