Gladiator II (Theaters)

Ridley Scott loses the plot...and the prestige...and the pathos that made this film's predecessor so special

What it’s about: After his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now lead Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum and must look to his past to find strength to return the glory of Rome to its people.

News and Notes:

• Released in theaters this past Friday

Schmear’s Verdict: Despite flashes of visual ambition and an entertainingly chaotic turn by Denzel Washington, Gladiator II feels like smashing action figures together—fun in bursts, but ultimately a messy, hollow echo of its predecessor.

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If the point of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II was to remind us how epic, classical, and stirring the 24-year-old Gladiator remains, the film succeeded amazingly. If the idea was for Gladiator II to stand up to or exceed its predecessor through maximalism and legacy tie-ins, the movie sorely disappoints.