Gladiator II: Gets Right to the “Point”

If you enjoyed "Gladiator" (2000), then you will like this movie, also directed by Ridley Scott.  Like most sequels, however, it's not as good as the original.  Nevertheless, it has much to recommend it.  The film will be in my 2024 Top 20 films (although, at the moment, it's a pretty low bar). The movie starts 16 years after the iconic Gladiator, Maximus (Russell Crowe), met his dramatic and tragic end.  Rome is now corrupt and the citizens are poor and unhappy.  Two pathetic brothers are combined Emperors, but they couldn't be doing a worse job. "Hammo" (Paul Mescal) is the military leader of the last free African city that the Romans want to conquer.  Unfortunately, in the battle with the Roman Navy to keep the city's freedom, the Romans prevail.  Hammo's wife (also a soldier) was killed in the battle, and Hammo is taken prisoner.  Macrinas (Denzel Washington), a powerful Roman citizen, recognizes that rage in Hammo's heart and realizes he will make a great gladiator.  Hammo is enraged at Rome, but especially at General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal), who killed Hammo's wife in the battle. Hammo fights multiple times in the Colosseum and becomes a crowd favorite.  The gladiator scenes are exciting and creative.  Macrinas also has much grander ambitions than just making large sums of money off Hammo's triumphs. Paul Mescal does a fine job, but it's Denzel's movie.  (Mescal doesn't quite have the gravitas like Russell Crowe.)  Robin, Noah and I saw the film together, and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.  It's a very good action movie, with occasional depth and a few surprises. Bottom Line: "Gladiator II" is a sequel worth seeing, but it's not for the squeamish!