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Gladiator II
Movie

Gladiator II

2024 • Action, Adventure, Drama

Woke Score
6
out of 10

Plot

After his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now lead Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum and must look to his past to find strength to return the glory of Rome to its people.

Overall Series Review

The film delivers a historical epic that sharply critiques the Roman Empire's power structure and military actions, focusing on the decay of its institutions. Lucius's journey is a quest for revenge against the tyrannical white, 'sissy' emperors who lead a colonial war against the multi-ethnic North African region of Numidia. The narrative frames the Roman state as fundamentally corrupt and decadent. The primary female characters are marginalized, existing either as a motivational plot device for the hero or as a mother whose arc is defined by her attempts to save her son. Imperial corruption is repeatedly linked to sexual decadence, including effeminate behavior and same-sex pairings among the elite villains. The film uses the pagan gods as a tool for political manipulation by the emperors while offering the protagonist an arc of spiritual skepticism and a personal, transcendent sense of honor as an alternative to the political vacuum.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics7/10

The film opens with Rome waging a war of 'colonial aggression' against Numidia, a 'multi-ethnic' and 'religiously tolerant' North African state. The ruling white emperors are characterized as incompetent, sickly, 'pasty-skinned' tyrants, fulfilling the trope of depicting white males in power as weak and evil. The historical Afro-Syrian background of the real-life emperors is erased, casting them as purely white to represent the empire's decadence. The primary non-white character, Macrinus, is a conniving former slave who is himself a ruthless villain plotting to seize power, which prevents a full 10/10 score.

Oikophobia8/10

The central conflict pits the exiled hero against the tyrannical Roman leadership who represent a 'corrupt and exploitative empire.' The home culture is systematically framed as decadent and bloodthirsty, and the narrative contrasts it negatively with the 'noble other' Numidian culture. The protagonist fights only for an abstract 'dream of Rome'—the Republic—rather than the existing empire or its traditions, showing a rejection of the current civilization.

Feminism2/10

Female characters primarily serve secondary, supporting roles for the men. Lucius's wife is killed (a 'fridging' trope) to fuel the protagonist's revenge arc. Lucilla's character development is focused almost entirely on her role as a mother who needs to apologize to and save her son, reducing her to her relationship with men. The narrative structure emphasizes traditional male action and does not feature 'Girl Boss' or anti-natalist messages.

LGBTQ+6/10

Non-traditional sexual behavior and effeminate gender presentation are explicitly associated with the decadent and tyrannical ruling class. Emperor Caracalla is portrayed as effeminate, dressed in lavish robes, and surrounded by young men. The powerful Macrinus is implied to be bisexual. The film uses these elements to signify the moral corruption and decadence of the imperial villains.

Anti-Theism5/10

The Roman pagan gods are largely depicted as tools for the emperors’ political manipulation, with the villains invoking 'the Gods' to justify pre-meditated murder, implying moral relativism and subjective power dynamics. The hero is skeptical of formal religion, stating that a god who is not with his troops 'is no god,' but he still has private, non-Christian spiritual visions and a personal code of 'honor.' The movie avoids direct anti-Christian themes and is open to the idea of a transcendent morality replacing Roman decadence.