Gladiator II review: this big, brutal sequel turns everything up to the Max-imus

Ridley Scott is a man on a mission. It’s been some 24 years since the first Gladiator, where Maximus Decimus Meridius sought vengeance, in this life or the next. In the years since, Scott has averaged a directing credit a year, going from the sublime (American Gangster, The Martian) to the ridiculous (The Counsellor, House of Gucci).

Gladiator II lands somewhere in the middle. It’s a movie of great spectacle and crunching action that’s occasionally marred by some below-par CGI (those bloody baboons) and moments of downright silly scriptwork. We were among the first in the world to watch it at its London press screening, but despite the fumbles, were we entertained? Damn right we were, and here are 5 reasons why…

1. The story

There was, famously, a Gladiator sequel script written by Nick Cave that featured Russell Crowe’s dead gladiator in purgatory and on a mission to kill Jesus Christ. For some reason - we can’t think why - that one didn’t make it to the big screen, but the spectre of Maximus looms large in Gladiator II.

While Rome isn’t the haven he wanted it to be - quite the opposite, in fact - his name is whispered throughout. A legacy kept alive by Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), quite literally when she shipped out their son at the end of the first movie.

Maximus’ sandals are big ones to fill but Paul Mescal, as Lucius, a Numidian warrior, tries his gruff best. He is shipped to Rome as a slave, after losing a battle to General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) and his soldiers.

Lucius has vengeance on his mind and Denzel Washington’s Machiavellian Macrinus, a former slave whose ticket to the good life (and more jewellery) is finding the best gladiators, is happy to help him. He trains Lucius to fight for the attention of the deranged emperor brothers Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger).

2. The action

Rome, this time around, is a place of utter anarchy. Geta and Caracalla rule the city with an over-the-top flair, which can be seen in their regular lavish and ludicrous gladiatorial tournaments.

It is throughout these bouts where Scott’s directing really shines. Occasional CGI woes aside, we have gladiators fighting rhinos, barmy baboons and even taking to the high seas all within the confines of the Colosseum, which was built for real and it shows.

Like the petulant pair (Quinn and Hechinger are brilliant as the maniacal brothers), the action flits between bloodthirsty bouts to silly slapstick, sometimes in the same scene, making for a volatile but gripping watch.

3. The cast

Paul Mescal is bulked up and brooding as Lucius, more than holding his own on the screen. Where he suffers is with the obvious comparisons to Russell Crowe, whose star power is sadly not quite matched. Pedro Pascal, while mesmerising as a conflicted warrior, feels underused.

But all is not lost as the supporting cast more than make up for it. Connie Nielsen is fantastic as Lucilla once more, trying where she can to bring some sort of semblance of sanity to a raucous Rome. Alexander Karim as Ravi shines as the compassionate doctor tending to the beaten up glads.

And then there’s Denzel Washington’s Macrinus. It’s a role he revels in, matching the OTT action with his larger-than-life gladiator guardian beat for beat. The film is poorer when he is not on screen and far less camp.

4. The tongue, firmly in the cheek

Gladiator II is funny, seriously! Scott’s decision to slather the movie in sensationalism will have you, at times, guffawing at the gratuitousness of it all. The good news is that this glee feels deliberate (unlike the accidental titters of House Of Gucci).

From the quite obvious ear-wigging spies to the lurid comic-book violence that will have you nervously laughing throughout, Scott is director turned Emperor here, ratcheting up the ridicule. You can’t help but be swept away by the whole thing.

5. The director who’s gone all in

In the twilight of his career, Scott has been no stranger to sequels. Whether it's revisiting Blade Runner as a producer or upending his own Alien mythology with the Prometheus saga, Scott has embraced the idea of continuing a story, but maybe not quite in the way you expect.

With Gladiator II, the plot is certainly similar to the original - there are echoes of Crowe’s Gladiator throughout and nods to key moments of that movie - but the tone here is different. It’s been created with broader, bloodier strokes. Symbolism makes way for cynicism, subtlety is substituted for showmanship.

Gladiator II: Final Verdict

A fun and vicious tale, Gladiator II never quite escapes the spectre of the first film, but it bludgeons you with enough fun and frivolity that you never really care. It certainly won’t be held in the same regard as the original come awards season, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t be thoroughly entertained throughout.