Gladiator 2has one aspect that is unequivocally better than it was in the first movie, continuing a long-standing trend by director Ridley Scott. As the sequel to the iconicGladiator,Gladiator 2was always going to be compared to its predecessor in some ways.Gladiator 2’s cast, for example, was praised on the whole, but many reviews claimed that the film was missing the pull of Russell Crowe from the first movie. By the time ofGladiator 2’s ending, more comparisons between the two Ridley Scott movies became clear.
One such comparison was the emotional impact of the film, withGladiator 2’s movie reviewsclaiming that the first film had a stronger sense of drama and resonance. Although many comparisons sawGladiator 2deemed inferior to the first film, there are still many things that the 2024 sequel improves upon. DespiteGladiator’s castand moving story ranking above its successor,Gladiator 2has one standout aspect that regularly proves itself to have been handled more competently, continuing a trend of Ridley Scott’s filmography.
Gladiator 2’s Action Scenes Are Better Than Gladiator’s
Both Films Have Excellent Action, Making Gladiator 2’s Improvement On The First More Impressive
The element in question isGladiator 2’s action. The many fight sequences found inGladiatorare exceptional and only ever match the strong emotional core of Maximus' character arc. While the emotion ofGladiator 2may be found lacking at certain points in the story, the same can never be said for its action and spectacle. This is evident as soon as the story begins, withGladiator 2’s Roman siege of Numidia. Slight historical inaccuracies aside, this action sequence is breathtaking.
10 Biggest Historical Inaccuracies In Gladiator 2
Gladiator II entertains audiences, but the Ridley Scott sequel film is jam-packed with several historical inaccuracies that just cannot be ignored.
From the sweeping shots of the Roman navy shooting catapults into the fortress to the one-on-one fight sequences involving Paul Mescal’s Lucius, the opening action scene outdoes that of its predecessor. The action does not stop there, though, with each of Lucius' gladiator fights providing just as much excitement. The action is simply more confident inGladiator 2than it was in its predecessor, which is saying something given how strong these moments were in the latter. Overall, the action is one of the elements Scott only made better with the long-awaited sequel, continuing his upward trend.
Gladiator 2 Is Another Reminder Of How Great Of An Action Director Ridley Scott Is
Scott’s Recent Movies Prove His Main Talent As A Director
Gladiator 2’s action is made even more impressive when remembering that director Ridley Scott is 87 years of age. The frenetic but no less understandable nature of the action has the energy of a much younger filmmaker, proving age to be something Scott is not concerned about. In fact, in recent years, Scott has only proved how capable of an action director he still is, withGladiator 2putting the icing on the cake. Not all of Scott’s recent movies involved epic sequences likeGladiator 2, but those that did proved he is still one of the best action directors working in Hollywood.
The scene was undoubtedly the best in the movie, proving Scott’s directorial prowess concerning battles and conflicts…
Napoleonwas released in 2023 and while criticized on the whole for shallow characterization and an unfocused story, many agree that the climactic Battle of Waterloo was an excellent sequence. The scene was undoubtedly the best in the movie, proving Scott’s directorial prowess concerning battles and conflicts. 2021’sThe Last Duelwas more of a drama, yet built to the titular event in the final act. This brutal, bloody, one-on-one battle was an excellent climax to drive home the film’s dramatic and emotional poignance, showcasing how Scott can tie fantastic action to a strong narrative.
10 Best Ridley Scott Action Sequences From His 47-Year Movie Career
Ridley Scott is promising his biggest action sequence ever in Gladiator II, which is saying a lot because he’s directed some great ones.
Then there areScott’sAlienprequel movieswhich feature a blend of the action fromAliensand the horror aspects of the originalAlien. BothPrometheusandAlien: Covenanthave their standout action scenes despite receiving divisive reviews, from the former’s storm sequence and final Engineer battle to the latter’s clashes involving the praetomorph aliens. Evidently, Scott’s recent career continued a trend he showed early in his Hollywood tenure: a distinct eye for great action, whichGladiator 2only continues to highlight.
Ridley Scott Really Needs To Make A Proper Action Movie After Gladiator 2
With all this being said, Ridley Scott should commit himself to making a pure action movie afterGladiator 2. Despite the strengths of the many battles and fight scenes mentioned, Scott’s post-2010 career has been marred by divisiveness from critics regarding storytelling. Both the aforementionedAlienmovies,Napoleon, and evenGladiator 2received more negative reviews than Scott’s earlier films due to their lackluster stories or emotional detachment. This is without mentioning movies likeExodus: Gods and KingsandRobin Hoodwhich had some expectedly good action scenes but lacked narrative heft.
43%
58%
73%
68%
Exodus: Gods and Kings
30%
35%
91%
65%
55%
85%
81%
59%
72%
82%
With this in mind,it may be time for Scott to move away from scripts that have narrative drawbacks but with cool action sequences and dive headlong into a proper action movie. Imagining someone with Scott’s eye for fight scenes directing a pure action movie in the vein ofJohn Wick, The Equalizer, or other more straight-up action franchises is incredibly enticing. This way, Scott’s talents can shine through while not being dragged down by disappointing scripts as the focus of the movie is the action itself, continuing the trend that was proven to be true once again byGladiator 2.
Gladiator II
Cast
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
