“Where death is, we are not!” On November 22, 2024, over twenty years after the first Academy Award winning film was released, Gladiator II hit the theaters and became an instant hit. Four-time Oscar winning director Ridley Scott took on the challenge of creating a subsequent masterpiece. His track record speaks for itself as he took part in the Alien series, the Blade Runner trilogy, and the Martian.
The first Gladiator movie highlights the life of Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the armies of the North, and his journey to make Rome into what the former emperor Marcus Aurelius, envisioned it to be. After Maximus was set to be executed due to his loyalty to Marcus Aurelius, Maximus slays his foes and comes back to Rome as a slave gladiator and becomes the people's hero. Maximus dies while “completing his dream” of making Rome into the place that Marcus Aurelius envisioned. However, Maximus wasn't there to see his dream through, and corrupt twin emperors take power.
Gladiator II follows the story of Maximus’s son, Lucious Decimus Aurelius, who finds himself a prisoner of war in the same gladiator position. He fights for the same goals as his father and aims to see them completed. With help and sacrifice from various Roman figures, including Lucious’s mother Lucilla, and Genral Acacius, Lucious unites all Rome and strives to keep it the way his father intended.
Looking at the ratings one may think that all Gladiator II offers is action, blood, and gore. There is some truth to this, but this film offers much more. The movie stars Paul Mescal as Lucious, Denzel Washington as Macrinus, Pedro Pascal as Genral Acacius and Connie Nielsen as Lucilla.
“The depth that this cast boasts really gives the movie emotion and character development, not just violence. I especially liked Denzel Washingtons role, he portrayed Macrinus very well,” said Max Speigel (11) a Cascade High School student and active Gladiator enthusiast. Throughout the movie the characters grow and change, making the film very enjoyable to watch.
“I thought the film was very accurate based on the period, rulers in the Rome empire abused drugs and ruled through fear, and Gladiator beautifully painted the picture of the Roman monarchy,” said Paige Runions (12), a Gladiator fan who has been following the series since she was a kid.
A different factor that played into the success of Gladiator II was the realism and the accuracy of the time period. “I thought the film was very accurate based on the period, rulers in the Rome empire abused drugs and ruled through fear, and Gladiator beautifully painted the picture of the Roman monarchy,” said Paige Runions (12), a Gladiator fan who has been following the series since she was a kid.
As of January 19, 2025, Gladiator II had grossed $458.7 million worldwide and continues to grow and aims to surpass the first Gladiator at $465.5 million. I went to see Gladiator II months after its release and the theater was still semi-full. This could be due to the promotional tactics that Gladiator used, a variety of campaigns, including cross-promotions with the NFL, a Japanese wrestling event, and Scuderia Ferrari.
The character development created through skilled portrayal of characters, an experienced director that teaches with a passion, masterful action choreography and an accurate depiction of ancient Rome, are all what made this film a gem. The last contributing factor to this movie's success, however, is this film's theater-oriented viewing experience. As said by one of Rotten Tomatoes top critics, Kristy Puchko, “For all its faults, Gladiator II is an extraordinary film, the kind that demands to be seen in theaters.” I can attest to this statement as the surround sound and big screen made watching Gladiator II a captivating experience that I will definitely cherish.
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