‘Gladiator II:’ High Praise for Rome in All Its Gory

Some hot action as gladiators battle and swords are flying. Paul Mescal plays Lucius and Pedro Pascal plays Marcus Acacius.

For whatever reason (and there are likely many), Russell Crowe does not have an active role in Gladiator II, the sequel of the 2000 film for which he won the Oscar for Best Actor. That’s not to say he doesn’t appear in it; clips of Maximus, his original character, are featured in flashbacks of this new epic take on the debauchery that was Rome. Whatever glory it had once promised, of course, has since been lost due to corrupt senators, vain emperors and a few jealous women who falsely stood behind their men. Of those many reasons why Crowe is absent, however, age is not one of them. Crowe is only 60 now. Had he appeared anew in this version, he might have shared the set with Denzel Washington, now almost 70, and been directed by Ridley Scott, now 86. Mind you, Crowe as Maximus in Gladiator (the original) dies at the end. But, heck, that’s never stopped Hollywood from feeding interminable franchises with cameo appearances from actors who helped establish the franchise. 

The film has all the makings of becoming a franchise, but Gladiator II is only a sequel, albeit 24 years after the original amazed a generation of adolescent men, and perhaps a few Roman scholars, with its box office-defying production values. Here, like in the original, battle scenes spare no numbers of bulked-up men wielding massive, heavy swords which shed no few gallons of blood (or body parts) which splatter audibly against ancient statuary, oaken sailing ships, or rat-infested jails. Fans of this franchise-to-be will not be disappointed in the gory fights, nor will they lament any missing scenic details which mostly appear within the arena and stands of Rome’s great (and immortal?) Coliseum.

An epic battle scene in the flooded Colosseum with warships and islands.

Fans might be disappointed in the plot of Gladiator II, but only because it marries the original. A once promising hero is thrown to the dungeons to fight his way back to the top again. Meanwhile, jeopardizing that trajectory, are crazy, irrational politicians who will cheat to retain their laps of luxury. And for added intrigue, there’s always the loyal spies listening behind closed doors willing to spill their guts for a few gold coins. 

If you’ve never seen Gladiator, and don’t now feel the least pressure to see Gladiator II, let me share one good—no, great—reason to get in the family car with all your cousins to drive to the cineplex this Thanksgiving week. Denzel Washington. He’s exceptional. 

Denzel is always riveting to watch. Here, he plays the role of the manager of that ancient system by which gladiators could someday be freed. That singular opportunity was really quite simple. All a fledging, starved and imprisoned gladiator needed to do was win every damn battle (for which he’d win a few coins) and, by collecting enough money (and staying not just alive, but physically fit to fight again) buy his way into a “free” society. But as manager of this system, Denzel, in the role of Macrinus, is still “buying” his way up the social ladder. And he’s learned a few tips from the emperors (yes, two) he’s since befriended. Let’s just say that Denzel Washington is worth the price of admission—even if that price is the equivalent of two gold coins. He’s that good.

Denzel Washington plays Macrinus, a wise manager of the gladiators and an arms dealer.

As to his other cast mates in Gladiator II, fans of the original may be thrilled to see Connie Nielsen return as Lucilla, the daughter of Marcus Aurelius. Devotees of Roman biopics may also be thrilled to see the great actor Derek Jacobi appear as a Roman Senator (perhaps an homage to his role as Claudius in the well-received PBS series). Pedro Pascal plays the Roman General Marcus Acacius with all the charm he offers as the Mandalorian in his famous Star Wars role. And Paul Mescal takes on the heroic protagonist Lucius. Mescal is an up and coming Irish actor appearing here in his first big film. He meets the demands of the role with great skill in scenes whether fighting or fretting. But he doesn’t (yet) have the screen presence of a Russell Crowe. And, for my money, no one will ever match the thespian thunder Denzel Washington showers in every scene.

Connie Nielsen continues in her role as Lucilla from the original film. Seen here with Joseph Quinn who plays Emperor Geta.

Gladiator II begs one more reason to see it now. Ridley Scott knows the value of the large cinema screen, the impact of a Dolby sound system, and the comfort and camaraderie of witnessing big action movies with your buddies. Have at it and, this week, give thanks that movie theaters are still the best place to enjoy epic, big action films. 

Photos Courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

C. Prentiss Orr is a Pittsburgh-based writer who covers film, live theater, and other topics for Entertainment Central. He is the author of the books The Surveyor and the Silversmith and Pittsburgh Born, Pittsburgh Bred.

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