Set 16 years after the events of “Gladiator,” “Gladiator 2” stars Paul Mescal as Lucius, the son of Maximus and Lucilla, and Denzel Washington as Macrinus, a slave turned political power figure. While the movie’s pacing and structure doesn’t quite live up to its legendary predecessor, it gives the same feel as the original and is a must-watch. 

Director Ridley Scott perfectly recreated the original’s cinematography. “Gladiator 2” and the original simply went above and beyond in the artistic side of its cinematography, and I think that’s something that should be celebrated for this movie. Both the original’s grand beginning fight in Germania and the film’s opening battle in Africa Nova exceeded expectations with the advanced CGI and filming techniques, helping tie the two movies together. The opening fight ending with Lucius’ wife dying at the hands of General Acacius ties again to “Gladiator 1,” when Maximus’ wife and child was killed by Emperor Commodus’ guards. Scott’s development of the two movies together consistently reminded me of the original’s well-planned storyline, and helped elevate “Gladiator 2” in general.

The twin emperors played a major role in the movie by being killed by Macrinus, as they were the beginning in his hunger for power. I really enjoyed this storyline throughout the movie, and it pushed the movie further towards the original’s quality. Storylines like Macrinus’ lust for power mirrored Commodus’ murder of his father, Emperor Marcus Aurelius, to gain the throne, and felt like the best way to develop the Gladiator universe.  I think when sequels to popular movies come out, they should provide the same feeling as the original did, in which “Gladiator 2” did a good job. The parallels in the storyline show the way Scott carefully crafted the movie to give the audience the same feeling as they had when they watched his first installment.

However, there is a caveat. “Gladiator 2,” while the same length as the original, felt very slow at times. The slower-feeling scenes were mostly long stretches of politics with the twin emperors. The original “Gladiator” held the attention of the audience constantly, with its fight scenes and the constant questioning about the characters’ fates. The sequel simply became too slow, and focused too much on the political side of the Roman Empire. 

Despite the pacing issues, you need to watch “Gladiator 2”. Scott paired Washington’s exemplary acting skills with his own exemplary directing skills, and frequently reminded me of the first movie. Even though the movie can be slow at times, I would absolutely recommend seeing “Gladiator 2”, especially fans of the first.