Gladiator 2 (2024): Review and Summary

• Movie Contains: Violence Against Animals, Gore, Blood, Notable Fight Scenes, Depiction of Corpses, Drinking
• The distributor is also known for “Smile 2.”
• The director is also known for “Raised by Wolves.”

Review

Our Rating: 77/100 | Mixed (Divisive)

Audience

“Gladiator 2” is meant to appeal to those who want to see close-quarters combat, a more brutal version of politics than what can be done with the stroke of a pen, and those who thought “Gladiator” had a bit more juice to squeeze out of it, story-wise.

Highlights

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington is the sole thing that makes “Gladiator 2” worth watching. While everyone gives a bit of old-world Shakespeare to their lines and performances, Washington seems the most at ease and truly gives this film an epic feel. As the former slave and soldier Macrinus, you see a legend having fun and enjoying his time and ability to play with those who are up and coming. It is a role that is giving, but as Macrinus decides to make his moves, you see an actor who knows how to switch from wanting to shine a light on others to reminding you why their career has been decades long and is filled with accolades.

I would even note that the fight scene Washington takes part in might be one of the few that felt a little more real, a bit less choreographed, than most.

On The Fence

The Emperors

The madness of Geta and Caracalla feels almost restrained despite what we see. Caracalla is enamored with a pet monkey, one he is willing to make the head of the armies. Geta, while he has a bit more sense, like any Emperor, he is paranoid and brutal in his own way. Both feel like they deserve their own film or show, of struggling to share power yet act as a united force to the public. So, having them be so constrained to allow Lucius’ story to play out feels like a disservice to their potential. Even if, at times, they seemed like tame versions of Caligula.

The Action Sequences

Do body parts get cut off? Yes. Is there blood and gore? Also, yes. However, there is rarely, if ever, a sense of brutality in any of the fights. You won’t find yourself wincing, flinching, or anything that pushes you to have an undesired connection to the victims, and sadly, in terms of the adrenaline Lucius and others may experience, it is a rare feeling to connect with them as well.

Ultimately, most of the action sequences feel well-rehearsed and executed, but they lack the free movement needed to believe two actors were genuinely trying to hurt each other. This is a major issue, as one of the selling points of Gladiator is watching people fight to the death.

Despite Connections To The First Film, There Is No Need To Get Emotionally Invested

While Lucilla, Lucius, and a few others have connections to the original movie, for the most part, “Gladiator 2” doesn’t get you invested. It feels akin to any action movie you can name, where you get a decent grasp on who is who, but what you are really there for is the action sequences, and who lives or dies doesn’t matter as much as how cool or violent a scene is. That’s how I felt throughout the movie, for I mostly took note that’s the guy from “Stranger Things,” or Pedro Pascal, more than I ever found myself saying that is this character or that one.

Even using flashbacks and items from the first movie, I never felt an emotional connection. I didn’t get the feeling that this was a story being completed or even necessary. But I should have known what was to come when they began the movie with the death of a certain character related to Lucius and not have expected things to get better from there.

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