By resuming the plot where the first Gladiator had left us – that is to say with a good dose of emotion and a bitter mixture of blood and sand – this sequel displays noble ambitions: to bring Roman grandeur back to the big screen. Commendable? Yes. Successful? Not really. By wanting to re-serve us too often the epic of the first opus, Gladiator II gets bogged down in a sort of nostalgic “revival”, where it is sometimes difficult to distinguish the new from the old.
On the visual side, we were also hoping for a feast for the eyes, but we are left somewhat unsatisfied, like a Caesar salad without sauce: the special effects would have deserved more spice (especially during the fight between the gladiators and “dogs” rabid). For a film of this magnitude, one comes to wonder if part of the astronomical budget has not evaporated in the sand of the Colosseum.
Fortunately, some hand-to-hand combat makes up for it: by capturing the raw essence of the epic and offering intense action, these sequences are reminiscent of great classics such as Ben-Hur, Spartacus et… GladiatorOf course. Would miss more than that.
As for Paul Mescal, our new gladiator, he remains the real star of this sequel. With an intensity that would almost make you forget the weaknesses of the script, he plays a Lucius who is both tormented and determined, and even manages to pay homage to the bravery and honor that Russell Crowe brought in the first film. And that’s not nothing.
