Russell Crowe Slams Gladiator II for Missing the Mark
Russell Crowe voices his disappointment with Gladiator II, saying the sequel misses the heart that made the original film stand out.
Russell Crowe, who won over audiences as Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 epic, hasn’t held back his thoughts on the much-anticipated follow-up. The Aussie actor, known for his straight-shooting style, recently shared his take on Gladiator II, which introduces Paul Mescal as the supposed son of Maximus and Lucilla. Crowe didn’t mince words, calling it
“a really unfortunate example of even the people in that engine room not actually understanding what made the first one special.”
He reckons the sequel’s creators missed the point entirely. For Crowe, the original film’s strength wasn’t in its grand sets or action-packed scenes. Instead, he says,
“It wasn’t the pomp. It wasn’t the circumstance. It wasn’t the action. It was the moral core.”
That’s what set the story apart and gave it real weight, according to the bloke who brought Maximus to life.
Questionable Plot Choices
Crowe’s main gripe is with the storyline that suggests Maximus fathered a child with Lucilla. He’s not shy about his frustration, explaining that he fought tooth and nail to keep Maximus’s character true to his values during the original production.
“The thing is, there was a daily fight to keep that moral core of the character. The amount of times they suggested sex scenes and stuff like that for Maximus, it’s like, you’re taking away his power,”
he says. For Crowe, the idea that Maximus would betray his wife just didn’t stack up.
He goes on,
“What are you talking about? You’re saying at the same time he had this relationship with his wife, he was fucking this other girl? What are you talking about? It’s crazy.”
Crowe’s blunt assessment leaves little room for doubt about his feelings on the matter.
Legacy and Reception
Many fans and critics have echoed Crowe’s concerns, feeling that the sequel’s plot comes off as forced and doesn’t capture the same gravitas as the original. The first film earned its place in cinematic history, but the new instalment, at least in Crowe’s eyes, hasn’t managed to reach those heights.
While Gladiator II may have generated plenty of buzz, it’s clear that for some—including the man who made Maximus a household name—it’s fallen short of expectations. The mythic status of the original remains untouched, with the sequel struggling to find its own footing.