Considering the amount of time that has passed since the first Gladiator, I was curious to see how well the sequel would play out. I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed and fully pulled into this film from the first scene. Seeing Connie Neilson return as Lucilla was fantastic, and Denzel Washington, and Pedro Pascal were wonderful additions, but the star of the film came from Paul Mescal. His performace as Lucius was stellar. There were moments of great quotes and action that made an impact I feel most people could benefit from. The sequences of events and the timing of the story played out well to create a film that complements the first in its entirety, carrying the greatness of the original tale forward to produce a finale that is satisfying and beautiful. Lucius exhibits what it means to fight against an evil empire, stand up for true freedom and unite peoples under one goal; unity and equality for all.
An absolute thrill with so much to share, I was most certainly ENTERTAINED.
5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟