On Nov. 22, the Colosseum was brought back to life on the big screen 24 years after “Gladiator,” debuted as longtime fans went to see “Gladiator II.”

While the original movie follows Maximus, commander of the army and friend of Marcus Aurelius, as he fights in the gladiator arena, this sequel follows Marcus’s son Lucius Verus Aurelius, played by Paul Mescal. 

“Gladiator” ends with the death of Caesar, and “Gladiator II” takes place years later, after the fall of Rome has created division among the people. Lucius, who has been on the run since he was a kid, gets captured and taken back to the Rome he knew as a child. However, as far as anyone knows, Lucius is Hanno from a North African Kingdom. 

While Lucius/Hanno fights his way through the gladiator arena, will his true identity be discovered?

This movie is full of anticipation for the end while also containing parallels to the first movie. The directors even included scenes directly from “Gladiator” so although Russell Crowe is not in this sequel, viewers still get to see snippets of him from the first movie.

One actor who did make an appearance in this movie is Connie Nielsen plays Lucius’s mother, Lucilla. Despite the noticeable absence of Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix, many other notable actors appear in this sequel: Denzel Washington, Peter Mensah, Joseph Quinn and of course, Pedro Pascal. 

For anyone who wants to go back to Rome in the time of Gladiators, I highly recommend “Gladiator II.” There is action, suspense and of course, some blood and gore. The actors and director of “Gladiator II” honor Russell Crowe and his portrayal of Maximus Decimus Meridius in “Gladiator.”