In this sequel to Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, we find that Lucilla (Connie Nielson) sent her young son into hiding to keep him safe after her brother was killed in the Coliseum during the events of the first film. Now grown, Lucious (Paul Mescal) is himself thrown into fighting in the Coliseum as he grapples with his past.
What this film gets right is the cast. Denzel Washington is at his best and even lets his costume be a character of its own as his character pulls at the rich fabrics of a rich man who used to be a slave. He manipulates for power and even when he gets out maneuvered, Denzel is amazing. Pedro Pascal adds some humanity to a Rome torn apart by war and twin leaders whose blood lust is quickly becoming an obsession. Paul Mescal is superb as an angry Lucious lost to fits of rage and disobedience. I mostly believe Connie Nielson’s pain as she adds some femininity to a movie dominated by men, but when she cries, the tears don’t come. Give me more tears, Connie, because I know you can.
It falls a bit short with the reasons for Lucious being sent away to begin with. That plot line is hidden until later in the movie even though we all know that Paul Mescal is really Lucious from the very beginning. Why it is kept hidden and not just told to us at the beginning is a bit of a mystery, but that is my only real problem with this film. The soundtrack is also not quite as memorable, but it is hard to top the score for the first Gladiator film.
The opening title sequence is put together nicely, using stills from the first movie and filtering them so they look like paintings was a good way to remind the viewer of what transpired in a movie made so long ago.
Special effects in remaking Rome, in giving us the dusty Roman empire of so very long ago, really brings the viewer into the time period, as to the costumes. This kind of period piece can come across as cheesy if not done well, and this film is never cheesy.
Four out of five stars for a sequel that does not quite equal the original, but is so well made and acted that it can stand tall all on its own.
Discover more from Becky Tyler Art and Photography
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Becky Tyler Art and Photography 
In this sequel to Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, we find that Lucilla (Connie Nielson) sent her young son into hiding to keep him safe after her brother was killed in the Coliseum during the events of the first film. Now grown, Lucious (Paul Mescal) is himself thrown into fighting in the Coliseum as he grapples with his past.
What this film gets right is the cast. Denzel Washington is at his best and even lets his costume be a character of its own as his character pulls at the rich fabrics of a rich man who used to be a slave. He manipulates for power and even when he gets out maneuvered, Denzel is amazing. Pedro Pascal adds some humanity to a Rome torn apart by war and twin leaders whose blood lust is quickly becoming an obsession. Paul Mescal is superb as an angry Lucious lost to fits of rage and disobedience. I mostly believe Connie Nielson’s pain as she adds some femininity to a movie dominated by men, but when she cries, the tears don’t come. Give me more tears, Connie, because I know you can.
It falls a bit short with the reasons for Lucious being sent away to begin with. That plot line is hidden until later in the movie even though we all know that Paul Mescal is really Lucious from the very beginning. Why it is kept hidden and not just told to us at the beginning is a bit of a mystery, but that is my only real problem with this film. The soundtrack is also not quite as memorable, but it is hard to top the score for the first Gladiator film.
The opening title sequence is put together nicely, using stills from the first movie and filtering them so they look like paintings was a good way to remind the viewer of what transpired in a movie made so long ago.
Special effects in remaking Rome, in giving us the dusty Roman empire of so very long ago, really brings the viewer into the time period, as to the costumes. This kind of period piece can come across as cheesy if not done well, and this film is never cheesy.
Four out of five stars for a sequel that does not quite equal the original, but is so well made and acted that it can stand tall all on its own.
Discover more from Becky Tyler Art and Photography
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Share this: