Member-only story
History is Ridley Scott’s Sandbox
My Review of Gladiator II
When Gladiator II hit theaters in November 2024, I had as much enthusiasm to see it as I did to schedule my long overdue dental cleaning and checkup.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the first one! Gladiator, starring Russell Crowe, is a classic. It remains one of the best sword-and-sandal epics of the last 50 years. I saw it twice in the theater, bought the commemorative DVD set when it came out, and have watched it multiple times since.
But a sequel?
Nah, I’ll pass.
So I did.
Until this past Saturday night.
My wife is in London with our daughter. Our son is back in Harrisonburg with his friends, and so… the house is rather quiet. Well, except for our dog, Rex. He keeps things from getting too boring.
Still, as I sat on the couch with Rex, I decided to see if there was something worth watching. I came across Gladiator II and, in a moment of weakness, said “Why not?”