S Poddar
The sequel by Ridley Scott, long overdue, for the 2000 classic, has been deemed a thrillerly spectacular yet very divisive story by critics. The film, which features Paul Mescal as Lucius-the illegitimate son of Russell Crowe’s Maximus-has managed to pique viewers’ interest and reactions have been varied, with the majority praising the talent of Paul Mescal but having a question in mind regarding whether it lives up to the iconic status of the original.
It has been glorified as a “gobsmacking reboot” and “thrilling spectacle” by Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian. He believes the film is “four-star material,” commending Mescal as “a formidable lead,” filling out Crowe’s shoes with presence. Yet even as he admits that the film doesn’t quite outstrip the Oscar-winning intensity of the original, it is wonderfully eye candy.
Another saying echoed Robbie Collin of The Telegraph. In his four-star review, Collin thought of the film as “the year’s most relentlessly entertaining blockbuster,” but admits that it lacks depth compared to the first film. As much as Crowe’s absence is felt to a great extent, Mescal captivates in his “brooding presence” and swarthy” demeanor.
The Financial Times declared the leadership of Scott, with Danny Leigh labelling it as an expose of the director’s “stubborn charm” and “belligerent swagger.” Leigh told how Scott had turned towards a “pulpy and loopy” direction that would make it what it was, but questioned how it would survive the pop culture hype. Leigh scored it three stars but also pronounced it did not have the same feel of the original.
Owen Gleiberman from Variety described the sequel as a “solid piece of neoclassical popcorn,” though claimed it remains a “shadow” of the first feature. He also noted that Mescal, talented as he is, displays an anger that never quite simmers to a boil, further that the younger actor is a “millennial knockoff” of Crowe’s intense Maximus.
The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey gave it four out of five stars, saying this was a surprising event because 86-year-old Ridley Scott is prepared to make this part of the franchise non-serious as he is taking the presentation to ridiculous and campy levels. As, Loughrey wrote, Gladiator II is “weighted with metaphor,” at times carrying a downright pure camp feel.
Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter reported on the extravaganza the digital age brought in, some scenes of which include gladiators sitting on an accelerating rhinoceros and men literally falling into shark jaws while fighting in an intently dramatic Colosseum battle. One critic who was less than enthusiastic about Mescal’s performance was David Rooney, who said it was sometimes “a tad flat” and that the star was relegated to “brooding intensity and simmering rage.”.
Kevin Maher of The Times had something brutally unkind to say about the film, calling it a “Marvel-esque sequel” that can’t compare the emotional weight of its predecessor. It gets two stars; it’s “a scattershot effort with half-formed characters and undernourished plotlines.” For Maher, the storyline is merely disjointed and was only done for the sake of referencing the Crowe-led Gladiator. He said, “There is no substantial story this time around, and no driving ideas in the hotchpotch screenplay.”.
Similarly, William Bibbiani of The Wrap wrote that the film was missing some substance in its storytelling: “The whole thing hangs on contrivance and familiarity, not characters.” Still, he said the fights lacked emotional investment, although he commended action elements.
Still, many critics managed to make time for specific praise of Denzel Washington’s turn as Macrinus, that Machiavellian ex-slave raking off the gladiators: “only ignites when Denzel Washington’s brilliant, bisexual slave manager is on screen,” Maher said. His electricity brought The Guardian to exclaim that Washington “almost steals the entire picture,” and The Hollywood Reporter described his performance as “lip-smacking.”.
Other cast members fared quite well. Empire noted Pedro Pascal “remains as charismatic as ever.” Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger portray the twin brothers who are Roman Emperors and rival Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus from the original in their “crazed volatility.” They bring a reminder of Caligula’s madness to the table.
Where Gladiator II is dazzling audiences with its visual grandeur and epic battles, it left some critics nostalgic for the emotional depth and narrative impact of the original. The mix of camp, spectacle, and mixed performances makes this a memorable blockbuster for some but a striking lesser successor to Scott’s 2000 masterpiece for others.
