Unstoppable Denzel Washington’s Shocking Schemes in ‘Gladiator II’ – You Won’t Believe What’s Next!

Ridley Scott’s 2000 masterpiece “Gladiator” concluded with a memorable scene that has since been linked with the film: the battle-hardened hand of Russell Crowe’s character, Maximus, gently touching wheat stalks, as he journeys home in the afterlife. This serene image is mirrored in the opening scene of its sequel, “Gladiator II.” Rugged hands, hardened from labor and combat, delve into a sack of harvested grain, feeling the result of their hard work.

This similar imagery serves as the essence of this faithful follow-up. It’s essentially the same movie, slightly revised and consistently referring back to its predecessor, offering what you loved about the original “Gladiator”: valor and integrity, bread and games, gore and brutality.

The hands that introduce “Gladiator II” belong to Lucius (Paul Mescal), the progeny of Maximus and Lucilla (Connie Nielsen). Once the heir apparent of Rome, he was compelled to escape at 12 to ensure his safety and currently lives a modest life as a farmer in Numidia, North Africa. He and his spouse (Yuval Gonen) lead a peaceful domestic existence, periodically disrupted by Roman invasions. After one such raid, led by Gen. Acacius (Pedro Pascal), Lucius returns to his homeland as an enslaved gladiator and a mourning widower, mirroring his father’s fate.

Lucius has inherited his father’s flair for performance, yet he’s wilder, engaging in a fierce confrontation with a vicious baboon in a makeshift ring outside the city. His ferocity catches the attention of gladiator agent Macrinus (Denzel Washington), in a similar fashion to how his father caught the interest of Proximo (Oliver Reed). Macrinus has plans to turn Lucius into a star.

The sequel is a movie of duality, featuring replicated characters, dual roles, and double the carnage in the Colosseum. Rome is governed by twin emperors in a fragile fraternal alliance. Enjoyed one eerie Joaquin Phoenix in the original film? This one offers two! Adorned with white face paint and flanked by concubines of all genders, Emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) are captivated by the savage who can recite Virgil while drenched in another man’s blood. After Macrinus introduces Lucius at a private event, he becomes the star of the Colosseum, leading other gladiators to victory against rhinos, sharks, and a variety of human and animal adversaries.

While Lucius seeks revenge against Acacius, his mother Lucilla (Nielsen, reprising her role) is desperate to rescue her son from the Colosseum. Meanwhile, Washington’s Macrinus has his own ambitions for power in Rome. This is where “Gladiator II” stumbles — there’s simply too much plot to genuinely connect with these characters.

With so many plot twists, betrayals, political maneuverings (and sharks), “Gladiator II” lacks the sophisticated narrative, profound character development, and subtle messages of its predecessor. The storyline of this new film (crafted by David Scarpa and Peter Craig) appears somewhat superficial, as it reveals its theme outright.

If “Gladiator” was Scott’s veiled commentary on Hollywood, portraying the industry of providing entertainment for a capricious audience and a patron who casually issues approvals or disapprovals, then “Gladiator II” is his transparent “democracy movie” (or “politics” as Washington dramatically articulates). The subtext becomes the main text as Lucius delivers several speeches on “the dream of Rome” that he learned from his grandfather, Marcus Aurelius.

Though the script falls short, the visual spectacle does not. “Gladiator II” is Scott’s most visually impressive film in recent years. Vibrant and bloody, weather-beaten and sun-drenched, it retains the visual clarity of the first installment without the odd desaturated appearance of some of his recent work. The visions of the afterlife Lucius encounters are as visually unique as those in the original film, but they’re depicted in stark black and white, differentiating them.

The entire cast is stellar, including the flamboyant Washington who steals every scene, and the soulful Mescal, who embodies the statue of David in a fierce, brutal form. Mescal’s unpredictable wildness is captivating when it’s given a chance to shine, though he’s mostly restrained, except for a few memorable scenes. Nielsen is luminous as Lucilla, 25 years after first playing the role, providing some redemption for the character. Quinn and Hechinger delight in their debauched rulers’ roles.

“Gladiator II” closely follows the original film’s structure and style, so there are few surprises or unexpected twists. The film itself is a progeny, created from the same genetic material in the same image. It is the only sequel to “Gladiator” that could conceivably exist and exactly what you anticipate, for better or worse. So, are you not entertained?

Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.