Gladiator II review: Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal's historical epic is underwhelming, forgettable and makes for a laborious watch

Gladiator II review

“The gates to hell are open night and day: Smooth the descent; easy the way”. If only the gates to cinematic brilliance were this accessible, Ridley Scott's Gladiator II wouldn't have been a long-drawn, overcooked, laborious watch. The film opens with Lucius (known as Hanno, the son of Lucilla and Maximus, played by a buff Paul Mescal) spending few moments of peace with his wife Arishat (Yuval Gonen) before the Romans attack their city, Nova, which happens to be the only sovereign region in Africa.
Gladiator II Movie: Plot

Leading this army of Romans (reluctantly, so) is General Acacius, who we later learn is against the Roman emperor colonizing Africa and causing more bloodshed as a result. In the crossfire, Lucius's wife, Arishat, is killed. This fills Lucius with rage as he vows to avenge her death.

Elsewhere in the Kingdom, Lucilla (Connie Nielson) along with General Acacius approach the Roman senate with an insurrection play to usurp the throne which is later discovered by Emperor Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Emperor Caracalla (Fred Hechinger). In the meanwhile, Lucius is chosen as a Gladiator and works his way up from a slave to a free man, slaughtering his enemies in the arena.
Gladiator II Movie: Performances

Denzel Washington plays Macrinus, a former slave who is not just choosing Gladiators but sponsoring them in an effort to overthrow the emperors and control Rome. Macrinus acts almost like an ally to Lucius, often saving him from difficult situations. “Your rage is your gift. Just like Achilles. It will lead you towards greatness”, he tells Lucius.

The homoerotic undertones between Lucius and Ravi (Alexander Karim), a former Gladiator turned doctor who now saves lives instead of taking them, are palpable. Meanwhile, Lucilla discovers that Hanno is her son Lucius who she sent away years ago. Will Lucius be able to avenge his wife's death?
Gladiator II Movie: Writing And Direction

What does not work for Gladiator II is the dramatically inert moments in between the exhilarating fighting sequences which play out in the arena. Instead of keeping the momentum high, these dramatic scenes slow down the tempo and make the narrative not as gripping as it could have been. The plot itself seems pretty straightforward with little room for unexpected twists and turns.

What works in the film are the fighting sequences, particularly the ones where the entire arena is turned into a water body with shark infestation. The two teams of Gladiators must fight it out in the waters and save their ship from sinking. But are these majestic fight sequences—involving monkeys, chopped heads— enough?Gladiator II Movie: What Works, What Doesn’t

Needless to say, Gladiator II doesn't hold a candle to the OG Gladiator. While Paul Mescal tries his best to channel Lucius's rage, the actor can only do so much to save a film which offers a bland plot which is not memorable in a post-Game of Thrones world. That emperors are written as nincompoops who cannot discern Virgil's poetry from a death threat doesn't help the film's cause.
Washington as Macrinus does his best to portray a conniving, scheming character who has his own agenda but a lack of an engaging character arc does him no favours. As for Pascal, who is the sole voice of reason in the Kingdom, is also wasted. Watch Gladiator II only for its action and visuals.

Star rating: 2 / 5 stars

Gladiator II is now playing in theaters.