“Gladiator II” opens 16 years after the death of Russell Crowe’s Maximus, with a bloody battle led by a refugee from Rome named Lucius (Paul Mescal), aka “Hanno.” Lucius lives in Numidia in North Africa with his wife Arishat (Yuval Gonen), both skilled fighters, when the Roman navy, helmed by Gen. Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal), lays siege to their town and conquers it, killing Arishat in the process and taking Lucius captive. 

What follows is very similar to “Gladiator” (2000), where Lucius — like his father Maximus — must earn his keep as a gladiator in the Roman arena under two corrupt emperors: Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger). The setup feels a bit stale only because it is such a close recreation of the first part’s plot. 

The director, Ridley Scott, did a magnificent job with the original “Gladiator,” both in its role as a massive blockbuster that drew in close to $460 million at the box office as well as a critical success, winning five awards at the 73rd Academy Awards, including wins for “Best Picture” and “Best Actor.” 

Much of this success could be attributed to Russell Crowe, a true movie star in his physicality and the quiet command with which he handles the movie. When Crowe speaks, it seems to make sense that 80,000 people in the Colosseum quietened and listened. 

Mescal, a magnetic Irish actor who rose to fame after his stint in Sally Rooney’s “Normal People” and got further acclaim from his role in independent films “Aftersun” (2022) and “All of Us Strangers” (2023), can be characterized as more of an actor than a movie star. A lot of the work he does is subtle and introspective, vastly different from the charisma traditionally required of a star. Mescal does a perfectly fine job but is lackluster, especially when compared to Crowe.

Lucius gets taken under the wing of Macrinus, an ambitious gladiator owner, played by Denzel Washington, who absolutely shines on camera. Washington displays the easy grace of a blockbuster movie star along with a stunning interior performance, not out of place in a Shakespearean play and is the true standout of the movie. After the death of his wife, Lucius’ only motivation is to “have the head” of Gen. Acacius, and he fights in the Colosseum’s arena with a recklessness that becomes his main strength.

The fight sequences are certainly grand, and the movie seems determined to outdo its prequel. A soldier atop an enormous CGI rhino charges at Lucius and his loyal band of gladiators in a key moment in the film where Connie Nielsen reprises her role as Lucilla, Lucius’ mother and Acasius’ wife, and discovers that her son is alive and has returned to Rome in one piece, albeit bloody and badly bruised. 

Another spectacle of a scene is when the Colosseum is flooded and an underwater naval battle plays out with shark-infested waters. While this feels a bit far-fetched, it captures the essence of “Gladiator II,” a fun romp that ultimately aims to please fans, not straying too far from the well-beaten path of its predecessor but using modern visual effects to up the extravaganza.

The violence of the movie entertains, and audiences understand some of the bloodthirstiness of ancient Romans in the Colosseum when Mescal and Pascal engage in hand-to-hand combat in the arena with a well-rehearsed ease that stands out as somewhat of a culmination of Lucius’ ambitions in Rome.

Quinn and Hechinger play the pale, bony emperors with a femininity similar to Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus, but fail to stand out as truly frightening, giving way to Washington as the truly sinister villain.

The film also generated criticism when it originally cast actress May Calamawy, an Egyptian-Palestinian actress, as a lead in the movie but ultimately chose to sideline her, only leaving in an uncredited background appearance.

Perhaps the strongest part of “Gladiator II” is also the weakest — that it feels too similar to the first part but is also a true blockbuster in the way that not a lot of movies are in 2024. With thousands of extras in the crowds, monumental sets and ornate costumes, Scott’s film is a testament to Hollywood glamour and is perfect for the hordes of fans coming out to watch it in theaters. It’s fun and action-packed, and, while the 2 hour 30 minute runtime doesn’t exactly fly by, it rarely drags. 

It’s clear that Ridley Scott, at age 86, is far from his prime, but “Gladiator II” is a competent rehash of “Gladiator” with enough sauce that it is enticing moviegoers. However, it is often forgettable and will likely fade from the Oscars conversation in the spring. For anybody planning on frantically googling the prequel’s plot or planning a rewatch before the film, trust that “Gladiator II” provides enough of an explanation (and more) while playing out a very similar movie beat by beat.