Ridley Scott’s long-awaited swords-and-sandals sequel Gladiator II is now streaming on Paramount+, and Denzel Washington’s scene-stealing performance is not to be missed. Released 24 years after the Oscar-winning original film starring Russell Crowe, Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal as Maximus’ illegitimate son Lucius, who goes on his own journey from soldier to slave to gladiator to champion. Along the way, he’s trained by the mysterious Macrinus, played by Washington, and seeks vengeance against Acacius, the ruthless general who killed his wife and married his mom, played by Pedro Pascal.

One of the messages of Gladiator was that people’s actions echo through eternity, so a sequel was always viable to show the echoes of Maximus’ actions. Scott developed a Gladiator sequel in various forms before finally settling on a story he wanted to tell (and now, he’s already working on a script for Gladiator III). When it was released in theaters in November, Gladiator II received mixed reviews from critics, but it’s definitely worth checking out at its new streaming home. Washington’s show-stopping performance alone makes the Gladiator sequel a must-see.

Gladiator 2 Is Now Streaming On Paramount+

The Gladiator Sequel Can Now Be Enjoyed At Home

Just two months after its initial theatrical release, Gladiator II is now available to stream on Paramount+. Paramount Pictures distributed the sequel after DreamWorks and Universal handled the first one, and it’ll surely be a huge boon to the studio’s fledgling streaming service. Gladiator II runs for 148 minutes, which is seven minutes shorter than the first film, but still pretty long. Watching it on Paramount+ at home will give audiences the chance to pause it in the middle to use the bathroom, a luxury they didn’t have at movie theaters.

Why Denzel Washington’s Performance Alone Makes Gladiator 2 Worth Watching

Washington Steals Every Scene He’s In

Mescal is a fantastic dramatic actor, but he isn’t quite up to the task of leading Gladiator II with a Crowe-like action hero performance. Pascal gives a subversively sympathetic turn as the villainous Acacius, but he’s underutilized in this overstuffed ensemble. Washington’s performance alone makes the sequel worth watching, though. He plays Macrinus, a former slave who now trains gladiators. Although Macrinus starts out as a caring mentor figure in Lucius’ fighting career, he turns out to have a sinister ulterior motive that reveals itself in the second half of the film.

Washington imbues Gladiator II with a refreshing sense of humor that its predecessor didn’t have. He steals every scene he’s in with charisma, comic energy, and unbridled enthusiasm. Out of all the actors in Gladiator II, Washington seems to be having the most fun. But as funny as his character is, he’s also capable of turning on the villainy when he takes a dark turn. This performance is a masterclass, and although Macrinus is just a supporting role, Washington makes Gladiator II a must-see.

How Gladiator 2 Compares To Ridley Scott’s Original 2000 Movie

Gladiator 2 Was Well-Received, But Lost Points For Being Too Derivative Of Its Predecessor

Taken on its own merits, Gladiator II is a riveting historical action epic with powerful performances and breathtaking battle scenes. It’s hurt by the inevitable comparisons it draws to its predecessor. While Gladiator II is a very well-made movie, Gladiator is a bona fide masterpiece. Gladiator has 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, while Gladiator II has a slightly lower rating of 71%. They both have better scores from audiences: Gladiator has an audience score of 87% and Gladiator II has an audience score of 82%.

The Gladiator movies grossed almost exactly the same amount at the worldwide box office — Gladiator grossed $451,683,599, while Gladiator II grossed $458,610,486 (via The Numbers) — but the difference is that Gladiator II had more than twice the budget of Gladiator. Gladiator cost $103 million to produce, while Gladiator II cost a whopping $250 million. Plus, there have been 24 years of inflation since the first Gladiator movie came out, so Gladiator II’s $450 million gross in 2024 dollars is nowhere near as impressive as Gladiator’s $450 million gross in 2000 dollars.

Although Gladiator II was widely praised for its action scenes and the cast’s performances, many reviews claimed it was let down by being too derivative of its predecessor. Lucius’ journey in the sequel is almost identical to his father’s journey in the first film: he’s a soldier who loses his family, gets taken as a slave, rises through the gladiatorial ranks to become a beloved celebrity, and seeks revenge. Gladiator II is at its best when it breaks away from the original narrative, gives Washington a bigger spotlight, and tells its own story about the political machinations of Ancient Rome.

Source: The Numbers