Orlando Jacome’figueroa

Staff Writer

Director Ridley Scott has, after 24 years, finally made a sequel to his blockbuster hit “Gladiator.” “Gladiator II” stars Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Paul Mescal and Connie Nielsen. With such big names connected to this sequel, the elephant in the room remains: Is this sequel any good?

16 years have passed since the events of the first movie. Marcus Aurelius’s (played by Richard Harris in the first film) “Dream of Rome” has been forgotten and the twin emperors Greta and Caracalla (played by Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger) have thrown Rome into chaos and corruption.

The movie starts with our main character Lucius (played by Paul Mescal) living a simple life on a farm with his wife Arishat (played by Yuval Gonen) the happy couples simple life is cut short once war horns signal to them and the rest of the villagers that the Romans have come for their land.

After an intense battle and lost loved ones, the Romans are victorious. General Marcus Acacius (Played by Pedro Pascal) rounds up Lucius and his men, selling them into slavery. Lucius, now sold to Macrinus (played by Denzel Washington) is forced to fight for his freedom and make Rome pay for all that it has taken from him.

Without giving away anymore spoilers, we’ll turn our attention to the films characters and their performances.

Lucius, Lucius is boring. The best way to describe Lucius’ personality is to describe him as the guy at work that doesn’t talk to anyone, does what he’s supposed to and stays out of workplace drama. He’s likable, but at the end of the day you really don’t know anything about him, his personality is so neutral that when he does show emotion in the film it feels forced or unnatural. The upside to being so bland is that whenever Lucuius lands a good one liner or motivational speech, It’s inspiring, like if the quiet guy who doesn’t take no for an answer is telling us we can do it, who can stop us.

General Marcus Acacius, Marcus suffers from the same issues as Lucius does: He’s just an honorable, boring man. There’s nothing wrong about wanting to do the right thing but after spending two hours of a film watching both men stay the exact same it makes you wonder what was the point of their journey. Both these characters are just living through the hopes and dreams of a dead man. Then, when Marcus and Lucius finally have their final showdown, the showdown

that the audience has been waiting for since the beginning of the film, Both men decide to have a “Nice-off”, both showing how morally righteous they are and how corrupt Rome is. However like Lucuis you can’t help but still like Marcus. He’s an experienced general who fights alongside his men in battle, has the respect of the people and loves his wife so much that he would rather die by the sword in a fight he could have easily one than ever break her heart.

Last but not least, Macrinus. Macrinus is the anti-hero of the film. He has all the charisma and calculated tact you would expect out of any character Denzel Washington plays. If this were another film, Macrinus would be our hero. A former slave who earned his freedom and played the romans game so well against them that he made it all the way to the top, even if he was at the top for less than 30 minutes.

Finally, let’s discuss the visuals.

Director Ridley Scott proved yet again that he is the master when it comes to visuals. The battle/fight scenes are vibrant and exhilarating. The massive war at the start of the film immediately pulls you into the struggle that these people are facing against the roman threat. The hand to hand combat scenes will have you at the edge of your seat motioning your body with every punch thrown and grapple attempted. The movie is also tame when it comes to its gore, only saving the most gruesome of visuals for characters that deserve it and even one that doesn’t but that’s more for dramatics.

Is the sequel any good?

Yes, it is. It’s the type of old macho movie your uncle will play throughout the holidays on repeat. Akin to “Saving Private Ryan” or “GoodFellas,” the movie isn’t likely going to change your life or make you see the world differently but it’s a fun watch and sometimes, that’s all that matters.