Gladiator II plays like Gladiator karaoke, but there is enough exciting action and Denzel Washington to be worth the watch.

Directed by a returning Ridley Scott, the movie replaces Russell Crowe’s Maximus with Paul Mescal’s Lucius, but otherwise offers a very similar story framework.

There is a man captured and enslaved by the conquering Roman army who must fight his way to the colosseum to earn his freedom from a hated emperor.

It is an admittedly exciting story that has very clear stakes baked in to every fight scene, which is the formula that made Gladiator so beloved.

This sequel attempts to paper over its retrodden ground by upping the ante in the arena, which includes pitting our heroes against armoured rhinos and sharks alike.

If you give in to the silliness of it all, it just about works.

That is where Gladiator II hits its highest points and Mescal proves his action-hero chops, although he cannot match Crowe’s gravitas when silencing the colosseum’s rabid fans.

Conversely, the politicking behind the scenes in this movie is far less interesting than in the original, despite the best efforts of Denzel Washington, who is always watchable.

Joseph Quinn is also solid as one half of a pair of mad-emperor brothers, who are far more interested in the women, wine and bloodlust that their position offers than any leadership of the empire.

There are certainly interesting parts of this movie, but it does not gel together into something coherent in the way Gladiator did.

Perhaps it is unfair to constantly compare Gladiator II to the original, but the movie leans so hard into nostalgia that it is impossible to avoid.

Some iconic shots are remade almost exactly, while a fair few of the memorable quotes are either repeated directly or quoted by Lucius.

The choice is easy to understand from a bottom-line perspective in terms of getting bums in seats, but it draws away from whatever qualities the sequel has.

But for a few memorable scenes, Gladiator II will mainly have the effect of making you want to rewatch Gladiator.

Rated 16 for Violence.

3/5.

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