Gladiator II

Ridley Scott

Madelyn Valento

Like many others, when the trailer for “Gladiator II” first came out, I was enthralled. Naval battles in the Colosseum – , and you’re telling me they actually happened? You’ve got me. As it turned out, the naval battle and other fights (the baboons!) were the most interesting parts of the film in comparison to the somewhat drab and repetitive conversations that filled the rest of the film’s 148 minute run time. The fights were choreographed well, and, as long as you’re able to look past some historical inaccuracies, quite entertaining, with high stakes and lots of bloodshed.

My biggest issue with this film is that the characters did exactly what I guessed they would do, and at no point was I surprised by any reveal. Oh, Hanno is really Lucius, son of Maximus Decimus Meridius? I never would’ve guessed. I want all writers to know: not every character has to BE somebody or somebody’s son. Our hero could be a normal guy, and you can make it work just as well. In a way, this choice compromised the integrity that we remembered Maximus to embody during the 24 years between the original film and its sequel.

The film resolves a bit too easily, with a final confrontation between armies halted by a quaint midbattlefield speech. “We can be friends, we need not fight.” (Don’t quote me on that). Endings are hard to get right, but I was hoping for a little bit more from the big names working on this film.

“Gladiator II” exists in the shadow of its excellent predecessor—copying its tropes and character arcs almost exactly. Though it featured a fresh cast of some of the biggest stars in recent years, even that was not enough to make “Gladiator II” stand out as one of 2024’s best releases.