Ridley Scott, the director of two of the greatest films of all time—‘Blade Runner’ and ‘Alien’—has seen the quality of his recent films decline significantly. His latest projects, particularly ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings,’ ‘House of Gucci,’ and ‘Napoleon,’ have been woeful. While he still excels in creating grandeur and spectacle, the emotional depth of his films and, notably, his scripts have felt quite lacking lately. Although ‘Gladiator 2’ stands out as one of his better recent films, the question remains: amidst all the visual splendor, where is the emotional truth?

As time has passed since the original Best Picture-winning film ‘Gladiator’ (2000), it’s clear that while it may not be a masterpiece, two elements have truly stood the test of time: its haunting score and its emotional depth. The original score, in particular, could easily rank among the greatest film scores of all time. Therefore, I was surprised by how the title of the original refrain is only used sparingly in ‘Gladiator 2,’ appearing mostly at the end. Even though there are some epic scenes, the emotional impact of the story  is simply not there.

I can easily understand why Paul Mescal was cast in the role, given his Romanesque, aquiline nose and simmering intensity. Although he fits the part, the script does not provide any depth beyond themes of fighting, rage, and revenge. I felt particularly sympathetic towards the actress playing Lucilia, who returned from a powerful performance in the original but is now hindered by the filler and Botox that have frozen her emotional range. The deranged emperors are entertaining to watch, but they seem restrained; if you’re going to explore Roman decadence, you need to be ready to deliver some real shocks. Pedro Pascal’s character feels unnecessary, especially with Denzel Washington commanding the screen with the best role, dialogue, and acting. The nine-time Oscar nominee could be on his way to a tenth nomination with his stunning Machiavellian performance that steals the show. It’s worth seeing the film just for his performance.

As a final note, it’s worth mentioning that Gladiator 2 includes references to the well-known homosexual practices of the Romans. However, the queer-coded characters in the film are portrayed as the most deranged and decadent, seemingly reinforcing the tired trope that associates liberated sexuality with moral decline. Once again, the hero’s straightness stands in stark contrast to the homosexual decadence of Rome. This portrayal is not only clichéd but also lacks depth.

Ridley Scott delivers action and spectacle, though with some eye-rolling CGI sharks and monkeys, but seems unable to evoke any real emotion. A flash back to the famous emotional hand on the wheat field just reinforced the lack of pathos in this sequel. 7/10