Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Gladiator 2!
Gladiator 2is unexpectedly drawing a lot of comparisons to the firstGladiator, with many fans of the Ridley Scott classic wondering if his 2024 sequel is better than the original.2000’sGladiatoris one of the most beloved movies of all time, with the critically acclaimed historical epic even going on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Thus, whenGladiator 2was announced, it was clear that it had a high standard to live up to. Now thatGladiator 2has been released, this question of quality can finally be answered.
After years of waiting on a sequel to 2000’sGladiator, Ridley Scott finally decided to make one, withGladiator 2being the culmination of this wait. Rather than focusing on Russell Crowe and othercast members from the originalGladiator,Gladiator 2instead follows a grown-up version of Lucius 16 years after the original movie.Despite being set in a new era of Rome, there are a ton of similarities betweenGladiatorandGladiatorIIoutside of mere Easter eggs and references, causing many to wonder if the sequel pulls things off better than its predecessor.
Gladiator 2 Is A Remake Of Gladiator - Until It Isn’t
It Completely Changes With One Lucius Choice
One of the biggest drawbacks ofGladiator IIis how similar to the originalGladiatorit feels, with the beginning being an almost beat-for-beat retelling. Thesequel has Lucius command an army, get sold into slavery, lose his family, become a gladiator, and vow revenge on a Roman general.Gladiator IIrushes through this,although it becomes a completely different movie once Lucius decides not to kill Pedro Pascal’s Acacius. At this point, things go in an entirely different direction, with the second half ofGladiator IIbeing much stronger than its first.
Gladiator 2 Is Not As Thematically Rich As Gladiator
It Mostly Repeats Things From The Original
One of the best parts about the originalGladiatoris how thematically rich and emotional the film is.Maximus' quest to kill Commodus has a lot to say about revenge and love, with the lengths that he is willing to go being questionable at points. On top of that, Maximus' relationships with Marcus Aurelius and Commodus create a political theme that runs throughout the entire movie, with the characters attempting to parse out the best system of governance for Rome. The end of Maximus' story perfectly ties these two ideas together, creating the film’s iconic ending.
Gladiator 2 Ending Explained
After 24 years, Gladiator II has finally hit theaters, and this is what that surprise ending really means.
WhileGladiator 2attempts to recapture the political themes of the original, the revenge story just isn’t nearly as strong or thematically rich. The distance between Lucius and Acacius inherently makes their conflict feel a lot less personal than the hatred that Maximus and Commodus share for each other, with Lucius' fight feeling a lot more one-sided. On top of that, most of the thematic legwork thatGladiator 2does is simply having characters quoteiconic lines from the originalGladiator, making it feel slightly cheaper than its predecessor.
Gladiator 2 Is Sillier & Weirder Than The First Movie
It Can Be Seen In The Performances
Despite both movies being made by Ridley Scott, the tone ofGladiator 2is different from the tone ofGladiator, although this isn’t a bad thing. The originalGladiatoris incredibly self-serious, grounded, and epic. Every line and scene feels as if it has weight behind it, with there being very few comedic beats or moments of levity throughout the film. This is reflective of the film industry of the time, with the film releasing around the same time as other incredibly serious historical epics likeBraveheartandThe Patriot.
Gladiator 2, on the other hand, is a lot sillier and weirder than its predecessor. The movie doesn’t have jokes per se, but it does have a lot of moments that are seemingly designed to make the audience laugh. The performances from Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger are much bigger and more comedic than comparative performances from the originalGladiator. Plus, things like the CGI monkeys, sharks, andColosseum naval battle makeGladiator 2feel less grounded, something that defined the original movie’s tone.
Gladiator 2 Has Bigger (& Mostly Better) Action Scenes
They Feel More Grand
SinceGladiator 2is less grounded, the movie has much bigger action scenes than the original, and most of the time they are better.The siege on Nubia inGladiator 2’s opening scenesis far more grand than the battle that kicked offGladiator, setting expectations for what the rest of the movie will be like.Gladiator 2’s gladiatorial fights also kick things up a notch, with the gladiators facing off against rhinos and baboons. On top of that, the Colosseum naval battle is bigger than anything that can be seen inGladiator, and it is a ton of fun.
Gladiator 2’s Cast Isn’t Quite As Good - Except For Denzel Washington
Washington Steals Every Scene That He Is In
When it comes to performances, bothGladiatormovies have some incredible acting. However,Gladiatorbeats outGladiator IIjust a bit. Paul Mescal does a great job, but when comparing him to Russell Crowe, he just isn’t as fantastic. Crowe brought a magnitude and grandiosity to Maximus that Mescal doesn’t capture. This could be due to Lucius being a more meek character when compared to Maximus' inspirational general persona. However,Mescal never has a moment that reaches the heights of Crowe’s “I am Maximus Decimus Meridius” speech.
Who Is Pedro Pascal’s Acacius In Gladiator 2?
Pedro Pascal plays Acacius in Gladiator 2, but who exactly is his character?
Denzel Washington, however, is the best performance inGladiator II. His role as the film’s antagonist has led to a lot of comparisons between him and Joaquin Phoenix, and while Phoenix’s performance is legendary, Washington’s is just as strong. Denzel Washington’s character is less comparable to Phoenix’s than Mescal’s is to Crowe’s, but Washington manages to bring an epic and theatrical performance that allows him to steal every single scene that he is in.
Gladiator 2 Is Not Better Than The First Movie - But You Will Be Entertained
The Sequel Is A Worthy Successor
Overall,Gladiator 2is not better than the originalGladiator. However, it is still immensely entertaining and a worthy successor to the 2000 film.Gladiatoris considered to be one of the greatest movies ever made, so it was never going to be better than its Best Picture-winning predecessor. Luckily,Gladiator 2manages to recapture the magic of Ridley Scott’s original movie at many points throughout its runtime, with the film acting as one of the better legacy sequels that have come out in the last few years.
Gladiator II
Cast
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
