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Gladiator II review by Alex

Since Lucius’s departure from Rome, tyrannic emperors have seized power and have undermined Maximus’ sacrifice by continuing the endless cycle of conquest and the corruption within the inner workings of the Roman hierarchy at the expense of the empire’s people. Upon the conquest of Lucius’ city of hiding, he has no choice but to follow in his father’s footsteps and tackle Rome from the clutches of the Emperors.

I am relatively new to the Gladiator films, having only watched the original a few days before viewing the sequel. I feel this puts me in the unique position compared to most of my reviewer peers, Gladiator (2000) in my eyes is a very strong movie, with a serious tone that portrays the horrors of the Roman Empire in this period of time. With this in mind, the sequel has big shoes to fill. Of which in my eyes it does and then some, I specifically liked the bantering between the prisoners and the slimy tactics utilised by characters to influence the actions of the higher-ups within the Roman Empire. This sort of soft-power manipulation was absent from the original and is a welcome addition.

My only complaint with the film is that I feel there’s need for more background to the emperors, as I feel that information about their rise to power is noticeably absent. Either in conversation and or with a flashback to the events following Maximus’ death, however I understand this would’ve either been glossed over had another portion of the film cut to keep a similar runtime. Although this is a minor complaint as the background in my eyes is more of a nice to have, rather than a necessity.

At 2 hours and 28 minutes of runtime, I feel as if this is a substantial yet manageable length of time for the movie. It is on the more long side but does not feel too fast nor too slow, it’s just right. I felt as if there was not much (if any) filler content, the screen time was utilised wisely to cram as much story into the film without feeling overwhelming.

Verdict:

I won’t spoil the plot (anymore than I already have), as I highly encourage you (the viewer) to see it yourself and gather your own opinions. In my eyes however, I see this film as an excellent sequel that lives up to its predecessor and I feel would be a must watch for both returning and new fans.

In Cinemas 15/11/24 (15) 4.7 Stars

Youth #Gottit View:

A highly satisfying and worthy sequel to the original and classic Gladiator movie. This film will be very popular with all generations of fans. A Cinamatic Event Movie – Highly Recommended!!!

Gladiator II – Harrison, Con & Alex on the road to Rome CLICK HERE!!!