Gladiator II: Ridley Scott's Spectacle of Power and Camp

Connie Nielsen in Gladiator II (2024)

How can you resist a film featuring Denzel Washington in flowing robes, Paul Mescal biting a baboon, and sharks in the flooded Colosseum? Gladiator II, Ridley Scott’s thrilling and unabashedly over-the-top sequel, delivers everything you could want from a "swords and sandals" epic—and then some. 

Almost 25 years after the original Gladiator took home the Oscar for Best Picture, Scott has returned to the Roman Empire with a film that revels in both serious themes and campy spectacle. If you’re looking for the best popcorn movie of the year, this is it.

At the heart of Gladiator II is Paul Mescal, playing Lucius Verus, the son of Russell Crowe’s Maximus and Connie Nielsen’s Lucilla. Lucius, now grown into a fierce warrior, is a far cry from Mescal’s more delicate roles in Normal People or Aftersun. Here, he commands the screen with a quiet intensity, echoing the charisma that Crowe brought to the original. 

His Lucius is driven by rage, seeking vengeance after the Romans invade Numidia and kill his wife. The film’s opening battle is pure Ridley Scott—a chaotic, fireball-strewn war scene that shows the director at the height of his powers.

Denzel Washington in Gladiator II (2024)

The Rome that Lucius returns to is more decadent than ever. 

The joint rulers, the Emperor twins Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger), are menacing in their own unique ways. Quinn’s Geta is coldly calculating, while Hechinger’s Caracalla is wild-eyed and unpredictable. 

Both are an absolute delight to watch, evoking the boyish madness of Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus from the first film. Fredo and Michael Corleone they are not, but they’re every bit as entertaining in their villainy.

Meanwhile, Denzel Washington’s Macrinus, a wealthy gladiator-owner, chews up every scene he’s in. As BBC pointed out, Washington's portrayal is "absolute gusto," delivering every line with a Shakespearean grandeur. 

He’s all showmanship, adorned with gold chains and jewelled rings, yet beneath the bluster lies a cunning character who becomes a key player in Lucius’s quest for revenge. Fans of Pedro Pascal might be disappointed by his relatively minor role as General Acacius, though his brief scenes, playing Lucilla’s husband, add depth to the power struggles simmering in the background.

Scott, known for his masterful handling of action, doesn’t hold back in Gladiator II. The Colosseum battles are even more outlandish this time around. 

A Roman enters riding a rhino, baboons and tigers are unleashed into the arena, and Lucius proves his mettle by biting into a baboon’s arm in a scene that straddles the line between thrilling and absurd. The special effects occasionally falter—the baboons look a bit fake up close—but the sheer spectacle of it all is enough to keep the audience enthralled. 

What elevates Gladiator II beyond a typical action film is its underlying commentary on power and politics. The Independent.co.uk noted that Scott’s film is not just a display of Roman grandeur but also a reflection of today’s political climate. 

Lucius questions the values of the Roman Empire, asking, “Is this how Rome treats its heroes?” It’s a direct nod to the original Gladiator, where the mob was easily pacified with bread and circuses. Now, Lucius’s rallying cry for a return to his grandfather’s dream of a Roman Republic carries weight, as he asks the people, “Dare we rebuild that dream together?”

Still, Scott doesn’t let the heavier themes overshadow the fun. The campy tone, especially in scenes featuring Washington and the Emperor twins, gives Gladiator II a sense of playful irreverence. At times, it feels like the film is winking at the audience, reminding us not to take it too seriously. This balance between gravitas and entertainment is a hallmark of Scott’s recent work, from Alien: Covenant to Napoleon.

As the film heads toward its final, bloody showdown, the camp levels rise, but they never undermine the film’s emotional core. The moment when Lucilla recognizes her son in the gladiator's cell is a standout, defying expectations with its raw emotion. 

It’s in these quieter moments that Mescal truly shines, his nuanced performance lifting the film beyond its action-packed set pieces.

In the end, Gladiator II is a wild, exhilarating ride. It’s a film that knows how to balance absurd spectacle with thoughtful reflection on power, legacy, and the cyclical nature of history. As Scott himself hinted to The Hollywood Reporter, he has an idea for Gladiator III, drawing inspiration from The Godfather Part II. If that’s the case, we can only hope the Roman gods are listening.

With Gladiator II, Ridley Scott shows that even at 85, he still knows how to deliver cinema with a capital "C"—equal parts epic, camp, and thought-provoking. It may not match the perfect blend of emotion and action of its predecessor, but it’s close enough to leave audiences thrilled. 

If you loved the original, or even if you just love a good, old-fashioned spectacle, you won’t be disappointed. Gladiator II is one for the history books—CGI baboons and all.