Table of Contents Table of Contents Denzel Washington being the best part presents a problem CGI animals are distracting Lucius is not Maximus no matter how hard he tries In 2000, Russell Crowes Maximus Decimus Meridius entertained audiences with his magnificent swordsmanship and illustrious speeches inGladiator, Ridley Scotts Oscar-winning historical epic. Twenty-four years later, Scott returned to the arena with a new hero in Gladiator II. Paul Mescal stars as Lucius, the son of Maximus and Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), who left Rome as a child to escape assassination attempts. Sixteen years later, Lucius is living in Numidia when Roman forces led by General Acacius (Pedro Pascal) invade his home, kill his wife, and sell him into slavery. Driven by rage, Lucius trains to be a gladiator and embarks on a vengeful quest to kill Acacius and tear down the entire Roman Empire.

Following up a movie as legendary, quotable, and beloved asGladiatorwould never be easy. Scott has always been up for a challenge. This is the same filmmaker who decided to riskAlienslegacy by helming the prequel Prometheus. (Spoiler alert:Prometheusis excellent.) There is much to like about Gladiator II action, visuals, and Denzel Washington. Unfortunately, it never reaches the heights of Gladiator.

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　　Denzel Washington being the best part presents a problem

In the least surprising news, Washington is far and away the best aspect of Gladiator II. Washington has more skill in his pinky than 95% of Hollywood. Macrinus will charm your socks off with his eccentric smile and flamboyance. Yet hes a killer at heart with no qualms about violence and bloodshed. Washingtons Macrinus combines the ferocity of Frank Lucas from American Gangsterwith the cockiness of Alonzo Harris. Macrinus is the puppet master driven by the thirst for power, a mindset he never forgets. Washington chews up every word of dialogue and has anyone who listens, including the audience, in the palm of his hand.

Related Washington is too good to a fault. Thats not his problem, though. His literal job is to give the best performance by bringing the words on the page to life on screen. Its a story and script problem. Lucius is the protagonist of Gladiator II. Hes the character on the heros journey, and he completes his arc by the end of the film. But anytime Lucius is on screen with Macrinus, the lines of who to root for are blurred.

For the entire movie, the audience is waiting for the other shoe to drop with Macrinus. Hes clearly scheming to run Rome from the get-go. However, its easy to support Macrinus rise to power when two foolish emperors act like children. Until he shoots an arrow through Lucillas heart, how can you not root for Macrinus andLucius?

Gladiatordoes not have this problem. The lines are clearly drawn from the beginning. Gladiators story structure starts and ends with Maximus, the storys true hero. Below him is the familial drama with Lucilla, Commodus, and Marcus Aurelius. Then theres everything else, like the Roman Senate. In Gladiator II, Lucius is the protagonist on a path toward redemption. Once he gets to Rome, his quest weirdly takes a back seat to Macrinus schemes and Lucillas political movements. Where is Lucius? Well, hes in a cell under the Colosseum for most of this drama when he should have been actively participating in more of the story.

　　CGI animals are distracting

Gladiator II | New Trailer (2024 Movie) - Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Ridley Scott Gladiatorfeels like one of the last blockbuster movies to not feel like a CGI fest. The CGI superhero and fantasy revolution would come soon after with Spider-Manand Harry Potter. Obviously, CGI is used inGladiator in its depiction of Ancient Rome and certain scenes with Oliver Reeds Proximo, who died during production. Nonetheless, the battle scenes in the Colosseum are exquisite. Its pulse-pounding action whenever Maximus picks up a sword and fights for survival. The chariot battle, where Maximus leads his fellow gladiators to victory before giving one of his iconic speeches, is a masterclass in blocking, filming, and executing a battle sequence. These fights still look as visceral and as raw as ever 24 years later.

The same cant be said forGladiator II. After an effective war sequence between the Numidians and Romans, the movie shifts toward CGI opponents baboons, a rhino, and sharks. Scotts idea for including baboons makes sense. He wanted Lucius to become an alpha by transforming from a prisoner to a gladiator. Why couldnt that have been done fighting another man? As weird as the baboons appear, nothing was stranger than seeing sharks (?) in the Colosseum. Its so distracting that it takes the audience out of the scene. Using a naval battle to highlight Lucius leadership and combat skills is a good idea. The sharks, however, are a huge swing and a miss.

Speaking of hand-to-hand combat, the best combat scene inGladiator IIis the fight between Lucius and another warrior at the senators party. Its a gritty and grounded fight with life-or-death stakes. It showcases the strength and physical prowess needed to be a gladiator. Thats all an audience needs. That short fight scene details the characters motivations more than any scene in the Colosseum. Lucius refusal to state his name shows he will never serve this version of Rome. Macrinus manipulates the emperors at every turn to stay in their good graces. Emperor Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Emperor Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) are overindulgent and underqualified fools. Gladiator IIneeded more of this and less of Dr. Evils sharks.

　　Lucius is not Maximus no matter how hard he tries

It seems unfair to say that Lucius is not Maximus. Mescal, a fantastic young actor with a bright career ahead of him, could never live up to Crowes career-defining performance. It doesnt mean Mescal cant win an Oscar and be like Crowe. Maximus is just a better character than Lucius. Maximus is the honorable general who will stop at nothing to avenge his dead wife, child, and mentor. He carries himself with the gravitas of a Roman hero, with quintessential speeches to take his lore to another stratosphere.

Lucius is the son of Maximus, but he doesnt have his fathers presence. No matter how hard Gladiator II tries to make Lucius its Maximus, it falls just short. Maximus always knew his goals: restore order to Rome and kill Commodus. What does Lucius want? He originally wishes to kill General Acacius. Once Acacius is out of the picture, then what? Lucius says he wants to implement his grandfathers dream for Rome. But thats the dream of Lucius father, mother, and grandfather. Its not his dream.

Lucius speeches do not have the same impact as those of Maximus. Mescals best speech is before the final battle in the Colosseum, where he recites the we are not where death is line from his time in Numidia. The most important line from that speech is when Lucius says, I am not a general. Hes right. Lucius is a solider; Maximus is a general. Both are still compelling characters. One is just a little higher in the pecking order.

Gladiator IIis now in theaters.

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