Despite its impressive budget, quality, and stunning visual effects, “Gladiator II” failed to leave the lasting impact I had anticipated on the big screen.
The movie, directed by Ridley Scott, who has directed multiple big hits such as “The Martian”, “Napoleon”, and “Blade Runner”, had a budget of $250 million according to Collider. Because of the high budget, big-name actors such as Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal played big roles in the movie, though the main character was played by Paul Mescal, whom many did not know before the movie’s release.
Because of the $250 million used to help bring the movie to life, it was easily able to profit a lot after only two weeks. “Gladiator II” hit a record, earning over $320 million in profit. The director and the cast believed the sequel was a great success, however some reviews and watchers seemed to prefer the original.
Upon the movie’s release in theaters, a variety of reviewers were quick to offer their opinions about how good they thought the movie was. One of the biggest public movie review sites, IMDB, had many negative reviews of “Gladiator II”. The average rating was 6.9 out of 10 which was relatively low in comparison to the original “Gladiator” movie which held a rating of 8.5 out of 10 on IMDB. Many public reviewers attributed their lower satisfaction of “Gladiator II” to its lack of resemblance to the original.
Growing up, “Gladiator” was among my father’s top five favorite movies, and he always requested that my family watch it together. When I heard “Gladiator II” was coming out, my father and I were excited to see how the sequel will build upon the legacy of the original. However, after watching it in theaters, I couldn’t help but agree with the widespread opinion that it fell short of its original.
Despite my high expectations, “Gladiator II” didn’t live up to the greatness of the first film, mainly due to its lack of continuity with the original storyline. The sequel featured barely any familiar characters from its predecessor, aside from the minor role of Lucilla, the daughter of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Instead of continuing where the original left off, it felt more like a remake with entirely new characters and a plotline inspired by other movies instead of the original “Gladiator.”
I also considered the lack of gravitas of many actors and characters. For example, in comparison to the original, both actors who played the two Roman Emperors in “Gladiator II” lacked the seriousness, depth, and plot of their predecessor, who was Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Their characters felt more as if they existed to provide comedic relief instead of being significant to the plot. Paul Mescal’s portrayal of Lucius felt out of place, with a lack of gravitas, and failed to capture the intensity and fearsome scenes that were a large part of the original.
Although it did not feel as realistic or intense as the first, it’s worth noting that many sequels rarely live up to the legacy of the original. For example, many people believe that the Star Wars series was diminished by the sequels added by Disney. Nevertheless, I still felt that “Gladiator II” has strengths, such as well-executed cinematography and a mostly realistic feel. However, for its length, the movie felt like it should have been built more off the original and also should have held more intensity. Overall, the movie fell short of my expectations and I would give it a 6.5/10.
