Part 4/8:
Lucius eventually becomes a slave, and the film brings in Denzel Washington’s character, who trains him to be a gladiator with a promise of vengeance against Pedro Pascal. The constant flipping between antagonists dilutes Lucius’s quest for revenge, making it hard to find a consistent emotional thread. The plot tries to pull in various threads and subplots, including a coup being plotted by Pascal and the two Emperors’ rising discontent among their citizens, but fails to create a satisfying narrative.