In 1997, British director Ridley Scott, who had already made a name for himself in directing what would be two seminal sci-fi films (1979’s Alien and 1982’s Blade Runner), directed the stinker G.I. Jane starring Demi Moore.

His next projected needed to be a big one then, to bounce back straight away. So in 2000 he released Gladiator that proved to be a critical success. It was the type of success that could easily warrant a sequel, but there were two issues holding it back: not only was Scott not really a fan of sequels (returning to only one franchise in his career to date, with Prometheus in 2012 and Alien: Covenant in 2017), but his ending didn’t really allow for a sequel, with the death of his main protagonist.

But the director got the itch for another instalment in his sword and sandal epic, albeit twenty odd years later, by keeping his sequel in the family.

Preparing for war against an oncoming Roman army is Hanno (Paul Mescal). The battle doesn’t quite go as planned however, especially when General Acacius (Pedro Pascal) kills his wife, and then subsequently captures him.

Hanno then finds himself shipped to Ostia, where he is forced to fight in an arena. He catches the eye of slave owner Macrinus (Denzel Washington), who sees potential in him, and decides to have him join his gladiators and prepare him for the ultimate prize – to fight in the arena known as the Colosseum.

But little does Macrinus know that it’s a sort of homecoming for Hanno, as no one is aware that he is the son of Maximus Meridius, the great Roman general who previously fought in the arena himself, challenging not only the emperor of the time but the whole Roman empire. Now can his son do the same?

So 24 years after the original, Scott returns to Rome with a new hero, this time in the shape of Paul Mescal. The Irish actor has shot to fame in a number of roles that made him lean into his sensitive side, making him, to this point at least, definitely more of a lover than a fighter. But it’s amazing what a bit of muscle bulk and some stubble will do, never mind a swish skirt and a sword in his hand. He is more than credible as a gladiator, proving that he can do the action thing if need be. It’s just a shame that some other aspects of the film are less believable.

If you’re looking for historical accuracy, this is not the film for you. At one point Scott fills his Colosseum with water, because of course it was water tight, then added sharks into the mix. Who knew the Colosseum was so versatile, no doubt being able to turn into an ice rink in winter for Gladiators Dancing on Ice for the holiday season.

But at least there’s a little more story this time around, and certainly builds on what little there was with the original. This allows the likes of Washington to have a little fun on screen, playing a dubious character with his own agenda.

There’s no denying that the script echoes that of the original, that almost feels cut and paste in places, but it gets away with it to a certain extent with Mescal’s Hanno following in the bloody footsteps of his father.

Yes it has an epic scope, as you would expect from Scott, but you can’t help but feel that it’s more of the same on all fronts, with the director unwilling to change it up in any way – except the inclusion of sharks that is.

Some decent performances make it perfectly watchable, but that sense of déjà vu – however deliberate it may be – may well leave you feeling that you’ve seen it all before, as Scott’s version of history repeats itself.