Gladiator (2000) directed by Ridley Scott delivered a very unique and impactful experience. Delivering brand new ideas and impactful story lines.
Unfortunately its sequel Gladiator II starring Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington does not deliver the same impact. A lot of the reason for this unfortunate development is that it tried to replicate the experience of Gladiator I.
In the original film there was character development, there were high stake situations being constructed. Every character had a purpose and a motivation.
Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix character) was obsessed with power and would do anything to attain it including killing his own father. His sister Lucilla played by Connie Nielsson is a woman with a troubled past but really comes to the realization of just how corrupt Rome and her family have become.
Of course the main character Maximus played by Russell Crowe had an incredible character arc. Maximus went from a great battle-hardened warrior to a revolutionary fighting for the common good of all citizens of Rome.
You may be asking yourself at this point, why is he talking about the first movie so much when this review is supposed to be about the second movie.
The answer to this question is because the second movie tries to mirror the first so much that at times it feels as if I am watching a remake instead of a sequel.
Lucious has essentially the same character arc as his father Maximus in this movie with the exception of being left as a child. However, just like his father he goes from a soldier to a revolutionary saving Rome.
Just like in the first movie the leadership of Rome is taken by individuals who are undeserving and unfit to be seated at the throne. There is no originality in this film whatsoever.
How can a film possibly hope to create a legacy of its own when it’s trying to be just like its predecessor? The only thing that is slightly different about this film is that it is not just the evil kings against the noble warrior, there is a triple threat here.
That triple threat comes in the form of Macrinus (Denzel Washington) who looks to take power from all bloodlines and leadership that has brought him pain and treated him as a second class citizen. While this is an interesting angle, it is never revealed what exactly he wants to do and how he wants to reform Rome.
While this movie does not do much in the department of innovation or character development, it does have a lot of themes that are relevant to today’s culture.
One of those big themes is the theme to fight for our democracy. Fighting for our Democracy is an ever going battle, there will always be leaders who will try to overstep their boundaries and do what they want with no limitations.
It is our job as Americans and as a society to keep our government for the people and by the people as it was intended. The message of sacrificing for the greater good is also present and at the forefront of this film. Reminding us that our choices affect everyone so we just can’t think of ourselves when making every single decision.
These are good messages that Hollywood would do well to continue dishing out. Because we all know that is a rare occurrence.
Now, is it worth watching? It depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking for originality or for it to love up the first movie then i would not recommend watching this movie.
But if you are looking for a halfway decent historical action with powerful themes and action sequences then I would say give it a shot.
It was reported that Gladiator three is in development and in the works, I beg of Ridley Scott and the studios to make this next film with an identity of its own. We have seen the same story done now twice. Push the story forward for everything sacred in the art of storytelling.
The argument has been thrown around that this film was a pit stop to something much bigger down the line. If that’s really the case, then fine. I can live with that but if it’s not and the next one brings no new ideas and no new perspective or ideas it is just a giant waste of time for everyone involved.
