"Gladiator II" may have garnered some mixed reviews, but there's no denying that it was one of the biggest blockbusters of 2024. And if you've been wondering when it's coming to streaming, you're not alone.
But wonder no longer because now we know exactly when the sequel to 2000's "Gladiator" will hit streaming services. Paramount announced today that "Gladiator II" will be released on Paramount Plus on January 21.
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Now that we know when this historical epic is coming to Paramount Plus, you might be wondering whether or not it's worth your time to stream. Well, having watched it myself, I can tell you that the answer is a resounding ... maybe. So let's get into what "Gladiator II" is all about and whether you should stream it or skip it.
What is 'Gladiator II' about?
"Gladiator II" stars Paul Mescal as Hanno, who is secretly Lucius Verus Aurelius. Lucius was the prince of Rome in the original "Gladiator" movie, but he has been living in exile as Hanno, even starting a family with his wife Arishat in the North African kingdom of Numidia.
But Lucius cannot escape Rome forever. The Romans, led by General Acacius (Pedro Pascal) sack Numidia and kill Arishat, and take Hanno/Lucius prisoner along with a handful of others. After killing a baboon in a fighting pit, he catches the eye of Macrinus (Denzel Washington), who buys him with the intent of making him a gladiator.
Now, Hanno has a chance for vengeance against those who wronged him, namely Acacius. With Macrinus' help, Hanno wins gladiatorial games and gets close to the opportunity to win his vengeance in the arena.
Come for the action scenes, stay for Denzel
There's no way around it — this movie has some serious flaws. Without getting into spoilers, Hanno/Lucius's revenge journey is only half the story of "Gladiator II" and the script clearly wasn't crafted well enough, because the transition between plotlines doesn't go smoothly. Paul Mescal is also arguably miscast as Lucius, and whoever told him to do a Russell Crowe impression should be kicking themselves because it really detracts from the performance.
That said, there are two big reasons to watch this movie. First, while the story isn't necessarily as well-executed as it was "Gladiator," the fight/action sequences are. With the lone exception of the questionable alien-looking CGI baboons, the gladiatorial set pieces in "Gladiator II" are well-choreographed, well-shot and compelling to watch. Mescal's best performance of the entire movie is a close-combat sequence in a living room where a party is being held for the twin Roman emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger).
The other reason to watch this movie is that Denzel Washington is so good in it. While most of the other characters are underwhelming, particularly Pedro Pascal as Acacias, who like Mescal shines in action scenes but is confoundingly disappointing in dialogue-heavy scenes, Denzel is completely in the zone. His performance as Macrinus is a total scene-stealer, and his dialogue and its delivery is leaps and bounds above everyone else. If you told me he largely went off script for his performance, I'd believe it.
So is this an Oscar-worthy movie to its acclaimed predecessor? No. But if you find yourself looking for something to watch "Gladiator II" is worth your time if for no other reason than to watch Denzel give one of his best performances to date. To be fair, that's a pretty good reason.
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