Denzel Washington and Colosseum Sharks Chew Up the Scenery in Ridley Scott’s Massive ‘Gladiator II’

Alci Rengifo

Like the Roman emperors, Ridley Scott surely made “Gladiator II” only because he could. It has been 24 years since the massive success of his original “Gladiator,” which was a box office hit that won the Best Picture Oscar, Scott returns to its ancient world like a king without much of a plan. What he does have is plenty of resources to bask in his famous, stylish eye. This movie simply looks great with its stunning décor, massive action sequences bordering on the absurd and Denzel Washington chewing the scenery. Viewers hoping for something fresher than another pure nostalgia trip will be disappointed at the recycled plot beats but may be taken aback by Scott’s scale. 

There is no Russell Crowe this time around and the screenplay by David Scarpa is set 16 years after Crowe’s Maximus died in the Colosseum after fighting the mad Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). The Roman Empire is still an empire, this time ruled by twin kings, Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger). Over in North Africa, humble farmer Lucius (Paul Mescal) sees his wife die when the brutal Romans invade and he tries to resist, instead becoming a slave. He gets picked up by Macrinus (Denzel Washington), an owner of gladiators who brings Lucius to Rome, where the slave hopes to kill General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal). The general is the man Lucius blames for the destruction of his home. Also waiting in Rome is Princess Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), Marcus’ wife and aunt of the mad emperors. You may recall she was the sister of the equally mad, incestuous Commodus in “Gladiator.” When she sees Lucius fight, a shocking realization strikes her.

As has already been revealed, the great reveal is that Lucius is not only the young son Lucilla had in the first movie, but the son of Maximus. That is fine as far as soapy twists go, yet “Gladiator II” never finds an actual way to expand on the original story. Scott and Scarpa are really just remaking “Gladiator” while slapping on a “II” to lure audiences in. When the first film premiered in 2000, it revived a genre that had been dead for decades, kicking off a whole slew of sword and sandal epics. The premise was direct, moving and simple with Crowe’s Maximus seeking revenge on the tyrant who killed his family. Crowe even took a Best Actor Oscar for the role. “Gladiator II” trades in poignancy for unconvincing melodrama. The screenplay lazily recycles the original’s plot beats. What a coincidence that Lucius basically finds himself in the same predicament as dad and happens to lock eyes with his mom, who just so happens to recognize him after all this time, because he grabs Colosseum sand just like Maximus before a fight. A brisk flashback explains how Lucius was separated from Lucilla with a completely muddled, unconvincing reason.

The first major distraction from the writing is Scott going off the rails with the action sequences. “Gladiator” had grounded, bloody fights that appeared to try to genuinely re-create what it must have felt like 2,000 years ago. “Gladiator II” could care less and ratchets up the CGI. In the outskirts of the empire where Lucius first sees gladiatorial combat, he faces ravaging digital apes that look borrowed from a horror film. Once in Rome, the Colosseum doesn’t have time anymore for simple pleasures like tigers or opponents in chariots. Scott floods it with hungry digital sharks munching on unfortunate gladiators. Forget about horses, now we get a massive stomping into battle. At 86, Scott feels free to splash anything on screen. In last year’s “Napoleon” he had the French conqueror shell the pyramids of Egypt. Now it is gladiator sharks. Some historians have already debated the accuracy of such moments. They forget that this is a movie, not a serious scholarship. The visual decadence is more enjoyable when he evokes Roman debauchery at parties, or how Caracalla has a pet monkey with its own toga. Even when the movie isn’t working, Scott composes images that look like master paintings courtesy of cinematographer John Mathieson (who shot the original).

In a movie that goes bonkers while quoting Virgil, you wish the cast was really going for it. Paul Mescal has presence but never gives it more juice. Connie Nielsen and Pedro Pascal are also running low on energy. Maybe it is also due to Denzel Washington being the one true memorable role in the whole movie. He steals every moment, chews all scenery and laps up the dialogue knowing it is a bit nuts but doesn’t care. When he presents a decapitated head to the Roman senate and talks to it, he isn’t silly at all, but Machiavellian and driven. His Macrinus also reveals his true intentions in Rome, which link to another one of those convenient coincidences that makes you wonder just how small this empire is. Apparently it’s easy for everyone to have some kind of direct vendetta with the royal family. Washington manages to sell it by cackling, scheming and hinting at the characters’ sexual adventurism. Geta and Caracalla are so crazy, dressed like cast members from “Caligula,” that we wish Scott had gone even further with their roles instead of just having them operate as distant villains.

For any millennials who remember when “Gladiator” premiered, Scott does detour for moments of overcooked nostalgia. We learn Maximus is indeed buried at the Colosseum. His shield and sword are right there, looking exactly like the props Russell Crowe used. 86-year-old thespian Derek Jacobi deserves some cheers for returning as Gracchus, the sharp-tongued senator from the first movie, who like our own modern senators, has clung to his office for ages. Aside from that, the only thing “Gladiator II” truly has in common with its predecessor is the ability to entertain with grandiosity. It functions like a pale imitator. The music by Harry Gregson-Williams lacks the martial pomp of Hans Zimmer’s score in the original, and we miss the haunting voice of Lisa Gerrard. We can admire Scott still going and proving age is no barrier to producing loud popcorn escapism. He seems to be shrugging and like Maximus in a classic scene from the first movie asks us, are you not entertained?

“Gladiator II” releases Nov. 22 in theaters nationwide.