Gladiator II, reviewed by Tom Jorgensen.
Gladiator II finds strength and honor in the well-worn armor of its predecessor. Paul Mescal is adept in the belabored-hero role, going toe-to-toe with not only the delightfully deranged Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger, but also with Denzel Washington, whose mercurial Macrinus practically screams “ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED” at the audience every second he’s onscreen. Ridley Scott balances Gladiator II’s action and drama admirably, and even though he’s treading familiar ground, Scott’s at least willing to loosen up the tone in a way that gives Gladiator II its own identity. The shadowy political battle for Rome’s fate may prove more reliably entertaining than the fantastical showdowns in the Colosseum, but both underline the importance of bravery and temperance in the face of turbulent times. They do so in the way only blockbuster cinema can: with a bunch of swords-and-sandals dudes working together to avoid death by giant rhino while a brain-rotted Emperor with a monkey on his shoulder howls from the best seats in the house.