“Gladiator II” has finally hit theaters and it’s leaving some fans up in arms about its shaky plotline.
Helmed by “Gladiator” director Ridley Scott, the movie stars Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal and is a follow up to the first “Gladiator” film that came out in 2000. The sequel follows Mescal’s character, Lucius, who becomes a gladiator after he is taken prisoner and forced to work into the Colosseum.
While winning battles for Macrinus (Washington), a well-connected Roman businessman, Lucius learns his family’s history and is inspired to help Rome return to its former glory.
The film was released on Friday, Nov. 22, and has a total run time of 2 hours and 28 minutes. According to Variety, “Gladiator II” has a projected domestic opening weekend of $60 million and opened with a “powerful” debut of $87 million in the international box office arena, making it the biggest international R-rated opening weekend for Paramount Pictures.
While the box office stats appear to be doing well for the sequel to the Oscar-winning film, on social media fans had mixed reactions.
Some applauded the film, calling it “excellent” and “soooo good.”
Others were a bit more dramatic with one writing, “Just watched gladiator 2 and suddenly life is worth living again.”
Another shared they were in tears over the film.
While some felt the new film was a great follow up to the first, others on X felt differently. Some noted that “Gladiator II” just couldn’t compare to the first movie.
“If you love Gladiator 1, Don’t watch Gladiator 2,” a fan wrote.
Another added their analysis: “While Gladiator 2 is not bad at all, it suffers from a comparison to that masterpiece that Scott directed in 2000. The first Gladiator was pure Cinema from start to finish, where the fantastic performances and visuals were complimented by an heartfelt story and a glorious score.”
A third shared their thoughts, calling “Gladiator” a “MASTERPIECE,” but “Gladiator II” a “sword-and-sandals action flick you’ll forget about next week.”
A few questioned the film’s plot with one calling the film “unnecessary” with a “forced script that didn’t add to the story in any meaningful way.”
Another added that they hated the lazy “plot points” of the film.
One even joked that the film’s plot had nothing to with Lucius storyline, sharing a meme that read, “Me; “I’m watching Gladiator 2 for the plot,” before adding a shirtless photo of Paul Mescal next to a photo of Pedro Pascal with the headline, “The plot;”
Though the social media reactions to “Gladiator II” varied online, there seemed to be an overwhelming consensus about one thing: Denzel Washington made it worth the watch.
“GLADIATOR II is okay. Mescal is fine, as is everyone else,” one person tweeted before adding, “The real star, as you’ve probably heard, is Denzel Washington, delivering one of his most magnetic performances. His contagious, electrifying presence goes a long way in elevating a painfully by-the-numbers movie.”
Another person predicted that Washington would get an Oscar nod for his performance.
“Not going to lie I can’t stop thinking of Denzel’s performance in Gladiator 2. He has an Oscar with his name written on it,” the person wrote in part.
Others had similar sentiments about Washington’s performance, with one even joking that the Oscar winner carried the entire film.
