Gladiator II First Reactions Are All Saying What Fans Want To Hear

Drew Taylor, senior writer from The Wrap, assuaged the widespread concerns of fans, explaining: “Rest easy, Romans. #Gladiator2 is the kind of large scale filmmaking excellence only Ridley Scott could corral. Everything about it just works.” This sentiment was reflected by Griffin Schiller of Filmspeak: “Ridley Scott returns to the Colesseum to prove to the world that HE’S. STILL. GOT. IT.”

Given Scott’s recent flops with Napoleon featuring Joaquin Phoenix and The Last Duel with both Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, plenty of fans were wondering if the legendary director had lost his fastball. Gladiator II is a make-or-break film for Scott, but the early reactions make it clear he’s got game.

The cast of Gladiator II is receiving universal praise, but primarily Paul Mescal and Denzel Wahsington, as summed up by We Live Entertainment’s Scott Menzel: “Gladiator II is Ridley Scott’s best film since The Martian. A big, bloody and bad ass action spectacle that builds upon the legacy of the original. The film showcases beautiful set pieces and a lot of epic battles. Paul Mescal shines. Denzel Washington chews up the scenery quite a bit here and looks like he is having the time of his life here.

OffScreenCentral’s Jillian Chilingerian went one step further in her praise, predicting another award on it sway for Washington: “Engrave Denzel Washington’s name on the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for GLADIATOR 2 right this instance.

Denzel Washington and Scott worked together before on American Gangster, an underrated film in both of their filmographies, but given the review-bombing that took place after the Gladiator II trailer dropped, it’s refreshing to hear that the star’s performance is what fans would expect from him.

Even the current lukewarm takes are complimentary, including this one from Gizmodo’s Germain Lussier: “#GladiatorII doesn’t quite rise to the greatness of the original but it’s a damn fine sequel with big stakes, a solid story, & excellent performances. I enjoyed it thoroughly, most probably will too, but it’s just slightly lacking emotionally. Everything is very easy & surface.”

After waiting for decades, it would be impossible for any sequel to match the original, with only Top Gun: Maverick pulling off that incredibly rare feat. For Gladiator II to even approach the first film is impressive today, but it would be absurd to expect a second Best Picture Oscar for the series.

Gladiator II takes place 20 years after the first film and follows the son of Russel Crowe’s Maximus, Lucius (Paul Mescal), as he’s forced to enter the arena. The gladiatorial games play out as a proxy for the political maneuvering of the Roman elite, including his mother, Lucilla (still played by Connie Nielsen), the twin Emperors Geta and Caracalla (played respectively by Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger), and Denzel Washington’s Macrinus, a former slave turned powerbroker.

General Marcus Acacius, played by Pedro Pascal, represents the establishment of Rome and finds himself on a collision course with Lucius.

It’s been a long time since a swords and sandals historical epic hit theaters, as arguably, there hasn’t been a hit in the genre since the 2016 Ben-Hur remake or even 300: Rise of an Empire. If the excellent initial social media reactions for Gladiator II carry over when it hits theaters, then it might inspire another wave of Hollywood epics. The wait is almost over, as the film will arrive on November 22.