Can Gladiator II outdo its epic original?
Trailer for the long-awaited sequel shows Paul Mescal fighting a rhino, and taps into 'nostalgia' for 'sword and sandals drama'
Twenty-four years is a "slog of a time" to wait for a sequel. Now, the trailer for "Gladiator II" has finally been released and the question remains: "Are you not entertained?"
"I am", said Jonathan Dean in The Times. From the three-minute clip, the new film looks "exactly like 'Gladiator', albeit with boats". Little wonder that there are striking similarities between the two; returning director Ridley Scott has lost none of his sense of "scale and ambition" in the decades since the original.
'Frenzied excitement'
The opening shot of the trailer begins with a shirtless Paul Mescal in a candle-lit room. You "cannot blame the 'Gladiator II' lot", said Dean. They know only too well to tap into the actor's "lure". Mescal has already carved out an impressive reputation with hits such as "Normal People", but Scott's latest film will likely "do for him what the first did" for Russell Crowe. "By December he will be a bona fide A-list star."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Gladiator II" begins years after the original, following Lucius (Mescal), the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielson) and nephew to the first film's evil Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). After living a relatively peaceful life with his wife and child, he's forced into slavery and begins fighting his way up the ranks as a gladiator.
The "frenzied excitement" surrounding the trailer hints at a "nostalgia" for an "earlier style of blockbuster", said Neil Armstrong on BBC Culture. There seems to be a "real appetite" for the "once huge sword-and-sandal drama" that peaked around the time of the first "Spartacus" in 1960.
'Oodles of spectacle'
While historical accuracy has never been Scott's top priority (he told Dan Snow to "get a life" when the historian questioned details in "Napoleon"), jaw-dropping scenes from the trailer of the Colosseum being flooded and a rhino charging across the arena to fight Mescal are, remarkably, rooted in fact.
If the "stunning" trailer is anything to go by, "Gladiator II" looks "every bit as epic" as the first film, said Erik Kain in Forbes, "with an even more star-studded cast". The sole drawback is the "weird inclusion" of Jay-Z and Kanye West's song "No Church in the Wild". I can only assume it was "some marketing exec's bright idea" to entice a younger audience, plenty of whom hadn't been born when the original came out. "It does not work".
Still, said Robbie Collin in The Telegraph, the trailer for the sequel "delivers oodles" of spectacle. Eighty-six-year-old Scott is long overdue a "hit" matching up to the success of "The Martian" in 2015. "This could be it".
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Irenie Forshaw is a features writer at The Week, covering arts, culture and travel. She began her career in journalism at Leeds University, where she wrote for the student newspaper, The Gryphon, before working at The Guardian and The New Statesman Group. Irenie then became a senior writer at Elite Traveler, where she oversaw The Experts column.
-
Who will win the 2024 presidential election?
In Depth Election year is here. Who are pollsters and experts predicting to win the White House?
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
'The end result is all of humanity degraded'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Fears of all-out war grow after Golan Heights strike
Speed Read Tensions are escalating between Israel and Hezbollah
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Alice Munro: should we still read a fallen saint?
From The Magazine Claims author excused abuse of daughter at hands of stepfather has readers 'sifting sentences for missed clues'
By The Week UK Published
-
Twisters review: 'warm-blooded' film explores dangerous weather
The Week Recommends The film, focusing on 'tornado wranglers', stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell
By The Week UK Published
-
Is Maika Monroe the first feminist scream queen?
The Week Recommends The 'Longlegs' star has blazed a unique trail for herself in horror
By David Faris Published
-
In 'Twisters,' there are no winds of (climate) change
Talking Point The weather-focused blockbuster kicks up a swirl of controversy over a conspicuous and deliberate omission
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Eno: 'stimulating and cerebral' documentary that's never the same twice
The Week Recommends A 'fascinating' look at the mercurial British musician and activist Brian Eno
By The Week UK Published
-
Longlegs: 'nerve-jangling and devilishly bleak' horror film
The Week Recommends Nicolas Cage gives perhaps the most 'terrifying' performance of his career as the titular serial killer
By The Week UK Published
-
Are dating apps dying?
Talking Point Younger people are ditching dating apps in favour of seeking real-world encounters
By Keumars Afifi-Sabet, The Week UK Published
-
Why Katy Perry's on trial at the 'pop culture Hague'
Talking Point Her new single, an 'attempt' at a 'feminist anthem', has been ferociously slated for retreading dated ground
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published