Authenticity is defined as an undisputed origin. After recently viewing “Gladiator II”, which is a sequel to “Gladiator”, it perfectly exemplifies the flaws of forcing a sequel on the public. There’s a distinction between forcing a sequel and truly needing one, as “The Dark Knight” and “The Empire Strikes Back” are two of the greatest films ever produced and they’re sequels. There’s a line that must be drawn by Hollywood when determining the need for a sequel.
“Gladiator” is widely acclaimed as one of the greatest films ever with trophies to back it up winning five Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor. The overall originality of “Gladiator” is what made it so special, from the adversity Maximus (Russell Crowe) faced and the fierce leadership from Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) perfectly portray the originality and greatness this movie possesses. “Gladiator II” on the other hand was a drag throughout the entirety of the plot. There was no build-up for Lucius, the protagonist of the film, and the storyline of him defending his father’s legacy was put on so late in the film. The battle scenes were historically inaccurate with sharks in the Colosseum, which never occurred. The overall storyline had no emotion and zero build up from the characters surrounding it.
“The Dark Knight” is a great example of a sequel that was needed. A young Bruce Wayne battling his way through Gotham is tasked with a vicious joker who will do everything he can to create order in the city. Harvey Dent plays a key role in maintaining peace throughout the crime unit. This beautiful storyline shows why the sequel was needed to continue the growth and development of Bruce Wayne to the third film. This movie was a box office success, nominated for six Oscars and winning tw0. The difference between this and “Gladiator II” is the protagonist in “Gladiator” had his hero arc completely defeating Commodus and dying in a respectful death in the Coliseum. There was nothing to build upon yet Hollywood decided to make a sequel which was not needed one bit.
Going forward to produce consistent quality films for the public, something movie studios need to keep an eye out for is forcing sequels. Hollywood is certainly trending in a positive direction with recent success with original films. But to bring the word authenticity into the picture, directors must think of original stories with original characters and an original plot to progress the next generation in film.
