RETURN TO ROME

NEARLY 25 YEARS AFTER GLADIATOR BECAME AN OSCAR-WINNING SENSATION, A STARRY CAST HEADS TO THE COLOSSEUM FOR AN EPIC SEQUEL

- NIGEL SMITH

"Are you not entertained?" Russell Crowe famously bellowed as Maximus in Gladiator, director Ridley Scott's sword-and-sandals blockbuster that won five Oscars, including Best Picture, and became the second-highestgrossing film of 2000. The muchanticipated new sequel Gladiator II similarly taunts the audience: With so much in the mix, from swashbuckling stars to hungry sharks, it's impossible to look away. Says Scott, 87: "We were prepared and ready for battle."