Although 1991's Thelma & Louise failed to make a lot of money, it turned into a cultural sensation. After that shot of relevance, director Ridley Scott ended up stuck in the mud for the rest of the 90s, as his subsequent three flicks made little financial or critical impact.

With his career in the doldrums, Scott bounced back massively when the new millennium arrived. Not only did 2000's Gladiator earn buckets of money, but also it got largely positive reviews and won the Best Picture Oscar.

Given the manner in which Gladiator resuscitated Scott's career, one might assume he would crank out a sequel in short order. Instead, audiences waited 24 years to finally receive Gladiator II.

Set circa 200 AD, Romans invade the North African kingdom of Numidia. Along the way, they kill a woman named Arishat (Yuval Gonen) and enslave her husband Hanno (Paul Mescal).

Hanno winds up as a gladiator and impresses stable master Macrinus (Denzel Washington) with his ferocity. Hanno battles his way through the ranks, all with the goal to make it to Rome and slay General Acacius (Pedro Pascal) and tyrannical Emperors Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn) as revenge for his wife's death.

As noted, the 2000 Gladiator became a major hit, as it generated a $465 million gross worldwide on a budget of $103 million. Interestingly, Gladiator II took in almost identical global receipts, with a total of $461 million.

However, with a budget of $250 million, the sequel likely didn't turn a profit. Still, $461 million seems like a decent haul for a second chapter in a series that started nearly a quarter century earlier, so I won't feel shocked if Gladiator III arrives at some point - though one assumes the 87-year-old Scott can't wait another 24 years to make it.

Back when I reviewed the original DVD for Gladiator in late 2000, I discussed the lackluster slate of movies we'd gotten to that point in the year and noted how bonkers it seemed that some touted Scott’s epic as a contender for a Best Picture nominee. I guess I underestimated the Academy's brief affection for ultra-violent period films that feature men in skirts, since Gladiator followed five years after Braveheart, another unlikely Best Picture winner.

I stood by those assessments then and I continue to do so now. While both Gladiator and Braveheart enjoyed their positives, they never struck me as actual "great movies" that deserved the Best Picture honor.

That said, Gladiator does look like a classic compared to its sequel. Though it occasionally springs to life, Gladiator II offers a mostly blah extension of the first movie.

Of course, Gladiator II finds itself hamstrung by one unfortunate fact: the first film killed off its protagonist. A second flick could bring back the heroic Maximus Decimus Meridius as a prequel but it couldn't continue with him past the events of the original.

Even if Gladiator II went the prequel route, it would lose a major draw from the 2000 tale: star Russell Crowe. He won a Best Actor Oscar for his work but all the CG in the world can't make that 60-year-old man look 20.

For all intents and purposes, Hanno offers a reprise of Maximus, and for more reasons than just the thematic ones. However, that veers into spoiler territory, so I'll offer no additional notes in that domain.

In any case, Gladiator II makes Hanno a character who very strongly reminds us of Maximus, and he ends up in a story that very strongly reminds of us the first Gladiator. I won't call the 2024 film a literal remake of the 2000 tale, but it comes pretty close.

Another warrior taken into slavery. Another dead wife. Another master combatant who rises through the gladiatorial ranks. Another battle against nutty Roman emperors.

Lather, rinse, blah blah blah. Gladiator II tosses in a few minor twists, but these don't dispel the notion that it essentially just reworks the prior film.

Which might succeed with a stronger lead actor. Gladiator II offers my first exposure to Mescal, and I don't want to determine his talent level based solely on this one role.

Nonetheless, Mescal proves a dud as Hanno. In a part that requires the same charisma and strength Crowe brought to Maximus 24 years ago, Mescal never makes a dent, as his Hanno just seems bland and without personality.

Perhaps to compensate for his lead's shortcomings, Scott develops a second major character via General Acacius. He enjoys his own arc, one that leads him toward a mix of conflicts.

None of which would seem necessary if Hanno's basic narrative worked better. However, Scott hedges his bets and doesn't appear to want to rely solely on Hanno, so we find ourselves stuck with this semi-superfluous side plot.

At least Pascal shows some personality, though not a whole lot, mainly due to his unnecessary role's blandness. Still, Pascal brings a bit of life to the film.

Of the main cast, only Denzel Washington shows actual spark. Yeah, he camps it up a bit too much, but given the dreariness of everything else on display, I can't blame him.

Even the battles - a highlight of the first film - seems spotty in Gladiator II. They lack real excitement and don't offer the jolt necessary to lift the movie from its stagnant vibe.

Sequels that arrive many years after the prior flick almost always disappoint, as we learned from entries like Godfather Part III and Blade Runner 2049 . Add Gladiator II to that list of forgettable spinoffs.

Gladiator II appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.35:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Expect a top-notch presentation here.

Virtually no softness crept into the presentation. This meant the film consistently appeared accurate and concise.

I witnessed no signs of jagged edges or shimmering, and edge haloes seemed absent. Print flaws also never reared their ugly head, as the movie looked clean at all times.

Like most modern action films, Gladiator II opted for a stylized palette, so amber/orange and teals dominated. Within those choices, the hues appeared well-rendered.

Blacks seemed dense and firm, while shadows appeared fairly smooth and clear. Everything about the image excelled.

Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, the Dolby Atmos soundtrack of Gladiator II worked well, as the movie presented an engaging soundfield. Not surprisingly, its best moments related to the mix of battle scenes, as these helped open up the spectrum pretty nicely and added real zing to the proceedings.

We got good stereo impressions from the music along with solid environmental material. The latter reverberated in the rear speakers to positive effect, and some unique action material popped up there as well.

No problems with audio quality occurred. Speech was always concise and natural, and I noticed no edginess or other concerns.

Music seemed bright and lively. Effects showed good distinctiveness, and they offered nice low-end when appropriate. All of this created a strong sonic impression that made the movie more involving.

On a separate bonus disc, we get six featurettes. A Dream That Was Rome runs 11 minutes, 18 seconds and delivers notes from director Ridley Scott, producers Douglas Wick, Michael Pruss and Lucy Fisher, screenwriter David Scarpa, and actor Denzel Washington.

The program looks at the development of the sequel as well as story/characters. As few insights emerge but most of "Dream" feels fluffy.

What We Do In Life, Echoes in Eternity spans 15 minutes, 26 seconds. It offers info from Scott, Washington, Wick, Fisher, and actors Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Fred Hechinger, and Joseph Quinn.

"Eternity" looks at cast, characters and performances. Expect another mix of useful notes and happy talk

Next comes the 13-minute, 25-second In the Arena. This one involves Scott, Mescal, Fisher, Washington, Wick, production designer Arthur Max, executive producer Aidan Elliot, and costume designer Janty Yates.

In this one, we learn about Scott's work on the shoot along with photography, sets and locations. and costumes. Unsurprisingly, "Arena" delivers the same combo of facts and fluff from the prior segments.

To Those About to Die, We Salute You fills 13 minutes, 58 seconds. Here we find remarks from Scott, Mescal, Elliot, Pascal, Wick, Washington, military advisor Paul Biddis, and special effects coordinator Neil Corbould.

Here we focus on the movie’s stunts and action. Once again, this reel mixes worthwhile details and self-praise.

After this we go to Building an Empire. During the 21-minute, 24-second program, we hear from Scott, Wick, Corbould, editors Claire Simpson and Sam Restivo, visual effects supervisor Mark Bakowksi, visual effects producer Nikki Penny, and composer Harry Gregson-Williams.

“Empire” examines editing, various effects, and music. This ends up as one of the meatier of the disc’s featurettes, as it comes with a higher level of information than its predecessors.

The Making of Gladiator II occupies 20 minutes, five seconds. It presents material from Scott, Nielsen, Mescal, Wick, Max, Washington, Fisher, Quinn. Hechinger, Pascal, Pruss, Yates, Biddis, Elliot, Gregson-Williams, standby art director Billy Edwards, 2nd unit VFX supervisor Gary Brozenich, and Gladiator composer Hans Zimmer.

A general piece, “Making” looks at story/characters, sets and locations, costumes, stunts/action, and music. “Making” exists mainly for promotional reasons and brings little that we don’t already learn in the prior featurettes.

10 Deleted Scenes go for a total of nine minutes, 54 seconds. The most significant of these involve two between Hanno and a prostitute. They give us a little more of Hanno’s character but don’t add much of substance.

As for the rest, they seem largely superfluous. While we find some minor exposition and character information but nothing here feels especially memorable.

Nearly 25 years after the first movie proved a smash, Gladiator II offers more of the same but with lesser results. Even though I never loved the original flick, it works much better than this stale rehash. The Blu-ray boasts excellent picture and audio along with a mix of bonus materials. While it musters occasional moments of entertainment, Gladiator II comes across like a flat remake of its predecessor.

Note that this Blu-ray only comes paired with the movie’s 4K UHD version. Paramount chose not to release a solo Blu-ray for Gladiator II.

This means Blu-ray fans without 4K UHD players will need to buy this package to get the movie’s BD. At least Gladiator II’s MSRP of $36.99 seems semi-comparable to what Paramount would’ve charged for a Blu-ray on its own.