Denzel Washingtondelivered one of his most entertaining performances in a long-awaited sequel, but it might not have been what the movie needed. Washington is considered one ofthe greatest actors of all time, scoring two Oscars, alongside seven other nominations. In a rare feat, Washington has been nominated at least once in every decade of the past 40 years.
Washington’s best moviesshow his incredible versatility, playing trailblazing political figures, such as inMalcolm X, inspiring everyday leaders, such as inRemember the Titans, and even ruthless villains, such as inTraining Day. In each one of these movies, Washington’s performance stood out as a highlight and elevated the whole project.
Though he has remained one of the biggest stars in Hollywood for decades,Washington has largely avoided sequels, save forThe Equalizermovies. However, one of his most recent roles saw him step into another franchise and deliver a performance that wowed critics but presented problems for the overall movie.
Denzel Washington Steals The Show In Gladiator II
Washington’s Performance As Macrinus Is The Highlight Of The Sequel
Thecast ofGladiator IIis an impressive one, filled with up-and-coming stars, but Denzel Washington gives the best performance in the movie. Taking place decades after the events of the first movie,Gladiator IIfollows Lucius (Paul Mescal) as he seeks revenge on General Acacius (Pedro Pascal), who he blames for invading his land and killing his true love.
Macrinus is a character whose true intentions and motivations remain mysterious for most of the movie, but it is never less than gripping watching him move the chess pieces as he likes.
When Lucius is sold as a slave to be trained as a gladiator, hemeets Macrinus (Washington), a former gladiator who has won his freedom. With plenty more ambition, Macrinus seeks to use Lucius' talents in the arena to fulfill his own quest for power. As soon as Macrinus is introduced, the movie comes alive in a new way.
Washington commands the screen whenever he is on it, which is impressive considering that Macrinus is a character who sometimes knows when to hide in the background. However, just watching Washington silently observing lets the audience understand this puppet master who is always plotting his next move.
Washington chews the scenery in the best way possible,infusing his portrayal with unique choices that continue to draw the audience in. Macrinus is a character whose true intentions and motivations remain mysterious for most of the movie, but it is never less than gripping watching him move the chess pieces as he likes.
Gladiator II’s Other Characters Are Overshadowed By Washington’s Macrinus
Lucius And Acacius Can’t Compete With The More Compelling Character
Denzel Washington helps to make Macrinus such a fascinating character that the audience cannot help but cheer for him even as he emerges as the true villain of the story. However, that is a problem for the two hero characters ofGladiator II.
Mescal simply doesn’t have the star power to match Washington as an onscreen rival.
While both Lucius and Acacius areconnected to Maximus from the originalGladiator, neither are as compelling as Macrinus. Mescal and Pascal are brilliant actors, but they simply cannot match the presence that Washington has in this movie, and their characters become less interesting as a result.
Fred Hechinger
Emperor Caracalla
Washington has not appeared in a supporting role like this sinceAntwone Fisherin 2002.Part of the risk of casting an actor like Washington in a role like this is that he is not only a great actor, but also a movie star. The audience is used to watching him throughout the whole movie, and this performance encourages that.
Mescal’s Lucius especially suffers from this dynamic, and he shares the most scenes opposite Washington. Mescal simply doesn’t have the star power to match Washington as an onscreen rival. Lucius is also hindered by the movie putting him too much in the shadow of Maximus, unable to really stand out on his own.
Gladiator II Focuses Too Much On Macrinus And Fails To Develop Its Main Plot
Gladiator II Forgets Whose Story It Is Telling
It is not just the audience that is mesmerized by Washington’s performance inGladiator II.The movie itself seems to forget that Macrinus is not the main character, putting more and more focus on him at the expense of the rest of the story.
The second half of the movie is so focused on Macrinus that it is somewhat jarring when the movie returns to Lucius, almost as a reminder that he is actually the main character.
It is not hard to see the intended story at the center ofGladiator II, as it follows two men who were heavily influenced by Maximus and are eventually pitted against each other in the gladiator arena, each fighting to uphold the late general’s principles.
That is an interesting story, butit feels like it was gradually edited away in favor of spending more time on Macrinus and his maneuvers for power. The second half of the movie is so focused on Macrinus that it is somewhat jarring when the movie returns to Lucius, almost as a reminder that he is actually the main character.
A Gladiator Sequel Could Have Worked With Macrinus As The Lead
Gladiator IImade the mistake of treating its supporting character like the lead, thus damaging the main storyline of the movie. However,it is a shame that they did not learn the potential of Macrinus earlier in the making of this movie, as the character was certainly strong enough and layered enough to have led a differentGladiatorsequel.
The story of a gladiator winning his freedom and gradually beginning to gain power in the political world is a fascinating one. In fact, it feels strange to depict Macrinus as the villain, given his backstory.Had theGladiatorsequel been written with Macrinus as the lead, they could have shaped him into a more heroic character.
WithMaximus dead at the end ofGladiator, there was no reason for a sequel to be so focused on him. However,a version ofGladiator IIfocusing on Macrinus could have been its own standalone storywhile still carrying the spirit of the original movie. It also would have placed Washington in the genuine lead role where he belonged.
