‘Gladiator II’ Lacks A Little Originality But It’s A Cinematic Marvel

A sequel? Really? The biggest surprise in the world of cinema this year is that Gladiator II has been categorised as a sequel when it’s unashamedly a rehash, or to use the correct cinematic terminology, a reboot of the original.

A man is taken prisoner by the Roman army after they invade his home. He becomes a slave, fights in the Colosseum as a gladiator, avenges the death of his wife and ultimately attempts to restore righteousness in Rome.

Sound familiar? It should. Gladiator II takes place 25 years after the original and obviously there are new characters and subplots, but the many similarities between the two movies are impossible to ignore. A carbon copy of the original. However, a new generation of moviegoers who haven’t seen or revisited the original may be oblivious to this fact and it shouldn’t deter from their enjoyment.

Directed and co-produced by Ridley Scott the movie stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington and Connie Nielson.

Irish actor Paul Mescal portrays the lead character Lucius; possibly the son of Maximus (Russell Crowe in the original movie) and Lucile, in this historical action epic. Mescal who has only starred in a couple of small arty and little seen movies will predictably be cemented as the biggest A-list actor in Hollywood once this movie is released.

He’s ‘the new kid on the block’ who has nailed the character. Mescal gave all in his performance and it shows on the big screen. Women and men will flock to cinemas and swoon at his physique, and be completely captivated by the extreme level of the action sequences he’s involved in.

Producers of Gladiator II have taken advantage of the latest developments in CGI. In the initial movie filmed 25 years ago the Colosseum seemed like a flat backdrop on the screen, but in this latest epic, the Colosseum looks incredibly real, quasi 3 dimensional. The CGI was also utilized to create lions, rhinos and sharks which appear super ferocious, compounding to the thrill factor.

The scale of action sequences are daunting. The violence and bloodshed may repulse some viewers but ultimately there is so much happening in this lengthy action movie that audiences should generally cherish each minute and wish there was more.

Gladiator II lacks originality but is a cinematic marvel that should leave audiences in awe. It’s a testament to the grandeur and ambitious filmmaking skilfully utilised in Hollywood.

Since the financial and critical success of Gladiator in 2005, Hollywood has attempted to re-ignite interest in this genre to no avail. Ben Hur, a re-imaging of the classic 1959 film of the same name, was one of 2016’s biggest box office bombs. Gods of Egypt also released in 2016 was filmed is Australia and likewise failed to find an audience.

Will Gladiator II suffer a similar fate? Reportedly with a production budget of $310 million (not including marketing costs) the movie needs to earn $800 million to break even. Is this incredible feat feasible?

Judging by the reaction from delighted movie-goers at the Australian red-carpet premiere in Sydney this is going to be a hit!

***1/2

In Cinemas Now