What does it take for one to have real power? This film answers that question wonderfully by throwing characters like Lucius (Paul Mascal), Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal), Macrinus (Denzel Washington), and the emperors (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger) all in a race to obtain power. Within this ensemble cast, there is one arising noble leader in Lucius.  Throughout the film, the audience is tested, questioning who the ideal leader is through other characters until the final minutes of “Gladiator II”.

The film takes place in 211 AD, a time of great hardship and violence, which heavily lends itself to action scenes. The fights are extremely brutal and bloody. John Mathieson (cinematographer) captures the action in the film wonderfully. There is just enough blood to show the true extent of the violence, but there is not so much blood that makes the viewer wonder if they walked into a slasher movie. There are moments in “Gladiator II” that will get the crowd going, whether it is part of a graphic fight or the butt of humorous dialogue.

The animals in this film deserve their own breakdown. They should have thrown some ancient birds in the movie to have air, land, and sea animals. Indeed, “Gladiator II” has a gladiator match that takes place in water. The CGI sharks looked a little goofy, but it was just too much fun to nitpick. There was an article that came out that said Paul Mescal would be fighting baboons. The baboons in “Gladiator II” are the most demented-looking “baboons.” as they are taller, darker, and almost mutated-looking. Their teeth are the size of Stanley cups, and their hairless appearance makes them even more unsettling.

One of Ridley Scott’s strengths is picking great writers. Producers are typically the ones to pick the writers for movies, and writers David Scarpa and Peter Craig perfectly complement Ridley Scott’s direction style. Any movies that deal with history can lend too deeply in trying to recreate the dialogue of that era. They do not do that here in “Gladiator II”. The audience will not hear Denzel Washington talking about “rizz.” Compared to a film like “Deadpool & Wolverine”, which relies on modern slang. “Gladiator II” relies on dialogue that is more digestible. Macrinus exclaims with authority, “You will be my instrument!”,one of many lines that exude the theme of power in “Gladiator II”.

Speaking of Denzel, there are some standouts in this film, such as Alexander Karim as Ravi. His banter with Paul Mescal was special as the pair share great jokes and brotherly love. Denzel Washington showed up and showed out, which is no surprise, and the audience ate his performance up. Washington gets a good amount of screen time, and his character makes some interesting choices later in the film.

Paul Mescal is a great lead. He does well with his dialogue and action sequences, and his performance felt quite genuine.. He gets great emotional scenes with Lucilla, played by Connie Nielsen. Paul Mescal delivers his emotional lines with sincerity and balances his rageful side with his piercing gaze and stoic nature. Paul Mescal’s Lucius is going after Pedro Pascal’s Marcus Acacius. In the marketing, he is played up to be the generic mustache-twirling villain; luckily, Scott and Pascal bring dimension and depth to the character. 

“Gladiator II” was a bloody fun ride. The film becomes empowering, twisted, and emotional at times. With a runtime of nearly 150 minutes, “Gladiator II” could have been a drag. Yet, the film is a remarkable entry in the 2024 release calendar. The film is on par with the likes of “Dune: Part Two” in terms of scale. The ensemble cast all deliver with their performances and serve this well crafted story. For Ridley Scott, the film shows that he is still capable of creating high quality films for large audiences, after 2023’s “Napoleon” left some fans in doubt.