Summary
Gladiator 2is arriving on the big screen twenty-four years afterGladiator, with the originalstarring Russell Crowe as the imposing lead, Maximus. WhileGladiator 2opts to follow a new gladiator, Lucius, played by Paul Mescal, the sequel still takes place at the heart of the Roman Empire, with epic battles, intense politicking, and a wild cast of characters bolstering the narrative.
WhileGladiator 2succeeds in many areas throughout its runtime, many will struggle to find it surpassingGladiatorin terms of quality. Despite lacking the technological advancements ofGladiator 2, the original has several aspects that make it stand out entirely from its highly anticipated sequel.
1Superior Protagonist
Crowe’s Maximus Is Magnetic And Truly Heroic
WhilePaul Mescal puts up a respectable effortasGladiator 2’s lead, his performance still fails to live up to the iconic Maximus, where Crowe’s magnetic portrayal still resonates with audiences two decades afterGladiator’srelease. Coming from a position of authority, Maximus possesses a level of stoicism and grit that leaves the character mesmerizing to watch as he endures life-or-death situations to enact his revenge.
Crowe’s honorable and masculinity-filled performance captures the hearts of Rome and the audience in the Colosseum, and it’s easy to see why, with the actor’s undeniable fit for the complex role being a joy to behold. The actor’s performance even earned Crowe an Oscar for his heralded performance, with the masses coming to find Maximus as one of the truly heroic protagonists of 21st-century cinema. Despite Mescal’s total commitment to the role and his performance, the actor lacks the gravitas and screen presence required, although few could replicate or get close to Crowe’s exploits in his most famed role.
2More Grounded
Less Chaotic And More Contained Story
Gladiatormay lack the outright spectacles that occur inGladiator 2, although the lack of CGI-driven battle sequences is not a necessity, with the grounded and less chaoticGladiatormaking for a higher-quality movie. Filled with water battles in the Colosseum featuring sharks and battles against otherworldly monkeys,Gladiator 2makes for an absurd and action-packed film that almost becomes outlandish at times.
WhereGladiatorexcels in comparison is in its straightforward but captivating battle sequences. At the same time, its narrative remains compelling, not being lost inthe absurdity of the Roman Empireand Commodus' actions.Gladiator 2may follow a similar story to its predecessor in that the protagonist seeks revenge for the loss of his family while operating in a corrupt society. However, the wild and chaotic approach taken, particularly in the second half, can take audiences out of Lucius' journey.
3Iconic Scenes
Maximus Has Many Famous Lines That Resonated With Audiences
Along with being a showcase for peak masculinity and brutality, the delivery of iconic quotes inGladiatorhas infested itself into pop culture and society. Often famed for the iconic line “Are you not entertained,” spoken by Maximus after defeating a group of gladiators,Gladiatoris full of legendary scenes that are epic in the truest sense of the word.
WhileGladiator 2has intense scenes, often powered by the behemoth that is Denzel Washington, the character of Macrinus is not enough to match up to the number of visceral and amped-up scenes of the original. Maxmius' reveal to Commodus in the Colosseum and the pair’s duel to the death are just a few select scenes that dwarf the sequel due to Croweand Joaquin Phoenix’s epic performancesand the overall execution of the movie by Ridley Scott.
4Score
Hans Zimmer’s Musical Score Is Hard To Outdo
Hans Zimmer’s original score forGladiatorhas been highly regarded as one of the famed composer’s most significant works, competing with his epic musical outputs in movies likeInterstellarandPirates of the Caribbean. Perfectly encapsulating Maximus’s long but emotional journey, Zimmer excels with a thrilling score that captures the themes of revenge, love, family, and glory of the Roman Empire.
Twenty-four years later, while utilizing aspects of Zimmer’s score in the sequel, Harry Gregson-Williams provides a presentable sound to assistGladiator 2,fitting the movie’s themes. However, it lacks the emotional pull and level of grandeur of its predecessor. Many of the best musical moments of the sequel come from Zimmer’s original sound, with the score failing to successfully build new memorable and pulsating themes that a franchise such asGladiatordeserves.
5More Emotional
Maximus' Story And Journey Is Much More Compelling
Being a sequel,Gladiator 2opts to follow roughly the same narrative as its predecessor. However, as a result, the emotional punch fails to land compared to the widely known original, withGladiatorexecuting the emotional beats at a higher standard. Much can be put on the portrayal of Maximus, which adds more emotional weight to the story compared to Lucius' journey, which happens to be almost identical. Crowe’s line delivery and sheer emotion throughoutGladiatorcreate such a profoundness, making the movie’s ending all the more impactful.
As one of the only characters appearing in both movies, Connie Nielsen’sLucilla suffers at the handsof the Roman Emperors, although the psychological torment Commodus places on her and a young Lucius is much more emotion-provoking than Geta and Caracalla’s wild antics. WhileGladiator’s gutwrenching ending sees Maximus defeat Commodus and reunite with his wife and son in the afterlife,Gladiator 2uses Lucilla and Marcus Acacius' deaths as its emotional core. However, the results come off as half-baked and underdeveloped in comparison toGladiator.
