I remember enjoying Ridley Scott’s Gladiator back in 2000, but I did not think it deserved the awards showered on it or have felt the need to watch it since. Twenty-four years later, Scott is back on directorial duties for this sequel which is set about 20 years after the original. Paul Mescal stars as Lucius Veras, son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen reprising her role). He is captured and fights for his freedom as a gladiator, just as his father did.
If, like me, you have not seen the original in many years, do not worry, as a reprise of that film is played out over the opening credits. From then on, this sequel remains overly reverential to the original, featuring many nods to it, that causes the plot to get bogged down at times. Indeed, David Scarpa’s script is the main weakness, with too much talk about the dream of Rome and a really poorly written scene when Lucius and Lucilla meet for the first time since he was a small child.
Scott, though knows how to direct action scenes. This is a terrific depiction of a battle that opens the movie that was reminiscent of a similar scene in the Three Musketeers sequel last year. The fights in the Colosseum are well staged too, even with the silly addition of a rhino, sharks and even mutant monkeys.
Mescal is a great actor, and manages to bring conviction to his role, Denzel Washington is fun as a scheming slave owner, the great Derek Jacobi is underused as a senator and Pedro Pascal has a noble presence as a Roman general. Matt Lucas and Tim McInnery, however, ham it up as if they are in Carry On Up the Tiber.
The spectacle was enough for the film to race by, despite a two and a half hour run time, but again, I do not imagine returning to it in a hurry.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10