Gladiator II parents guide: The Roman-set sequel is heavy on the violence

The long-awaited and highly-anticipated sequel to Gladiator is finally out in theaters. Is Gladiator II one to take the kids to? This depends on how they deal with violence.
Paul Mescal plays Lucius in Gladiator II from Paramount Pictures. © 2024 Paramount Pictures.
Paul Mescal plays Lucius in Gladiator II from Paramount Pictures. © 2024 Paramount Pictures. /
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Whether you feel like a Gladiator sequel was needed to not, that sequel is here. And there are high chances that your kids want to see it. After all, there has been a lot of promotion around Gladiator II on TV stations.

The movie takes us back to the Colosseum. Lucius is forced to enter the fight after his home is conquered by new tyrannical emperors of Rome. Lucius needs to do everything that it takes to return Rome to the glory that it once was, and it means turning to a past that he has been trying to forget.

Reviews are favorable for the entertainment value of the movie, but there is a lot of focus on one element that makes this movie R-rated in the U.S. Now you’ll want to know if Gladiator II is suitable for the kids.

Why is Gladiator II rated R?

If you look at some countries, you’ll see that the rating is around 14/15. This suggests that it’s actually suitable for teens. Part of the problem in the U.S. is that there’s nothing between PG-13 and R. There does need to be a 15-rating similar to the UK for movies like this.

In Australia, the movie did originally have an R-rating. When three scenes were cut out, including Lucius beheading a character clearly on screen, the rating was lowered to be suitable for teens.

Sex & nudity: There are kisses being offered here and there, and there is a reference to incest in the movie. We do have to put the movie into the context of the time, and discussions of incest were normal. The most nudity that is shown is a woman’s cleavage and nude male statues. This is a pretty tame movie in terms of sex for a Roman-period drama.

Language: There is some moderate profanity throughout. Surprisingly, the F-bomb isn’t dropped, which is likely why the teen rating is set for most places around the world. The B-word and the W-word are used a lot, and usually in a derogatory way to women.

Violence & gore: This is where the movie earns its R-rating in the U.S. Gladiator II focuses a lot on the battles and fights that the Romans would endure. It’s set in the middle of the Colosseum, which was all about bloodshed and death. Men would literally fight to the death.

There is a lot of bloodshed throughout. We see the aftermath of battle wounds, and there are moments where body parts are removed. There is a graphic look at some corpses and dismembered limbs—and not all of them human!

The U.S. version does seem to have the scenes cut from the Australian version still included, which suggests the R-rating is necessary.

Alcohol & drugs: There is the use of opium for pain relief. This was a common pain relief drug of choice in the past, and it was abused, just like it is today. It’s something that will open a conversation up if you do allow your children to watch it.

Overall verdict: Who is Gladiator II appropriate for?

Like Gladiator, the sequel focuses heavily on the battle and fight scenes. This is a violent and gory movie that isn’t suitable for your kids. While there are some version around the world that are suitable for teens, the one in U.S. theaters right now is rating R for some very good reasons.

Older teens may be a little more comfortable with the level of violence in the movie. We all know what teens can be like when it comes to gore, especially if they love special effects and the use of makeup in movies. Aren’t dismembered bodies “cool?”

Gladiator II is currently out in theaters.

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