Film Review – Gladiator II

It’s been reported that a sequel or a prequel to 2000’s “Gladiator” has been in some form of development since 2001. And why wouldn’t the producers want to try their luck again? The film was not only a major success at the box office, but the summer release managed to claim five Academy Awards, including Best Actor (Russell Crowe) and Best Picture. It was an actioner that went the distance, but it also was a story about finality, making any continuation difficult to launch. 24 years later, there’s “Gladiator II,” as director Ridley Scott returns to duty to oversee this examination of Roman rule, with the tale picking up 16 years after the original feature. It’s a sequel, but it doesn’t behave as one, as screenwriter David Scarpa (“Napoleon,” “All the Money in the World”) basically concocts a remake here, following a plot of revenge for the main character, who tracks his grief as it turns into ice, tasked with surviving colosseum horrors. And perhaps this will be enough for certain viewers, but the staleness of “Gladiator II” is difficult to ignore. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com