Gladiator II

The glory that was Rome does not really exist today. Similarly, the glory that was the first movie does not exist in this sequel either. Many of the elements are the same—they even recycle a few images from the first flick—but they do not retain the power they once had. This is not to call this outing a bad movie; it holds the viewer's attention throughout, and there is more than enough moviemaking competence on display for credit to be given. But some animating principle is lacking in this work; the proceedings do not carry as much emotional heft as the earlier work. Even the presence of the usually reliable Denzel Washington does not lift the story above standard issue sword and sandals spectacle; only briefly do we see his usual spark crackle across screen and scene. And, to top it all off, the script seems to rewrite Roman history to boot. The thumb points sideways for this one, and the Cat can only muster a MEOW. Take that as a sign from the gods.