Steve Potts

**** Spoilers **** I knew prior to watching Gladiator II that there was slim chance it would measure up to the original. The former a vehicle to transport you to a time, where you could smell 'Rome', and where the lead characters loomed large on the screen, commanding you to watch. So I wasn't disappointed to be underwhelmed by the sequel. Mascal is likely a great actor in his own right, but the title role in any Gladiator film must possess charisma, charm, and ironically 'rage'. Mascal did not have this in his locker, which is a casting issue, not his personally. I could waffle on for hours, but whereas with Gladiator I can watch that film several times in a year, Gladiator II will not be added to my collection. Weak casting, clichéd script, and the focus of the film primarily set in the colosseum meant there was no transportation, just a repeated glance at the watch to anticipate the end, of which I was in reality indifferent to. Wasted talent, and Scott did not deliver faithfully to his fans of the original.