Ridley Scott’s epic sequel has an absolutely wild performance from Denzel Washington

In the 24 years since the original Gladiatordirector Ridley Scott has helmed an eclectic slate of films. From the woefully underrated Foreigner prequels to a divisive adaptation of Cormac McCarthy and the hype House of Guccithere was something for everyone. Now, Scott returns to the Coliseum for another swords-and-sandals epic, and it has everything you’d expect from a follow-up film.

Gladiator II
It has epic arena fights, thrilling performances and lush visuals, but most surprising of all is how funny it is. Taking notes from last year’s tongue-in-cheek humor NapoleonScott leans fully into the absurdity of Rome and its gladiatorial tradition, installing twin emperors raised by a literal wolf at the head of a crumbling empire that Denzel Washington’s deliciously devious schemer seeks to destroy.

Gladiator II is a great time at the movies

Denzel Washington is the film’s MVP

Gladiator II follows a similar structure to its predecessor to some extent – Paul Mescal’s rebel warrior lives with his wife in Numidia when their city is attacked by the Romans, and Lucius is taken prisoner after his wife is killed. He has his eye on Pedro Pascal’s General Acaceus, a celebrated military leader beloved by Rome and its two emperors, Fred Hechinger’s Caracalla and Joseph Quinn’s Geta.

Mescal’s Lucius gets countless arena scenes that are as thrilling as anything Scott has ever directed. But it’s what’s happening outside the arena that is somehow more compelling. When Lucius approaches Macrinus of Washington, it seems like a perfect match. Macrinus will deliver Acadeus’s head to Lucius as long as Lucius fights for him.

Macrinus only uses Lucius’ fight as cover. In fact, he’s there to bring everything down, and in the process, Washington pulls off a magnetic spin that steals the entire movie. The seasoned actor chews every scene he appears in, balancing menace and absurdity in a way that fully enters comedic territory. Macrinus is also perhaps one of the best-written characters in the film, which gives Washington more to work with than his counterparts.

Gladiator II remains in the shadow of the first film

His dedication to Maximus is the film’s biggest weakness

When Gladiator II tries to lean towards the seriousness of the first film, it tends to lose its balance. After revealing that Lucius is Maximus’ son in a trailer, we watch the film knowing this information, but it’s unclear whether Lucius is also informed. Without this, Lucius (who goes by another name for one part of the film) becomes a bit of a cipher, all his decisions made in the shadow of Russell Crowe’s character, without the emotional weight of that knowledge.

The situation is only made worse by the fact that Mescal doesn’t have much to do other than fight, and while the fights are glorious, it can’t help but feel like a waste of the formidable star. Pascal ends up in a similarly thankless role, all of which underscores the story Scott seems most interested in – the machinations of Macrinus and Rome’s psychotic emperors.

Scott tells both stories, but Gladiator II It really soars when it does the unexpected, and most of the time that only happens when Washington, Quinn, and Hechinger are on screen. It’s not a complete film, but it’s fun. For all his flaws (of which there are only a few), Scott is still fully in control of this enormous undertaking, letting his contemporary sensibilities bleed into the gravity of the past.

Gladiator II opens in theaters on November 22nd. The film is 148 minutes long and rated R for strong bloody violence.