30/18

Musician Nick Cave was brought in to write a version by Russell Crowe and Sir Ridley Scott

Chronology

After his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now rule Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum and must look to the past to find the strength to restore Rome’s glory to its people. In the years following the release of the first film, there were many attempts to write a sequel. His version focused on the more mythical elements of ancient Rome and saw Maximus arriving in the afterlife, only to face other souls yet to ascend. Eventually, Jupiter and the other Roman deities task him with returning to Earth to find and kill Hephaestus, the former god who betrayed them. From there, he is resurrected as a Christian and returns to Rome, with a mission to stop the spread of Christianity, while crossing paths with the new emperor, Lucius.

The studio decided not to

The film would have ended with Maximus being cursed to live forever, with a montage of soldiers fighting in the Crusades, World War II, and the Vietnam War, ultimately revealing a modern Maximus working in the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. make this version, but the script is available to read online. Emperor Geta: The Gods HAVE SPOKEN! Featured on The 7PM Project: Episode from July 3, 2024 (2024). I was lucky enough to catch an early screening here in New York, so let’s start with the obvious.

Now for the cons

Gladiator 2 has excellent CGI and practical effects. At times, you’ll feel like you’re in Rome. Denzel is great in the role and is a sure-fire Oscar nominee, and the blood and guts are very funny. What’s not to like about a Roman gladiator beheading a Colosseum? Paul Mezcal, a phenomenal actor, did not live up to my expectations in the film.

However, at no point was there any desire to follow him

Without spoiling the plot, he excels in one-on-one scenes and complements his on-screen partners well. However, he could have done better in group scenes where he was supposed to be the catalyst for the scene. As the “leader” throughout the film, inciting rebellion, uprising, etc., we expect him to be a draw. It may be a small thing, but when a character I was supposed to be excited about doesn’t make me want to jump into the fray, it falls short of its goal. The story is better than average, but it could have been better.

The music was solid, but the creators could have taken a few cues from Dune 2 on how to give viewers goosebumps in key scenes

It complements the skeleton of the original film and provides some fan service, but it’s by no means a standalone marvel compared to its predecessor. Overall, it’s a good equivalent to the original Gladiator, one of the better films of 2024 that will certainly win critical acclaim, but falls short of what it could have been, a masterpiece.