Gladiator 2

As the sprawling and bloody opening scene of GLADIATOR 2 unfolded, I was struck by sudden realization.    In a post-GAME OF THRONES world, it is no longer possible to have the type of visceral, jaw-dropping impact that epics such as these once had. 24 years ago, when the first GLADIATOR was released, it was a marvel. There had been films like it before, obviously. Heck, BEN-HUR was killing ‘em in the Colosseum a near half century before. But there was something about Ridley Scott’s epic that resonated with audiences and critics alike at that particular moment in time. Maybe it was the battles, maybe it was blood, or maybe it was the tigers. Whatever the case, behind Scott’s direction and Crowe’s Oscar winning turn, GLADIATOR cemented itself as a modern classic.

GLADIATOR 2 now comes at a time, however, where we’ve now seen most of it before. Whether it be in other films, GAME OF THRONES, or elsewhere, it’s tough to find anything within this realm that is entirely new, and it’s certainly not found here.

In this sequel, a warrior named Hanno (Paul Mescal) is living a peaceful existence in Numidia with his wife Arishat. When the Roman army, lead by General Acacius (Pedro Pascal), attacks the city, Arishat is killed and Hanno is taken prisoner in order to be sold as a slave. He is forced to fight against wild baboons in a gladiator-like combat ring, where he impresses the boisterous Macrinus (Denzel Washington). Macrinus expects big things from his recent purchase and plans to have him fight in the Colosseum in Rome.

Hanno has very little to live for at this point, but when Macrinus assures him that he will have an opportunity to exact his revenge about the evil General, he begins slaying foes in the arena, much to the delight of the crowd, his fellow prisoners, and super-weird and pale emperors Geta (the unrecognizable and underutilized Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger.)

If this story sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because it was essentially the plot of another similar film called GLADIATOR.

Scott’s much-anticipated sequel doesn’t quite land as triumphantly as its predecessor did two decades ago. That’s not to say it isn’t entertaining, because it certainly has its moments. The battles in the arena are well crafted and fun, featuring the aforementioned baboons, along with a rhino and a few sharks. Yes, you read that right.  Sharks. And while the stakes are high for the combatants involved, they never quite have that same sense of desperation that the original projected so well. This could be because the characters never fully resonate in the same way they did in the original. While Mescal is fine in the leading role and plays Hanno with the right amount of vigor and pathos, he’s no Marcus Aurelius. There isn’t that same connection with the audience that Crowe’s General was able to generate.

Though audiences will no doubt tune in for the carnage, it’s the performance of Denzel Washington that steals the show. I would be shocked if, come award season, we don’t see his name popping up everywhere for Best Supporting Actor. Had his turn not worked, I’m confident in that the film would have failed. He is so gleefully over-the-top, however, that he enlivens every scene he is a part of in the best possible way, providing unexpected laughs and poignant dramatic moments. It looks like he is having fun, and it reminds us that we were never supposed to take everything seen within the movie with solemn sincerity. 

GLADIATOR 2- B-

Now playing in theaters.

Brian Miller