Film: Gladiator II

I have never seen or had any interest in the numerous gladiator films that seem to exist, yet I find myself escaping into the cinema for our regular Friday afternoon downtime.

The story revolves around Lucias, who is taken prisoner by the mighty Roman army and sold into slavery. He is then forced to fight for his survival in the Colosseum, where various mythical creatures are sent out to kill him. I'm fairly certain I saw a rhino crossed with a unicorn. I spent much of the film guessing what they would come up with next. He is watched by 100s, including the annoying camp-as-Romans Empire twins baying for his blood.

The film delves into the backstory of how Lucias’s father died and why he was sent away from his family for his own safety as a child, although I assume most viewers were already aware of this.

Overall, Gladiator II is broadly entertaining without being irritating, mainly due to a strong female character and Denzel Washington’s portrayal of the crazy yet ruthless Macrinus—an entrepreneur, slave owner, and chief manipulator who sees a golden opportunity in Lucias.

It stands alone as a film and serves well as a good escape.

7/10