Gladiator II is a sword and sandal soap opera seriously needing Shakespeare’s gravity and wit. In fact, it needs its director Ridely Scott’s old soul as he manifested in such classics as different as Blade Runner and Thelma and Louise. Truth be told, the greatness of the original Gladiator is long ago from this sequel even if Scott returns to it regularly by verbal references and clips of Russell Crowe as the leader Maximus, rightful leader cast out by politics.
If the producers wanted spectacle, they made the right choice. Ridley Scott is a master of production design and its accompanying spectacle as he did in his lush Napolean. Each well-known Roman artifact is realistically rendered, and each battle is exhaustingly gruesome. Gladiators fighting rhinos, baboons, and sharks is eye-capturing and suspenseful, the most arresting sequence being the opening battle of African Numidians and their heroic leader Lucius (Paul Mescal) with life-sized boats, themselves things of beauty, easily vanquished by invading Romans
The descent of Rome into Hell is best exemplified by brother emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) enslaving conquered warriors and watching them go down in arresting Colosseum shenanigans. The best symbol of decadent Rome is slave master Macrinus (scene-digesting, two-time Denzel Washington, as oily and power hungry as any present-day corrupt politico).
The real action is that power grabbing—almost every character big and small seems to be moved by power, making the analogy to present day bipartisan warfare complete. Scott would have been better to concentrate on that dynamic to the exclusion of over-the-top visuals.
Gladiator II, while too often superficial with its history and its memorable figures, is resplendent visually, worth taking older teens and adults to witness what movies can do to immerse its patrons in the glory that was Rome. Just don’t let them think too long on how similar the Romans and Americans are being enslaved by ruthless, power-hungry leaders.
Gladiator II
Directors: Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Thelma and Louise, Gladiator
Screenplay: David Scarpa (Napolean)
Cast: Connie Nielsen (Wonder Woman), Paul Mescal (All of Us Strangers)
Rating: R
Length: 2h 28m
John DeSando, a Los Angeles Press Club first-place winner for National Entertainment Journalism, hosts NPR’s It’s Movie Time and Cinema Classics as well as podcasts Back Talk and Double Take (recently listed by Feedspot as two of the ten best NPR Movie Podcasts) out of WCBE 90.5 FM, Columbus, Ohio. Contact him at JohnDeSando52@gmail.com