Highlights
Ridley Scott is one for the books as the filmmaker has done it again, reworking and producing a convincing sequel of ‘Gladiator’. The sequel with a massive cast and crew has certainly put their best into making the return of the ‘true heir’ of Rome, Lucius Verus Aurelius.
Gladiator II follows the tale of Lucius, the son of Maximus and Lucilla and takes off from the prequel where Lucilla sends her only son and the true surviving heir to the Roman Empire away after the death of Maximus. Lucius ends up in a city in Africa named Numidia, where he makes a living as a soldier and is married to Arishat.
Known as Hanno, Lucius lives an anonymous life, disdaining Rome only to lose his wife, Arishat to the Roman Conquest led by General Acacius. Lucius soon is taken as prisoner of war, then picked out of a dozen as a Gladiator and bought by Macrinus. Gladiators are told to get their freedom through the Colosseum while Hanno wants revenge.
It is evident with the magnificent set pieces and carefully curated details, the production value levels the effort Ridley Scott has put towards the sequel. From handpicking actors to magnanimous battle sequences, the maker had a vision and delivered it. The movie right from the beginning, grabs you by the collar and attracts with sheer execution, the Roman naval ships entering Numidia while the two silver threads – Hanno (Paul Mescal) and General Acacius (Pedro Pascal).
The movie almost bounces off like a travelogue, following the journey of a mere soldier who is actually the prince of Rome and him reaching his destiny works out well on paper, but fails to stand up to the steep legacy of ‘Gladiator’ starring Russell Crowe.
The Positive Aspects
Ridley Scott certainly has an eye for talent as the casting for the sequel is splendid with Paul Mescal nailing every emotion as Hanno and Lucius while Pedro from his first frame has delivered the helplessness. Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger as Emperor Geta and Caracalla are solid for their roles.
An assured and confident performer, Denzel Washington has booked his nominations for another Oscar, defines the plot and dominates a step above all. He understood the humbleness and evilness the role of Macrinus demands and grabs hold of the power, deceiving the tyrannical twins.
Ridley Scott’s vision and execution of the battle sequences and the Colosseum stands apart, easily transporting the fans to a path down the memory lane. Stunning set pieces and visual effects makes the epic sequel a spectacle.
The profound screenplay allows characters we never expect to lurk in the shadows and deliver later like Denzel Washington and focuses on the evil twins, who especially Joseph Quinn carried the craziness to the dot.
The Negative Aspects
The impressive screenplay and narration is bound together only by the audience reflecting the incidents to the prequel, which is sadly lacking in ‘Gladiator II’. The very few scenes of callbacks and flashbacks of visuals from the prequel to the underwhelming emotions between Lucius and Lucilla fall short.
Although Denzel anchors his role, Paul Mescal tries his best to leverage what Russell Crowe did as Maximus and the way he owned the scene. The lack of iconic dialogues and references that makes ‘Gladiator’ still a remarkable film is missing in the latest.
The Verdict
Ridley Scott has dug his own disadvantage as the sequel fails to be on par with what the 2000 Gladiator showcased, not just in terms of performances but also in delivering the emotions high and low. Gladiator II is all it has proclaimed to be and lesser in comparison to its predecessor.
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