Gladiator II 2024 Movie Review
Directed by Ridley Scott, the movie centers on Lucius (played by Paul Mescal), whose homeland has been conquered by the tyrannical emperors now ruling Rome with an iron fist. Fueled with rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, He must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.
It’s interesting; I just realized that this year, we got a chance to see both sequels from movies that honestly didn’t need one it’s Joker: Folie à Deux and Gladiator II. What’s interesting is that, so far, we know which one gets more praise than the other, I think it shows how to make a worthy sequel if it can’t quite live up to its predecessor. I honestly didn’t want Ridley to continue his 2000s Roman epic because while it opened a door for more stories to tell, it was such a perfect end for the characters. It wasn’t much of a surprise when they announced Gladiator II; I mean, it’s common news from big studios nowadays.
You can’t compare this with the first one, you just can’t because it’s much more different than it’s similar. Sure, it has the same main trope, but Gladiator II has a more layered story than before, with more characters involved in the story. That being said, I feel that is the weakest point about it, probably because one of the characters that they keep showing in the promos feels somewhat wasted. I’m trying to keep this spoiler-free, but these days, it seems like killing off characters is a common way to dispose of them. I’ve heard people complaining about the fight between animals and humans; I actually like the idea because, 20 years later, with these technological advancements, Ridley and his team are just going crazy with the action sequences. Big Rhino, Baboons? Why the heck not? Also, brace yourself before witnessing the opening scene; Ridley immediately lets you know that ain’t playing around.
Lucius is not Maximus and Paul Mescal is no Russell Crowe. But I would be lying if he didn’t give an impressive performance. I’ll just say this, though, throughout the movie, he tries to channel his inner “Maximus,” and in the final moments, he finally does it without losing himself. Maximus would be proud of him. Denzel Washington is Denzel Washington. What more needs to be said? His character is one of the best, fun parts (whatever it is) of the movie.
Gladiator II is probably my number 1 movie of the year in terms of pure entertainment. Sure, there’s Dune: Part Two, which was released earlier this year, and then Furiosa just to name a few. But none of them come close to this, I’m very entertained. I hadn’t been born yet when the original was released in theaters, but when I heard the iconic score “Now We Are Free” playing at the end, along with the memorable opening shot from the first movie, it gave me goosebumps and made me feel nostalgic. “Talk to me Father”, that line almost made me weep.
