Gladiator 2 has stepped onto the world stage with the immense weight of its predecessor’s legacy. In its first two weeks, it earned an impressive $350 million worldwide. However, considering that it cost over $200 million to produce and compared to the original Gladiator, which grossed $450 million in the same period, the difference is hard to overlook. The original was a cultural phenomenon, winning five Academy Awards and delivering iconic quotes like “Are you not entertained?” not to mention inspiring elements such as American rapper MF DOOM’s iconic mask.
The sequel struggles under the shadow of the original. The first film’s journey of Maximus’s vengeance felt raw and visceral, and the second film’s story of Lucius simply comes across as a shallow reflection. In the second movie, the narrative follows a War General turned slave, seeking revenge for his family, a storyline that feels repetitive compared to the first film. There was potential for something fresh, especially with Lucius, the main character of the second film, navigating his complicated relationship with his mother, Lucilla, and Marcus Acadius, the man who killed his wife and sought to make Lucius emperor. Unfortunately, the film rushes past these dynamics in favor of spectacle. While Director Ridley Scott’s keen eye for cinematography stays sharp as shown by his other works over the years, the storytelling in Gladiator 2 falters.
This is not the first disappointment from Scott in recent years. His film Napoleon faced similar criticism, with many describing it as cold and emotionally distant. Those same flaws are clear here. In Gladiator, I felt the grief, rage, and determination of Maximus the main character. In Gladiator 2, we see Lucius endure tragedy, but we hardly feel it. We barely know his family, friends, or his life before the Romans arrive, which results in a lack of emotional grounding, the film’s fatal flaw, which is disappointing as it felt like the first film’s strongest point.
This issue is clear on both sides of the character spectrum. While Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of Commodus was one of the best depictions of insanity I have ever seen, the twin emperors in the sequel, Caracalla, played by Stranger Thingsactor Joseph Quinn, and Geta, played by Fred Hechinger, almost feel stale and bland, a mockery of Commodus. Additionally, Denzel Washington’s Macrinus can never be taken seriously throughout the film as Denzel does not even try to fit in with his accent, making him stand out throughout the movie even though he had one of the strongest performances in this film.
Now you do have to give credit to this film’s amazing action. I would argue that the fight scenes are even better than the first films. Every fight scene in the movie is brilliantly coordinated and so much fun to watch, such as the naval battle in the Colosseum, although the sharks were far from the best CGI (Computer Generated Images), the choreography is very well done, and according to history experts, it is realistic apart from the sharks. All the action in the movie is the film’sstrongest point, only rivaled by the stunning cinematography also shown throughout the film, such as the visions Lucius sees of his wife.
While not a terrible movie, it is simply a case of failed standards, which is truly sad considering it had the money, it had the cast, it had the director, all it needed was better writing and this film would’ve been much better, which is truly sad to see as many people, including myself had such high expectations for this film.
