'Gladiator II': Return to the Colosseum Quiz

16 years after the events of 'Gladiator', 'Gladiator II' opens up in a region of North Africa known as Numidia an area located in what is now present-day northeastern Algeria. Paul Mescal portrays the film's main protagonist Lucius Verus. In an act of protection, Lucius was sent by his mother into exile to Numidia due to his status as the next in line to rule over Rome which would've marked him as a target by rivals also vying for the position of the emperorship.

A brief montage is shown of Lucius growing up in Numidia where he eventually marries an attractive Numidian woman by the name of Arishat. Lucius goes by the alias name of Hanno, essentially distancing his ties from his Roman past but little does he know his peaceful life is about to be shattered by impending Roman expansion into Numidia.

Another prominent character featured in 'Gladiator II', General Acacius is portrayed by Chilean actor Pedro Pascal. General Acacius, an experienced and brilliant military commander leads the Roman legions in a devastating naval assault on the Numidian settlement.

In a tireless bid to expand the Roman Empire under the rule of twin emperors Geta and Caracalla, the might of Roman military efficiency is on full display with the inevitable siege and capture of Numidia made possible by a gory battle featuring battering rams, triremes mounted with colossal siege towers and disciplined legionnaires overwhelming the Numidian forces.

This battle marks the first of many major action sequences in 'Gladiator II'.

In the brutal aftermath of the siege, Lucius's life is completely shattered and upended. His wife Arishat is slain in battle, his home is razed and destroyed, and his freedom is stripped away. Lucius is captured alongside remaining Numidian survivors to be transported to Roman slave trade markets in the port of Ostia. After being pitted against wild baboons to display their gladiator mettle to prospective buyers, Lucius catches the eye of a wealthy arms-dealer and gladiator stable master by the name of Macrinus, played by Denzel Washington. After the baboon fight, Macrinus pits Lucius in hand-to-hand combat against the gladiator trainer Viggo, further impressing Macrinus with his fighting skills.

Macrinus is a cunning opportunist who has risen up the ranks of Roman society through his calculated use of gladiators as a means to advance his political ambitions. Macrinus recognizes the fighting spirit within Lucius and realizes he can harness this fury to further his profits in the arena. With the purchase of Lucius, Macrinus sets in motion his grand ambition to become Emperor of Rome. Macrinus promises Lucius the opportunity to avenge Arishat's death by having the chance to face Acacius in combat if he is successful in the gladiatorial arena, thus beginning a temporary alliance between Macrinus and Lucius.

The twin emperors Geta and Caracalla, fond of extravagance and fanfare featuring plenty of bloodlust, capitalize on General Acacius' military success by hosting gladiatorial games to celebrate the Roman victory. Before we proceed to the Colosseum, General Thraex throws a party for the emperors with entertainment in the form of brutal fight-to-the-death hand-to-hand combat in which Lucius partakes in and ends up impaling his opponent. Again, impressing Macrinus, he also raises suspicion by reciting a verse in Latin after his victory, a demonstration of education that only an individual of Roman background would be able to recite.

Finally, we return to the iconic Roman amphitheater known as the Colosseum that served as an iconic setting for the majority of the events in the first film and continues this in 'Gladiator II'. Lucius makes his debut on the same blood-stained sands as his father did sixteen years prior. In contrast to Maximus 'the Merciful', Lucius dispatches his first opponent, a superior foe who happens to be a gladiator champion saddled upon an irate charging rhinoceros in a brutal beheading in what makes out to be an entertaining fight.

Earlier in the film, it is revealed that Lucilla, Lucius' mother is now married to General Acacius which certainly complicates the storyline and sets up a dramatic climax towards the ending of 'Gladiator II'.

During Lucius first duel in the Colosseum, he emulates his father Maximus whom he only knows as a popular icon in the gladiator circles. Lucilla is immediately keen to this display and the realization dawns upon her that Lucius is indeed her same son whom she sent into a pseudo-exile many years earlier. Following the battle concealed by a cloak, Lucilla sneaks away during the night to pay a visit to Lucius in his holding cell. Of course, this is not a joyful reunion as Lucius is resentful for his perceived abandonment. Before departing, Lucilla imparts some wisdom to Lucius to aid in surviving whatever the Colosseum throws at him by drawing on the strength of his father, the legendary Maximus whom she reveals is Lucius's' father.

On another day of dueling, Lucius and his fellow gladiators are pitted against a rival ship of Roman fighters in a now flooded Colosseum teeming with vicious sharks which as farfetched as this battle seems, is somewhat loosely based on mock naval battles that did occur called naumachia.

This battle is an action-packed one that lives up to its billing with close quarters combats after the naval ships ram into each other's protective hulls causing some men to be hurled over and viciously torn apart by the circling sharks.

Inevitably the gladiators led by Lucius prevail. Before the gladiators are retired for the day, Lucius manages to procure a crossbow from the carnage and fires a bolt at a spectating General Acacius that manages to miss by a few inches.

This precariously close call foreshadows that this will not be the last encounter between Lucius and Acacius.

After returning to Rome following the triumphant victory over Numidia, General Acacius wants a respite from war to spend time with his wife, Lucilla. However, this request falls on deaf ears as Emperors Geta & Caracalla are not quite sated with their campaign of imperial expansion and have their sights set on Persia and India next. A weary General Acacius disillusioned by the emperors' bloodthirsty ambitions, joins forces with his wife Lucilla to overthrow Geta and Caracalla. The duo conspires with sympathetic senators including prominent senators Thraex and Gracchus. The plan involves having Acacius's 5,000 loyal soldiers waiting in Ulster invade Rome, storm the Colosseum, and arrest the emperors for crimes against the Senate.

This plot is inevitably discovered when Thraex ends up indebted to Macrinus after losing a wager over gladiatorial combat. Thraex informs Macrinus of the plot against the emperors in exchange for his debt being wiped. Macrinus is more than happy to oblige as he seizes this opportunity to elevate his standing before the emperors by disclosing this conspiracy. Lucilla and Acacius are both arrested and sentenced to death setting the stage for the pivotal final stages of the film.

Macrinus finally delivers on his promise to Lucius as he arranges for him to fight Acacius in the Colosseum. After an exchange of blows to each other, Acacius finally yields to Lucius and effuses his love for Lucius' mother and father. As a result, Lucius refuses to kill his stepfather, and Acacius is mercilessly executed by the Praetorian Guard at the order of Emperors Geta & Caracalla.

Apparently executing a beloved Roman general is not popular with the public. Following, the execution of Acacius, Rome descends into chaos with widespread riots and civil unrest. In a bid to take advantage of the mayhem, Macrinus convinces the emotionally unstable Caracalla that Geta will pin him for the riots. Aiding his shaky hand, Macrinus and Caracalla co-murder Emperor Geta leaving Caracalla as sole Emperor of Rome.

Bizarrely, one of his first acts as the lone emperor is to appoint his pet monkey Dondus, as consul along with Macrinus now his second-in-command. Macrinus effectively is now ruler of Rome by proxy. Macrinus uses his cunningness to convince the Senate to hand over control of the Praetorian to him as he claims to have a solution to quell the riots. Macrinus visits Lucilla in her cell before her planned execution to gloat and reveals his true motive for his power bid of emperorship. It is learned that Macrinus was a former slave under Lucilla's father Marcus Aurelius during his rule! With this revelation Macrinus has now fully embraced the ultimate villain trope.

Amidst the chaos and pandemonium of the riots, Lucius and his band of gladiators manage to overwhelm their enslavers while simultaneously Lucilla is brought forth to the Colosseum to await her execution. Macrinus executes the final phase of his plan and kills the ineffective Caracalla and with this act becomes the next successor of Rome unchallenged for the time-being.

Lucius manages to send a messenger to rally the now deceased Acacius' army to summon them to Rome at once to join Lucius in challenging Macrinus. Lucius and his gladiators race to the Colosseum to rescue Lucilla but are too late as she meets her fate from an arrow shot by Macrinus. A pursuit ensues with Macrinus fleeing the rioting city with his guards and upon reaching the outskirts of Rome, Acacius' army finally arrives. To avoid a war from erupting, in fitting gladiator fashion, Lucius challenges Macrinus to a one-on-one duel. Lucius ultimately defeats Macrinus and assumes leadership of Rome revealing his identity to all as the true heir to the throne and with this act unifies the two opposing armies and Rome.

With this ending one wonders if a 'Gladiator III' will inevitably be made?