Ridley Scott’s 2000 film “Gladiator” was such a near perfect mix of violence and emotional angst played out in ancient Rome that it earned five Oscars including Best Picture. Scott’s big mistake with making the sequel, “Gladiator II” is that he could not leave well enough alone. Bigger is not always better. “Gladiator II” has many of the elements that made the first film so strong. But they get buried under excesses in violence, unbelievable action sequences and too much of a struggle trying to tie together the two productions. Spectacle is good but can be great with just a bit of restraint. The original “Gladiator” told the story of Roman general Maximus (Russell Crowe) who is exiled into slavery and then turned into a gladiator after being betrayed by his emperor. It is 25 years later, and Maximus’ son Lucius Verus (Paul Mescal) has been living under an alias in Numidia. His wife is killed, and Lucius is captured during a fight with Roman soldiers and he is taken to Rome to be trained as a gladiator. Lucius is under the control of Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a former slave who has become a broker determined to grab all the power he can. He makes a deal with Lucius that if he fights for him, he will make sure Lucius will end up in the arena against Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal), the man who led the army that captured Lucius city. In a bit of handy writing, it just so happens that Acacius is married to Lucius’ mother, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen, who reprises her role from the original). These are similarities to the core elements that Scott beautifully crafted into his Oscar-winning production. Had he just followed the original blueprint, the sequel would have worked. It wouldn’t have been Oscar quality but that was a very high bar set by the first film. Instead, Scott ramps up the settings. In one scene, the Roman Coliseum is flooded to allow the gladiators to re-enact a sea battle. That’s a big enough stretch but the waters on the arena floor are filled with sharks. The original “Gladiator” featured tigers in the arena, a very possible situation for the viewers to believe. This time there are monkeys that look more prehistoric than real, and a rhino ridden like a rodeo bull. The CGI work is weak and that chips away at the kind of authenticity that made the first film work. Visual effects have come a long way in 24 years. So many films have featured scenes in large theaters or arenas full of people that those sequences have become mundane. Scott’s Rome is big and dirty to the point that it is easy to understand the stench that filled the city. It is good but nothing different than what other filmmakers are doing. This backdrop served to give the actors a place to fight, talk, fight some more and then chop off a few limbs. Mescal (“All of Us Strangers”) wasn’t a bad choice for the film’s central figure. But he just doesn’t have the natural macho charisma that Crowe brough to the first film. That becomes obvious in the scenes with Pascal who carries himself with the kind of pride and determination that suggests a gladiator’s heart. Where Joaquin Phoenix was able to add a historical madness to the role of Commodus in the first movie, Scott takes his rulers to an almost ridiculous level with twin emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger). Everything from their ghostly makeup to reflect the venereal diseases eating away at their bodies to a weird fascination with monkeys plays more comical than menacing. Even the story is more complicated than needed. That’s obvious when it is necessary to keep stopping the story to remind moviegoers of all the family ties and connections. The good part about all of the overindulgences Scott granted himself in making “Gladiator 2” is that this is all piled upon a very solid foundation. From story to production design, there is plenty to like with the film and will be more enjoyable for those who have not seen the original. Scott should have had a little more confidence in his work and not tried to up the ante. Movie review Gladiator 2 Grade: B- Cast: Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Pedro Pascal Director: Ridley Scott Rated: R for strong bloody violence Running time: 148 minutes.