Rating of
4/4
A terrific continuation of the classic original
Norrin - wrote on 11/29/24
While Gladiator II is not as good as the near perfect original, this sequel is wildly entertaining, pays perfect homage to the first movie, has some great acting from a first rate cast, and features several off the wall action sequences. Denzel Washington pretty much steals the movie, but Connie Nielsen (from the first movie) and Pedro Pascal both give great performances. As to lead Paul Mescal, while he does not have the gravitas of Russell Crowe, his performance, like the movie itself, gets better as things move along since both take awhile to get their sea legs. Technical credits are all first rate, except for the musical score, which lacks the epic punch of Hans Zimmer's brilliant score for the first movie. Director Ridley Scott at age 88 still knows how to deliver a visually stunning barn burner and Gladiator II delivers when it counts the most. One warning- this movie is far more violent than the first movie. I was definitely entertained!
