It’s taken 24 years to get this sequel to the movie Gladiator finally and so I headed out to Cineworld in Broughton to bring you my Gladiator II IMAX review to see if the wait was worth it and how the movie looks and sounds in IMAX.
Gladiator II, directed by Ridley Scott, is a sequel to the 2000 Academy Award-winning film Gladiator. Set 15 years after the original events, the story follows Lucius Verus (Paul Mescal, All of Us Strangers), the grown nephew of Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) and admirer of Maximus (Russell Crowe). Lucius, estranged from his mother Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), finds himself captured and forced into slavery as a gladiator.
With the movie exploring his rise in the arena and navigating the political chaos of Rome, which is now ruled by unstable co-emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger), we are certainly treated to some amazing-looking scenes in the Colosseum such as fights with some on the most terrifying baboons you will probably see to re-enactments of sea battles that all look and sound amazing in IMAX.
Gladiator II has that feel of the previous movie with a superb battle which I have to say had me on the edge of my seat as Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) fights to capture and enslave another piece of land for the deranged co-emperors, in turn Lucios is captured. The journey to Gladiator is set as much as the previous movie with Maximus when he was put into the world of the Gladiatorial battles in the Roman Colosseum.
Ridley Scott is no stranger to bringing us some truly epic-looking movies and Gladiator II in IMAX is no exception, from the vastness of the Roman empire to the cells that the Gladiators are kept in all looks superb with some truly wonderful cinematography from John Mathieson (Logan, Phantom of the Opera). The look of the movie in IMAX really pulls you into the feel of the time.
Although not shot for IMAX, the film is optimised for IMAX, and lacking some E.A.R. (Expanded Aspect Ratio) which in my point of view would have looked great in scenes such as the battle at the beginning and some of the Colosseum scenes, but the film still looks great.
It was great to see Connie Nielsen reprising her role from Gladiator, plus I loved the flashbacks that included Crowe to give this new film a closer connection to the original, all nicely done and a nod to Scott’s 2000 movie that so many of us loved on the big screen the first time around.
One of the pleasant surprises was seeing Matt Lucas (Little Brittain) in the movie, which certainly made me smile. But I have to say that the stand-out performance for me in Gladiator II is Denzel Washinton‘s role as the gladiator-turned-merchant Macrinus. I loved how he portrayed the character and how he became a character I wasn’t sure about early on in the film and one that I loved to hate by the end.
Gladiator II is certainly a movie that should be seen on the big screen and the bigger the matter such as IMAX. With a star-studded cast to bring the long-awaited sequel to life and the fantastic music by Harry Gregson-Williams (The Martian, The House of Gucci), Gladiator II in IMAX is packed with some superb action sequences that will have you on the edge of your seat.
The Fight for Rome Continues on the Big Screen
Movie title: Gladiator II (2024)
Movie description: After his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now lead Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum and must look to his past to find strength to return the glory of Rome to its people.
Date published: November 16, 2024
Country: UK
Duration: 2h 28m
Director(s): Ridley Scott
Actor(s): Connie Nielsen, Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal
Genre: Sword & Sandal, Action, Adventure, Drama
Summary
The 24-year wait for a Gladiator sequel has been worthwhile as Ridley Scott delivers this much-anticipated Sword & Sandal epic to IMAX.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
