Gladiator II: 4K UHD Review
Now available on 4K UHD is Ridley Scott’s long-awaited sequel, Gladiator II, which opened to mixed reactions last fall. While I do feel the original film starring Russell Crowe is a superior film, I will admit that the sequel is almost just as entertaining, that is thanks in no small part to the scene stealing Denzel Washington and Scott’s decision to put anything he wanted, no matter how stupid into this film. Gladiators fighting sharks in an arena anyone? Scott manages to keep things moving and keep things fun.
Gladiator II centers on the now grown up Lucius Verus Aurelius (Paul Mescal), the son of Maximus Decimus Meridius from the first film. After the new leaders of Rome, conquer his home, Lucius follows in his father’s footsteps by being forced to fight in the Colosseum. Lucius is part of the stable of gladiators controlled by Macrinus (Washington), who sees great value in his new fighter. However, Lucius is focused on revenge. He wants to kill General Acacius (Pedro Pascal), who lead the army that ravaged his home. What Lucius doesn’t know is that Acacius didn’t want to attack in the first place, but he is under the heal of his own Roman lords. Acacius is also in love with Lucious’ mother Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), who at first, doesn’t realize that her son is the new roman Gladiator.
Sure, Gladiator II is more-often-than-not, idiotic, but there isn’t anything wrong with that, when watching a film like this. More importantly, what is the answer when you ask yourself…Are you not entertained? I sure was. Mescal is fine, but he doesn’t command the screen the same way Crowe did before him, which is one of the film’s biggest issues. Still, what more do you want from what is basically a B-movie with a massive budget?
The 2160p presentation is just stunning, as great as the restoration of the first film looked, the sequel looks even better and that’s because this is obviously a much newer production. The Roman sets, look bright and detailed, with vibrant colors. The Dolby Atmos track is a marvel as well and really gets rolling during the numerous battles. From the score to the clinking swords. Having scene the film in a Dolby Theater upon its’ release, I knew what the 4K UHD would bring when it came to the audio. If you are a fan of Gladiator II, you will definitely be pleased with this release.
Bonus Content:
- A Dream That Was Rome: Origins—Director Ridley Scott and producers delve into the history behind Gladiator II and how the story developed over many years before coming to the screen.
- What We Do In Life Echoes In Eternity: The Cast—Take an inside look into Ridley Scott’s casting process.
- In The Arena: Filmmakers—Go behind the scenes as the cast and crew journey to Malta, Morocco, and the UK for the epic production.
- To Those About To Die, We Salute You: Combat—Discover how Ridley Scott and his team combined choreographed combat with cutting-edge visual effects to take the action to a whole new level.
- Building An Empire: Post-Production—Join the filmmakers for insights into the fascinating process of crafting the finished movie, which includes a scoring session led by composer Harry Gregson-Williams.
- The Making Of Gladiator II—Explore how Ridley Scott, the cast, and crew worked to bring Gladiator II to life.
- Deleted Scenes
By: Marc Ferman
