This movie is the highly anticipated sequel to Gladiator, a 2000 film that won 5 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor (Russell Crowe). With big shoes to fill, 28 year-old Paul Mescal stars as the protagonist in a film Ridley Scott has tried to make since the theatrical release of the first film. The two and a half hour long film centers around Mescal’s character, Hanno, as he loses his home and wife at the hands of General Acacius (Pedro Pascal). After his battle, he is enslaved and forced to fight in front of Macrinus (Denzel Washington), to try to earn his way into being a gladiator on the big stage and fighting in the Colosseum. Once he makes it there, he learns secrets about his past and how he is truly destined for the Roman throne.

Let me set the record straight– this is not a perfect movie, however it is not the same movie as the first like people are saying it is. The movie does follow the same slave to gladiator plot as its predecessor, however people must realize this film is a sequel. Throughout the story you get the slow realization that Hanno is actually Russel Crowe’ son from the first movie, Lucius. So it is sort of symbolic that Lucius will fight like his father did, trying to complete his father’s goals of being a free man.

The film is also more of an epic than the first. There are more large-scale battles than its ancestor, particularly in the first and second. It also focuses more on the personal life of General Acacius and his wife Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) as they figure out the best way to overthrow the emperors and give more power to the people of Rome. This differentiates from the story of the first film that strictly follows the life and story of Russel Crowe’s Maximus.

The acting in this film is good, with a few standouts. Mescal gives a good performance in the first film I’ve ever seen of his. Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn (Emperor Geta) give one of the better performances of their careers, however still nothing show stopping. Denzel Washington and Fred Hechinger (Emperor Caracalla) are easily the best performances. While Quinn tends to overact in parts, his on-screen brother Hechinger is delightful in every scene he is in. As well, Washington steals the show with every scene he is in, giving the most convincing performance of the film. Being such a decorated actor, Denzel Washington can make such an interesting character even more interesting, making me forget that I am watching a film at some points. Don’t be surprised if he wins the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

One of the main issues I have with the film is the pacing. I feel in parts, especially towards the beginning, it tends to drag on. Some fights seem very over the top, and while enjoyable, seem too unrealistic. Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed when the gladiators fought on boats in a flooded colosseum, however the addition of sharks in the water made it too fake for me. Also the first fight that Lucius has is a preliminary fight to earn his way to the colosseum against rabid monkeys, also seeming too unbelievable. And, sometimes shots were too dark, making hard to see what was going on at times.

Although the issues I stated were prominent, the more successful parts of the film outweigh it, making for an enjoyable movie. And with many big names associated with the film, it will definitely perform well in the box office, as well as throughout award season. So all in all, I was truly entertained.