For some, it feels like this movie is treading similar waters.
Inthe originalGladiator, Maximus loses his wife and child to the Roman Empire.
Years later, his son, Lucius, loses his wife in battle against Rome.
While this is a by-the-book revenge tale, it is a tried and true one for cinema.
Because of this, it’s not a revolutionary revenge tale.
In fact, it would take a lot to elevate this classic tale of revenge.
While Lucius' storyline does not push boundaries, Denzel Washington’s Macrinus does.
Macrinus is a slave turned gladiator turned political player turned the biggest threat to the unstable Roman Empire.
Macrinus does not believe inGladiator II’sdream of Rome, and he has no desire to make a better Rome.
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Instead, he wants to destroy it.
He is not motivated by a single person’s death.
Rome made Macrinus' life hell, and then it rewarded him as if that were enough.
Not only isMaximus Lucius' father, but Lucius also relives his father’s greatest tragedy.
Shortly after, Maximus is captured, enslaved, and turned into a gladiator.
He uses this as his chance to get closer to the emperor and exact deadly revenge.
Macrinus, on the other hand, had been invested in taking down Rome for years.
He is a slave who became a slave owner, keeping this cycle alive.
It also compliments the themes of the film more while also letting Denzel Washington deliver another memorable performance.
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However, it’s Marcrinus' story that’s the stronger of the two.
