Sixteen years after the death of Maximus, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is captured and enslaved by an invading Roman army. He is trained as a gladiator by charismatic and ambitious arms dealer Macrinus (Denzel Washington) and his skill in the arena brings him to the attention of his mother Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), who is plotting to overthrow the corrupt and decadent twin emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) with the help of General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal)

Scott manages the seemingly-impossible by following up an Oscar-winning masterpiece with a sequel that, whilst not equalling its predecessor exactly, manages to establish itself as a very good follow-up that stands above most recent blockbusters. Part of this achievement is due to Scott maintaining a stylistic consistency between the two films by using the same cinematographer (John Mathieson) and production designer (Arthur Max). That helps to keep the cinematic Roman universe of both films fresh in the audience’s mind, with familiar settings such as the Coliseum intentionally used to evoke memories of the first film.

However, what really works in the film’s favour are its many new elements that could have so easily fallen flat in comparison to what its predecessor had to offer. The action sequences in particular build upon the spectacle to a significant degree, with the battles in the Coliseum utilising the likes of man-eating baboons and aquatic naval skirmishes to impressive effect. The new characters also shine, helped by the performances, with Quinn and Hechinger providing Caligula-esque turns as Geta and Caracalla and a surprisingly-cast Tim McInnerny excelling as the slimy senator Thraex.

The stand-out performance amongst the newcomers, however, belongs to Washington, who simply dominates like the star he is. He makes Macrinus a living, breathing villain to rival Joaquin Phoenix‘s Commodus without needing to ape that performance, instead relishing in the character’s role as a puppet master as he manipulates his way to power.

Despite these strengths, there are weaker moments, with the narrative concerning Lucius largely rehashed from the first film, resulting in Mescal somewhat awkwardly reprising the same plot beats as Russell Crowe despite his acting approach being markedly different. As a result, he is noticeably more restricted in is portrayal than the rest of the cast, resulting in his talents as an actor feeling somewhat underused.

These issues aside, Gladiator II is a worthy follow-up to its predecessor that manages to provide its fair share of unique elements whilst also mostly maintaining the atmosphere of the first film.

In cinemas nationwide now