Gladiator II has everything fans would want from a movie about ancient Rome. It has the kind of battle scenes that make Lawrence of Arabia’s Attack on Aqaba look like a joke. It also features many great gladiatorial combat scenes, including one where sharks maul those unlucky enough to make contact with water. Beyond that, there are the usual political machinations, with Denzel Washington’s Macrinus being at the center of most of the scheming. And he sure does get a proper comeuppance.