Twenty-four years ago, “Gladiator” debuted to critical acclaim. Hoping to recapture that magic, director Ridley Scott released “Gladiator II” in November. This time, instead of Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix, Scott called upon Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, and Pedro Pascal–three tremendous actors in one visually mesmerizing film.

A 24-year gap is a long time to sequel a movie that did not necessarily need one. “Gladiator II” successfully ties in themes from the first film, but the number of attempts to do so becomes frustrating. Like Crowe’s character Maximus in the 2000 original, Mescal’s Lucius has limited dialogue. What’s different is that Mescal mainly speaks in poetry, which gets tiring toward the middle of the film.

One actor who never disappoints is Denzel Washington. He took many risks throughout the film that made his supporting character stand out more than Mescal’s protagonist.

I hoped the sequel would have little attachment to the original. That freedom could have allowed more opportunities to convert “Gladiator II” into its own film, rather than tying itself to another piece of cinema. What kept the movie well above water was the action. The fighting scenes paired with the ancient Roman setting made for an epic two hours and 28 minutes. The actors prepared wonderfully for such a physically demanding film, and the fight choreography added an element of relentless aggression. Like Crowe, Mescal is included in most of the fight scenes and performs just as impressively in the Colosseum.

“Gladiator II” has moments worth watching. I’m curious to see if a trilogy develops in the next few years. The writers could dip back into old characters or give viewers an entirely different gladiator.