After 24 years since the original premiered, die-hard “Gladiator” fans had lost hope a sequel would ever come to fruition.
Thankfully, director Ridley Scott had other plans.
Set many years after the events of the original, when Lucius, played by Paul Mescal, witnessed the death of Maximus, played by Russell Crowe, at the hands of his uncle Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix, the audience finds Lucius preparing for battle against the Roman army. In the heat of the conflict against the Roman legions, Lucius’ wife is shot with an arrow and dies.
This is a defining moment for Lucius, who carries the immense anguish and rage at the loss of his lover throughout the rest of the film. He becomes thirsty for blood — eyes wild like a rabid animal, ready to kill anyone who stands in his way.
With each fight, Lucius proves himself a dangerous and capable gladiator, backed by the help of wealthy Roman politician Macrinus, played by Denzel Washington. Both parties have goals to accomplish, and a mutual agreement is struck to use the other as a means to an end.
Halfway through the film’s epic two-and-a-half-hour runtime, however, Macrinus is unmasked as the power-hungry villain. Washington delivers a stunning performance as the politician, proving once again that he’s a once-in-a-generation talent.
As the film progresses, the audience begins to learn more about Lucius’s past and how he ended up so far from Rome. After the death of his uncle, his mother Lucilla, played by Connie Nielson, sent him away. At just eight years old, he was the sole heir to the throne, leading Lucilla to fear for his safety.
Now a grown man, Lucius hates Rome with every fiber of his being. He fights his way through the Colosseum wanting revenge for the death of his wife and hating his mother for sending him away. If his story sounds similar to that of Maximus in the first film, that is entirely on purpose.
While fighting in the Colosseum, Lucius emulates Maximus, leading Lucilla to realize this young gladiator is her long-lost son. This reveal is one of the film’s multiple twists that is telegraphed so heavily it isn’t even clear it’s meant to be a twist.
Trailers for the long-awaited sequel revealed Lucius’ parentage months before the film’s release, and the turn to evil that Washington’s character goes through is easy to guess from his first appearance.
Despite the underwhelming twists, the slow increase in Lucius’ rage throughout the second action-packed segment of the film is wildly entertaining.
Mescal plays Lucius with so much fury and pain, it’s almost palpable. The audience feels his pain, how lonely he is, and understands his thirst for vengeance. Mescal parallels Crowe in the original film, both given unjust circumstances and monumental loss, ultimately to become an unlikely hero.
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Many critics argue this movie was entirely unnecessary given the original tied up all the loose ends and stood on its own. But this long-awaited sequel continues to add depth to an already rich story.
We didn’t need to know what happened to Lucius after Maximus’ death, but I’m glad we did. The violence, the politics, and the “dream of Rome” are all driving factors, creating a three-dimensional story with edge-of-your-seat action. Each actor delivers a stellar performance, truly encapsulating the wants and desires of each character.
In a world full of ill-fated and unneeded sequels, “Gladiator II” does nothing but shine.