ixteen years have passed since renowned warrior Maximus Decimus Meridius gave his life in the hopes of a better future for Rome. But with the rise to power of tyrannical twins Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger), that wish has long since vanished. After conquering numerous lands for Rome’s bloodthirsty rulers, General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) attacks Numidia, the last free city in Africa. There he encounters Hanno (Paul Mescal), an intrepid fighter intent on taking revenge on his Roman captors. When the dauntless fighter proves his skills in Antium, gladiatorial enthusiast Macrinus (Denzel Washington) acquires Hanno and prepares him for the ultimate test of strength and valor – the perilous “games” to the death in the Colosseum. While Hanno battles all manner of man and beast in the arena, patiently waiting for his chance at vengeance, Acacius plots with his wife Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) to put an end to the bloodshed forced upon the empire by its ruthless elite.

After the briefest of refreshers during opening credits animation (or stylization over the top of footage), it’s apparent that if ever there was a film that didn’t need a sequel, it’s “Gladiator.” Especially after all these years, it seems thoroughly unnecessary to revisit a character – or, rather, his legacy – with a follow-up that must essentially find a counterpart substitute to experience a nearly identical journey. What are the odds that another warrior would be betrayed, get captured and enslaved, and be thrown into the Colosseum for the enjoyment of evil dictators whose reign will be put in jeopardy by that very individual? As it turns out, far too unlikely for a sensible second picture.

The music is still thunderous, moving, and intermittently overdramatic (here, the choral voices sound manipulative rather than calming), while the use of enormous sets, hundreds of extras, ornate costumes and armory, and plenty of widescreen shots looks superb. Unsurprisingly, the technical elements are stunning. And these are aided by rousing speeches, grand-scale battles (the first of which employs a sea-faring onslaught full of trebuchets, arrows, swords, and more), fires and explosions galore, and director Ridley Scott’s penchant for violence. Between the sexualized courtiers and the bloody wounds of decimated battalions, this costume drama is definitely more “Caligula” than “The Robe.”

With the nonsensically similar premise to force the lead role – who just so happens to be a natural leader primed for an uprising – into a gladiatorial ring, it’s difficult to appreciate the action-packed revisitation. It may be amusing to return to this world, especially with Scott’s flair for transforming every engagement into uncommonly exciting, hyper-cinematic hysteria, but the story just doesn’t deviate from its very recognizable formula. In fact, as it attempts to outdo its predecessor with elaborate duels and skirmishes, it frequently teeters on the hilarious; raging apes and a charging rhino (as well as even more outrageous, nearly sci-fi types of escalations) are practically comical, sapping the realism in favor of exotic sword-and-sandal fantasy, more at home in a Ray Harryhausen production than a big-budgeted, super-polished Hollywood period piece recreation.

“The people are weary of the madness, the tyranny.” In transparent attempts to spruce up the screenplay, the standard revenge plot is given a few extra characters, though many of their motives are still straightforward and predictable, reenforcing the notion that unchecked power undoubtedly brings paranoia and envy. With so few major deviations (even some of the rituals and maneuvers on the battlefield are the same), “Gladiator II” is simply more of the stuff from before, amplified and embellished, often to cartoonish degrees. The acting is nevertheless excellent (save for Washington, who, while entirely watchable, doesn’t even bother to appear authentic as a persona of this era), managing a handful of emotional confrontations, even if they’re generally sentimental filler as audiences prepare for the next catastrophic fight sequence. It all builds to a magnificent showdown and a dud of an ending, exemplifying the nature of the whole: it’s as adventurous and stimulating in specific moments as it is frivolous and redundant in others.

– The Massie Twins