15 Ways 'Gladiator II' References 'Gladiator'

Lucius mirrors Maximus in "Gladiator II".Gladiator IIAcacius is like Maximus; he is a strong man seeking revenge and is Maximus' son.Also,Acacius echoes Maximus. He is a good, simple man tired of fighting wars for Rome's glory.

In his first scene, he establishes an obvious parallel. His troops worship him. He is no stranger to hands-on action. He appears deeply tired. Pedro Pascal plays him with the same principles and old-fashioned decency. He consciously evokes Russell Crowe's performance.

Maximus' calloused hand touching growing wheat in Spain became the first film's most famous shot.

Not only doesGladiator IIGladiator II reuses that shot as its final image. It starts by showing Lucius running his hands through grain, making him the new Maximus.

Maximus' shadow coversGladiator IIGladiator II shows this so much that his armor hangs on a wall beneath the Colosseum labeled “Maximus,” quoting him with “What we do in life echoes in eternity.”

WhileGladiatorGladiator very lightly suggests young Lucius could be Maximus' son.Gladiator IIGladiator II makes this explicit and official, almost casually. It frames Lucius as Maximus reborn. Both men seek revenge after losing their wives (and Maximus' son). Lucilla mentions their shared vibe.

Thinking he will overthrow Commodus, Maximus learns Lucilla's plan fails. Cicero (Tommy Flanagan), his loyal assistant, is hanged during what should be a secret meeting.

Thinking he will bring his army to Rome's gates, Acacius finds Lucilla's plan fails. Arrows suddenly cut down the hooded conspirators around him.

Derek Jacobi, a major returning cast member from the first film, plays Gracchus, the senator who serves as the go-to figure in both movies. He helped the first film and joins Lucilla's plot with Acacius to remove the emperors.

Gracchus fails in his second attempt to make a gladiator help revive the Roman Republic, despite his good intentions.

Joaquin Phoenix's performance as the alternately pathetic and horrifying Emperor Commodus earned him an Oscar nomination.Gladiatorvillain schemes to kill his family. He has deep insecurities, major character flaws, and harmful intentions toward his sister Lucilla.

Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger play twin emperors Geta and Caracalla in the sequel. They split and expanded on Commodus' traits: Geta is a manipulative bully, while Caracalla is a sick vice machine. Together, they show how far Rome strayed from Commodus' power-hungry days.

Having become an arena hero and a returned general inGladiatorMaximus fights Tigris of Gaul (Sven-Ole Thorsen), an undefeated bruiser with a tiger theme.

Lucius must beat Glyceo (Chris Hallaways), a similarly unbeatable burly fighter with a perfect record. Glyceo enters the Colosseum on a big, angry rhinoceros. Lucius uses one of his dad's signature moves, decapitating Glyceo with a two-sword swing.

Commodus dies from a knife in the neck. His gurgling end in the arena seems quaint next to Geta's death. Like his predecessor, Commodus gets a dagger to the neck while Macrinus pretends to control Caracalla in fratricide.

Maximus pushes the blade deeper on Commodus. Macrinus then acts, and when Geta appears, Macrinus pulls a head from a sack to scare the senate.

Both movies show the emperor(s) taking Lucilla hostage late in the action, driven by political need and personal conflict. In the first film, Commodus, hurt by her betrayal, threatens to impregnate her and wants her to watch him kill Maximus.

The second film takes Lucilla prisoner by Geta and Caracalla. They plan to make her watch her son kill her husband, or vice versa, before thousands. Macrinus then makes her his prisoner. Macrinus shows fury, like Commodus screaming at his sister. Macrinus reveals he, a former slave, hates Rome and Lucilla's father Marcus Aurelius personally.

The original Gladiator Maximus enters the actual Colosseum, masked, into a re-staging of the Battle of Zima. Fellow gladiators get hit by chariots and arrows.

In Gladiator IILucius is a Colosseum combat veteran. He acts as the "captain" of a Spartan ship in a recreation of the Battle of Salamis in a flooded Colosseum. Vehicles are totaled spectacularly before the action ends.

Both films show Rome's first real appearance during triumphal returns to the city center after successful military campaigns abroad expanded the empire.

In GladiatorCommodus returns to a party in Rome after defeating Germanic tribes and killing his father. InGladiator IIAcacius enters a joyful city after claiming Numidia for Rome. Both films use the parade atmosphere before the violentgames in the Colosseum.

After revealing himself as Maximus Decimus Meridius, Lucilla visits her former lover in his slave quarters, mixing politics and emotion by firelight.

After seeing "Hanno" act and connecting the dots, Lucilla repeats the scene with her son, Lucius Verus Aurelius.

An arena needs an announcer to hype the crowd. When Maximus arrives, the bewigged, raspy Cassius offers commentary at the Colosseum, featuring '60s British legend David Hemmings.Blow UpandBarbarellaBarbarella brings theatrical flair to the violent madness.

As Lucius scrambles to survive the games, an unnamed bald orator keeps the crowd informed, withGreat British Baking ShowandBridemaidsplayer Matt Lucas gives the proceedings a knowing comedic wink.

Trapdoors in the Colosseum floor reveal tigers ready to attack anyone near them, complicating Maximus's one-on-one fight. Maximus grapples with a tiger, manages a stab, then moves to his human opponent.

Lucius has a close encounter with a baboon during his first gladiatorial adventure. He bites a baboon closer than Maxmius, then strangles it with chains. The sequel throws a rhino at Lucius in one arena visit and sharks in another.Gladiator IIThe sequel shows a pointed shot of a captive tiger under the Colosseum, saying, “Hey, remember that tiger Maximus fought?”

The original's first battle shows Roman legions conquering Germanic tribes, firing flaming arrows and hurling giant fireballs over a snowy forest using trebuchets.

The sequel's first battle moves the action from cold woods to a hot shoreline. Roman ships attack Numidia, using trebuchets to toss huge fireballs at the coastal city's walls.