Matt Henderson

First, let me just say that Gladiator II is a truly terrible film in almost every way imaginable, making even its wildly bombastic combat dull and trite. As one gladiator slave says to another as they enter Rome, “I never knew how bad it would stink.” It’s all style and no substance, the kind of film you are consciously aware of from one scene to the next. A good film transports you into another world. A bad one keeps reminding you that you’re watching a movie. Gladiator II is a bad movie, top to bottom.