StubStack: Gladiator ll

Gladiator ll was disappointing.

Despite tempering my expectations before entering the IMAX theater, I still found myself underwhelmed by Ridley Scott's latest film.

I'm a huge fan of the original Gladiator. Russell Crowe's performance, the epic scale, the stunning cinematography, and the straightforward story all contribute to making it one of the most entertaining films of the 21st century.

Gladiator II follows a story similar to that of the original – A righteous protagonist seeking revenge – but it falls far short of its predecessor's excellence. The CGI is notably poor. The animals used in battle scenes being particularly unconvincing. The script and plot leave much to be desired—everything feels predictable, and I was rarely captivated by any of the dialogue or set pieces. While I generally enjoy Paul Mescal’s work, he’s underwhelming as the Russell Crowe stand-in.

Gladiator ll is stuffed with too many characters, storylines, and connections to the original Gladiator, making the film feel overly long. I found myself checking my phone for the time more often than I usually do in the theater. A more focused story with little or no direct connection to the original film would have been preferable.

The standout performance in Gladiator II was Denzel Washington as Macrinus. He brought his usual charm and slyness to the role but also infused it with a sillier, goofier energy that was a departure from his typical choices. It was an unexpected but welcome surprise.

On the flip side, I found Connie Nielsen’s performance equally disappointing. Her character was supposed to be one of the emotional cores of the story, but her flat, uninspired portrayal dragged the film down.

There’s a good movie in Gladiator II. If it were 35 minutes shorter, had little or no connection to the original, removed Connie Nielsen’s character (and likely Pedro Pascal’s as well), and focused more on Denzel’s character manipulating Mescal’s character’s anger for his own gain, it could have been far more compelling. Instead, we got a bloated, overstuffed film that tries to have its cake and eat it too—leaning on the nostalgia of the original while attempting to inspire awe with this new story.

In the months leading to Gladiator ll’s release, I was extremely excited, it was one of my most anticipated films of the year. As the early reviews came in I tempered my expectations but remained hopeful. After having watched it, I am disappointed. While there’s the occasional thrilling and fun moment, Gladiator ll was mostly a drab disappointment.