Gladiator II, a historical film? No, pure science fiction. Released in Italy on Nov. 14, The Gladiator II, the sequel to the film that gave international notoriety to Russell Crowe, his “On my signal all hell breaks loose” having entered the common phrasebook, tests the judgment of historians as it did, on the other hand, with the first chapter. 

Notwithstanding the fact, of course, that a good movie to be such for the viewer does not necessarily have to be historiographically correct: even science fiction is a good story. Ridley Scott has precisely stated in several interviews that historical accuracy was not the main goal of the film.