“Gladiator II” Review: Blood, Sand, and Baboon Battles – Ridley Scott Returns in Grand Fashion
“Are you not entertained?”
Twenty-five years later, the answer is still a resounding yes.
A sequel to Ridley Scott’s 2000 Best Picture juggernaut Gladiator was always going to be a high-wire act—one part legacy risk, one part impossible expectations. And yet, Gladiator II doesn’t just meet the moment—it tears its breastplate off, grabs a sword, and charges full-throttle into cinematic madness. Somehow, Scott has done it again, delivering a film that’s equal parts prestige, pulp, and utterly bananas spectacle.
Enter Paul Mescal: The Son of Rome
At the center of Gladiator II is Paul Mescal (Aftersun), stepping into the sandals of Lucius, the grown-up son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), and the now-deceased emperor Commodus’s nephew. Secreted away at the end of the first film to avoid political fallout, Lucius grows up far from the Empire—until fate (and betrayal) draws him back to Rome, and into the blood-soaked sands of the Colosseum.
Mescal, known for his emotional subtlety, gets to flex new muscles here—both dramatic and literal. He’s a commanding presence, channeling both the haunted nobility of Russell Crowe’s Maximus and something newer, hungrier. If Crowe’s performance was grounded in grief, Mescal’s Lucius burns with conflicted fire.
Denzel Washington, Twin Emperors, and the Spectacle Dial Cranked to 11
Denzel Washington, in a turn that deserved way more awards attention, plays Macrinus, a former slave-turned-power player who now controls the gladiator circuits and pulls strings from behind the scenes. Washington brings a cool gravitas that grounds even the film’s most over-the-top moments, reminding us why he’s one of the greats.
But oh, the excess. Scott leans in hard. We get:
- Baboon brawls in the African wilderness
- Twin emperors (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger), whose petty sadism and weird intimacy feel ripped from The White Lotus: Roman Edition
- A naval gladiator battle where the Colosseum is flooded, combatants battle on makeshift rafts, and actual sharks are unleashed
It’s audacious. It’s ridiculous. It’s…incredible.
The Return of the Master
At 87, Ridley Scott shows no signs of slowing down. Gladiator II proves he’s still one of the only filmmakers who can make a $200 million epic that feels this personal and this unhinged at the same time. He paints on the biggest canvas possible—with real sets, brutal practical effects, and a cinematographer’s eye for dust, blood, and majesty. Hans Zimmer doesn’t return for the score, but the replacement (Daniel Pemberton) does an admirable job channeling that same bone-rattling energy.
Overstuffed and Glorious
To be clear, this movie is completely overstuffed. Subplots spiral out. Side characters vanish and reappear. Some of it is pure chaos. But you know what? That’s part of its charm. It’s the rare modern epic that actually earns the title—going big, going weird, and never pulling back.
Box Office and Legacy
Despite skepticism, Gladiator II crushed the box office—raking in nearly $500 million globally, proving there’s still an appetite for R-rated historical action when it’s done with this level of craftsmanship and ambition.
Sure, some critics called it bloated. Others bemoaned the shark scene (why?). But one thing’s for certain: this sequel is anything but a cash-grab. It’s a full-bodied, fever-dream vision of what a gladiator sequel could be—and that makes it kind of miraculous.
Final Verdict: ★★★★☆
Gladiator II is the kind of movie they just don’t make anymore—and probably shouldn’t, unless Ridley Scott’s directing. A blend of myth, madness, and muscle, it’s a worthy, wildly entertaining follow-up to a classic. Not perfect. But unforgettable.
**Highly recommended. And yes—**you will be entertained.