Going to see “Gladiator II,” I knew two things for certain: I love Gladiator and I love Paul Mescal. Walking out of the theater, however, I knew I did not love “Gladiator II.”

The film industry is currently undergoing a plague of sequels and live action remakes, most of them disappointing, all of them unnecessary. Even though I loathe remakes and sequels, I still looked forward to seeing “Gladiator II” all year simply because the first “Gladiator” was so incredible.

But that was the problem. The sequel had big shoes to fill, perhaps too big. There is no replacement for Russell Crowe (Maximus) or Joaquin Phoenix (Commodus). There is no follow-up worthy of the original plot. The plot of “Gladiator II” loosely imitated the first movie in the struggle for power, underdog protagonist and tragic death of loved ones. However, the execution was not nearly as impactful as the first film.

Hanno (Paul Mescal), later revealed to be Lucius, son of Maximus, lost his wife in a battle in the very beginning of the film. In the first movie, Maximus loses his son and wife, but it happens after Maximus’s character was established and their deaths were unexpected. When he lost his family, I was shocked, saddened and had developed a connection with Maximus, so I was rooting for him in his quest for revenge.

While Lucius losing his wife was sad, there was very little build up for the audience to feel connected to him and want to root for him. Additionally, his wife’s death was not at all shocking to me, so it lost the element of surprise. Since the catalyst for the plot and the motivation for Lucius’s revenge felt underwhelming, so too did the rest of the film.

In the first “Gladiator,” Phoenix was a fantastic Commodus—one of the best portrayals of a villain in film history. His character had layers to him, a backstory. His ambition was clear from the beginning. In contrast, the villains in “Gladiator II” were lacking. I did not feel a spark of fear when looking at the two ginger twin emperors, Geta and Caracalla.

I will say, the creativity of the film was entertaining, if not absurd. The fight scene in the Colosseum featuring the sharks piqued my interest and raised my brow—they were obviously not going for historical accuracy in the second film (although Naumachia, mock naval warfare, was a real practice of the Romans). The creative direction took on a more “Hunger Games” feel, rather than the Roman tragedy that was the first film.

The most surprising let down was Denzel Washington’s performance. When I first saw that he was in the cast, I was ecstatic, as Washington is known to bring intensity to any screen he graces. He took on a similar role as Proximus of the first film, the maker of Gladiators and the one who would lead slaves to the Colosseum. Surprisingly though, it seems Washington’s acting range was not meant for a movie set in the Roman Empire. The twist that he was the villain was unsurprising, and the final showdown between him and Lucius was more awkward than intense.

On the contrary, the performances of General Acacius (Pedro Pascal) and Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) were rather powerful. Nielsen’s amazing performance was not surprising, as she was a staple in the first movie.

There were a few things that did land in the film. The score and the direction. The genius of director Ridley Scott, who was behind the masterpiece of the first film, carried over in many respects. The cinematography was on point as was the coordination of the fight scenes, close up and wide shots. And like the first movie, Lisa Gerrard’s “Now We Are Free,” which features a made up language of Gerrard’s own creation, still brought chills to my senses.

For all its faults, I was entertained for most of the movie. I would’ve liked to see more development of Lucius, as a unique protagonist rather than a watered-down version of Maximus, his father. Even so, Mescal’s acting showed amazing range from his big-break role in “Normal People.”

Since Lucius did not die at the end of the film, there remains much to be resolved and a third movie can be expected. I hope that the next film has more convincing actors, a better plot and gives Mescal a chance to truly acclimate to the role of a Gladiator. I also hope that the third movie is able to establish “Gladiator” as a legitimate franchise rather than a series of run off sequels that live in the shadow of the first movie’s epic legacy.

Rating: 6.7/10

This story was originally published on GraniteBayToday.org on December 5, 2024.