Gladiator II try’s to soar high, but falls victim to a muddled plot.

The sequel to the Oscar winning Gladiator takes the viewer on a remarkably similar, yet worse journey as the original. Complete with royal intrigue and dramatic violence, it reminds us why Gladiator is so good.

We follow Lucius, the grandson of Marcus Aurelius’, as he turns from an enemy of Rome into a sort of defender of it. After his city falls to the Romans, he’s forced to compete in the arena for the pleasure of a nation he rejects.

At the same time you have two young neurotic emperors, a general and his wife Lucilla trying to restore the senate, and Denzel Washington’s character Macrinus playing all sides in an attempt to gain control of the empire.

Throughout this, you have thrilling fights and set pieces that show the scale of the Roman Empire. Not only humans in the arena, but monkeys, tigers, and even a historically accurate naval battle in a partially flooded arena.

However, all the action in the world can not distract from the fact that the plot makes little sense. With character decisions being questionable to downright stupid, seemingly cut scenes where characters may have grown, and an overall rushed feeling to the plot. It’s as if it’s trying to just get it over with to make more room for fights.

The singular bright spot is Macrinus’s subplot, masterful acting by Denzel Washington elevates this to the only interesting thing in this film. Thinking about the plot for too long will leave you scratching your head, especially if you have seen the first film.

This film is a 6/10, but its plot is a 3.5/10. I would only see this film in theaters with a discount.