13/18
From Carmen and "St
Synopsis
After his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now rule Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum and must look back at his past to find the strength to restore the glory of Rome to his people.. Elsewhere" on "Stranger Things," check out the TV and film roles of Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, and more.. In the years since the first film’s release, there have been numerous attempts to write a sequel. Musician Nick Cave was invited by Russell Crowe and Sir Ridley Scott to draft the version. His version focused on the more mythic elements of ancient Rome and would have seen Maximus arrive in the afterlife, only to be confronted by other souls yet to ascend further.
Lucius: Strength and Honor
He was eventually tasked by Jupiter and other Roman deities to return to Earth to find and kill Hephaestus, the former deity who had betrayed them. From there, he is resurrected as a Christian and finds himself on his way back to Rome, on a mission to prevent the spread of Christianity, as he crosses paths with the new Emperor Lucius. The film would end with Maximus cursed to live forever, featuring a montage of the soldier fighting through the Crusades, World War II, and the Vietnam War, eventually revealing a modern Maximus working in the Pentagon in Washington. The studio has decided not to proceed with this version, but the script is available to read online.. Featured in The 7PM Project: July 3, 2024 episode (2024).
Now, the cons
I was lucky enough to attend an early screening here in New York, so let’s start with the obvious. Gladiator 2 has superb CGI & practical effects. Sometimes you will feel like you are in Rome. Denzel excels in his role and is competing for an Oscar nomination, and blood & it’s a lot of fun up there. What’s not to like about a Roman gladiator chopping off his head in THEE Colosseum?
However, at no point was there any desire to follow him
Paul Mezcal, a phenomenal actor, did not live up to what I wanted from him in the film. Without revealing the plot, he excels in one-on-one scenes and compliments his screen partners well. However, he could have been better in group settings where he needed to be the catalyst of the scene. As a "leader" throughout the film, encouraging rumblings of rebellion, uprising, etc., we expect a draw from him. This can be a gripe, but when a character I’m supposed to be excited about doesn’t want to rush me into the fray, it misses the mark.
The story is better than average, but could be better
It complements the bones of the original film and provides some fan service, but is by no means a stand-alone marvel compared to its predecessor. The musical score was solid, but they could have taken some notes from Dune Part 2 on how to give the audience goosebumps during its most important scenes. Overall, it’s a good counterpart to the original Gladiator, one of the better movies of 2024, and will get some Oscar buzz, but it’s not what it could have been, and it’s a masterpiece.