Ridley Scott’s Gladiator ruled the 00s with $465.4M at the box office. Its most brutal moment? Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) murdering his father, Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris).

The point is, “Gladiator” is not just about entertainment—the entertainment serves a noble purpose, inspiring the movie’s audience to persist in the face of adversity just like Maximus does.

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Gladiator II. Marcus Aurelius’ “dream of Rome” is at the heart of Gladiator II, with Lucius striving to realize this dream.

Maximus Decimus Meridius was the lead character in "Gladiator." At the movie's start, he's the general of a dominant army for the Roman empire and emperor Marcus Aurelius' successor to his throne.

Maximus Decimus Meridius was the lead character in "Gladiator." At the movie's start, he's the general of a dominant army for the Roman empire and emperor Marcus Aurelius' successor to his throne.

Maximus Decimus Meridius was the lead character in "Gladiator." At the movie's start, he's the general of a dominant army for the Roman empire and emperor Marcus Aurelius' successor to his throne.

Maximus Decimus Meridius was the lead character in "Gladiator." At the movie's start, he's the general of a dominant army for the Roman empire and emperor Marcus Aurelius' successor to his throne.

Richard Harris as Marcus Aurelius and Russell Crowe as Maximus in a scene from “Gladiator” filmed in an English forest, doubling as the Roman frontier of Germanica. ©DreamWorks/Courtesy ...

The pacing of “Gladiator II” says a lot about what Ridley Scott’s priorities were for this film: spectacle, immersion, pure feeling.

“Gladiator II” is set 16 years after the death of Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) and is centered around Lucius (Paul Mescal), the long-lost son of Queen Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and heir to ...