Ridley Scott has an impressive list of films under his prestigious belt. From Alien (1979), Blade Runner (1982), Thelma & Louise (1991), to the immortal Gladiator (2000), Scott has always been one of the most astute and prolific filmmakers in Hollywood. Despite his recent unimpressive releases like House of Gucci (2021) and Napoleon (2023), you can’t just count him out.
And, when it was first announced that Scott will be directing a sequel to Gladiator , one of the most loved and revered films of the 21st century, which won Russell Crowe an Oscar and turned him into a household name, fans were concerned. They didn’t want the memory of an emotional masterpiece to be besmirched. And, luckily, that just isn’t the case.
Does that mean that Gladiator II is as good as the original? No, it isn’t, but that does not mean it’s bad; not at all. In fact, I don’t think anyone was expecting it to be as good as the original. There are very few sequels that surpass the original, like The Godfather Part II (1974) or Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991), and that isn’t the case here.
But, one thing Scott does achieve with Gladiator II is that it doesn’t stray away from the emotional and thematic core of the original. There’s no preaching to the audience. There’s no bending of history beyond what’s permissible in a feature film for obvious dramatization needs.
A post shared by Fandango (@fandango) When it comes to the technical abilities, the movie is very well directed, of .