Gladiator 2 does have some good aspects, those aspects being named Denzel Washington, but so much about the set-up and structure of this film is bizarre

Macrinus (Denzel Washington) makes his power move by exploiting Emperor Caracalla (Fred Hechinger)’s resentment against his brother Geta (Joseph Quinn). After helping Caracalla kill and behead Geta, Macrinus shows off Geta’s head in the Senate the next day, cementing his position as the second most powerful person in Rome.

When we think of ancient Rome, gladiator fights are often top of mind. And yet, very little is known about these Colosseum battles, which is what arguably makes them great fodder for imaginative screenwriters.