“Are you not entertained?” bellowed Russell Crowe in the Colosseum 24 years ago.
Yes, we sure were, as we sat in rapture in our seats the first time the Roman epic played on our screens.
And again, “Gladiator II” ramps up the spectacle with savage sharks, armoured rhinos and hellish monkey creatures.
Directed by Ridley Scott, this film serves as a thrilling sequel to the 2000 saga and continues the franchises tradition of intense battle scenes. Undeniably exhilarating.
The storyline follows Lucius (Paul Mescal) 16 years after the death of valiant gladiator Maximus Decimus Meridius.
Enslaved by the Romans he becomes an infamous gladiator with an ambiguous past and is fuelled with revenge for his deceased wife at the hands of Roman General Acacias (Pedro Pascal).
I, along with many others, went into the cinema feeling like it wasn’t going to live up to the first movie.
However, this sequel had me captivated the entire time, even as the fight scenes became extremely gory.
With such an ambitious storyline, it does mean that watching the first “Gladiator” is recommended in order to follow along and understand the references made in the second film.
As well as this, the casting with Denzel Washington, portrayed as a devious slave-turned slaveowner, and other supporting performances such as Fred Hechinger and Joseph Quinn as a pair of ruthless and brutal twin emperors, heightened the execution of the story.
It could be of an opinion however that due to the chaos of the storyline, many emotional moments are quickly overlooked and there is less depth to Lucius's past. Despite its 2.5-hour runtime, there were dramatic moments that were left underdeveloped.
Despite this, the film’s action definitely overshadows the original with its creativity and profusion.
There is no doubt that you will be kept on the edge of your seat as you continue to explore the powerful legacy of Maximus.
Overall, “Gladiator II” offers a mix of riveting action with its historical greatness and even if you think it didn’t meet the expectations of its predecessor, this engaging continuation was for sure a standout performance.
