“Are you not entertained?” After 24 years, prestigious director Ridley Scott has made a sequel to the original, classic Gladiator. With the return of Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi, who will be reprising their roles, the film also stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and Denzel Washington. The film follows Lucius, who was Commodus’s nephew and is Lucilla’s son, who must enter the colosseum and fight emperors of Rome for the sake of the future empire and his fate.
“I doubt that the sequel will live up to the first Gladiator, but I could always be surprised,” stated junior Trevor Hu. Typically, sequels can’t compete with the first film, and we have seen this before in past cinema. For example, the Jaws and the Matrix sequels shouldn’t have been made, and more recently, Joker Folie à Deux was strongly disliked by fans.
“Ridley Scott has done it again!” said a viewer of the early screening film, according to rottentomatoes.com, who wrote an overview of the film and included quotes from actors and writers about how exciting the film is. The question “is a sequel is necessary?”
“I like the idea that they are making a sequel and am interested in seeing how it plays out.” said junior Chase Best when he was asked his opinions on if a sequel was necessary to the original great classic.
IMDb stated that the first Gladiator film had a budget of $103 million and grossed $465 million worldwide. The film won 5 Oscars and was rated #35 on IMDb’s top 250 films of all time. There is no doubt that it is a classic and truly loved among fans who have seen the film. The real question is if Gladiator II will live up the hype or even be on the same level as the first film.
Saucon alumni Rahul Patel was asked which actor or actress he is most looking forward to seeing in the film, and he stated “Pedro Pascal easily.” Pascal will play antagonist Marcus Acacius, the Roman General rival of Lucius. It is unknown if Pedro Pascal will be a better antagonist than Joaquin Phoenix in the first film as emperor Commodus.
“It may be one of the best movies I have ever seen. The acting and action scenes were the highlights of the movie, especially the ending scene,” Patel continued. The rating and fan opinions on the film are all in consensus, and the majority of people would agree with them.
Forbes.com stated, “Gladiator II is a true epic and Ridley Scott’s best in years. Paul Mescal is a great action star without sacrificing his indie grit, a worthy heir to the throne. Denzel Washington eats every line and costume without ever overplaying.” This is probably the most believable and most accurate feedback from fans who watched the early screening.
Director Ridley Scott even said that Gladiator was “The best thing I ever made.” according to cbr.com, and now Scott gets to add another masterpiece to his already iconic collection of films.
Overall, Gladiator II may be the most anticipated film in 2024. Many people expect the film to do very well in the box office and simply among fans, and the new stars will have a big impact on the film’s success.
