It is difficult to know quite how to respond to Gladiator II, a film that entered development pretty soon after the release of the original back in 2000 but which took a staggering 24 years to finally emerge as a fully-formed feature. The original Gladiator was very much the right film at the right time, using CGI backgrounds to bring ancient Rome to live in an unprecedented fashion, capturing Russell Crowe right at the moment of super-stardom, and bringing back the widescreen spectacle of the Hollywood epic for a new generation. Reviving the phenomenon a quarter century later is more than a standard ‘lightning in a bottle’ attempt: the CGI of the original film is now commonplace and unexceptional, Russell Crowe’s character is unavailable on account of being killed during Gladiator‘s climax, and in all honesty large-scale epic cinema never really went away.

These factors all come together to make Gladiator II less of an event and more of just being another movie on a studio release calendar. It is handsomely shot, well performed, and surprisingly well written, but it was never going to capture the same moment of zeitgeist.

Following the invasion of Numidia by the Roman Empire, the freshly enslaved Hanno (Paul Mescal) swears revenge against Acacius (Pedro Pascal): the general that led Rome’s expedition. Meanwhile Acacius is embroiled in a conspiracy to dethrone Rome’s sadistic emperors. The two men’s fates are soon entwined, but just via Acacius’ wife Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) but by the political machinations of gladiator trader Macrinus (Denzel Washington) – who has his own plans for Rome’s future.

It feels as if the screenplay to Gladiator II – by David Scarpa and Peter Craig – has acknowledged the difference between the original film and its sequel. The striking scale and majesty of Gladiator made use of a remarkably simple storyline, since the sales pitch for audiences was essentially the violent battles and duels fought in the Roman Coliseum. Just as the organisers of Rome’s legendary gladiatorial games were forced to up the ante with each event, so too Gladiator II must do more to engage an audience now jaded by what the original film had to offer. Not only is this sequel narrative split between multiple protagonists, it presents a much more complex and intricate story. The result is a film that might be less iconic or thrilling to watch, but actually relates a more fully realised and enjoyable story.

Scott has assembled a fine cast, particularly in regards to Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal. They balance one another brilliantly, and turn in equally engaging performances. Returning actors Connie Nielson and Derek Jacobi make welcome returns, although the latter appears largely in cameo. Denzel Washington is a wonderful destabilising influence over the whole film, offering far and away the most theatrical screen performance he has ever done. There is a chance it may be entirely too theatrical; for this viewer it presented tremendous entertainment value.

Ridley Scott is a dab hand at these sorts of historical vistas and mass battles, having done it enough times that by now it must be second nature to him. The opening invasion of the Numidian capital is superbly executed, and the only thing more outlandish than the gladiator scenes is the understanding that they are by-and-large based on historical events. Flooding the Coliseum to employ warships, or having soldiers ride rhinoceroses; these things actually happened.

Abandon any expectation that Gladiator II matches its predecessor. Once free to enjoy the sequel on its own merits, it is easy to find a smart, deliberately excessive Hollywood blockbuster with its own elaborate, idiosyncratic style and appeal. We should enjoy it while it lasts: at 87 years old, there are only so many more times that Ridley Scott can afford us the opportunity.