First ‘Gladiator II’ Reviews Call It Entertaining But Familiar

First ‘Gladiator II’ Reviews Call It Entertaining But Familiar


Some 25 years in the making, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II finally arrives in theaters later this month. (For context: When the first film debuted in theaters in the summer of 2000 Chappell Roan was … two years old.)

The film is still about a week and a half from release, but the first reviews are in: The critics who’ve seen the film so far are mixed. Most say the film is entertaining, if a bit familiar. (A fair number compare it to a remake, even though it is technically a sequel, featuring Paul Mescal as the adult version of a character from the original film.) The person drawing the most praise so far is Denzel Washington, who’s getting very solid notices for his performance as a former slave with grand designs for Mescal’s character.

The reviews also praise Scott’s action and spectacle across the board, although some do say the whole affair feels a bit too close to the original movie in terms of structure. One critic said watching the movie is akin to déjà vu.

Gladiator II

Paramount Pictures

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Here’s a sampling of the Gladiator II reviews so far.

Caryn James, BBC.com:

By far the best popcorn film of the year.

Siddhant Adlakha, Inverse:

It’s a darker, more vicious film for a darker, more vicious time, a relevancy that has only grown in recent days.

Tim Grierson, Screen International:

Ultimately Gladiator II is diminished by a nagging recognition that this material felt fresher in the first film.

Owen Gleiberman, Variety:

Serviceable but far from great.

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter:

There’s a déjà vu quality to much of the new film, a slavishness that goes beyond the caged men forced to fight for their survival, and seeps into the very bones of a drama overly beholden to the original.

Ross Bonaime, Collider:

A grand epic that can’t escape Maximus’ shadow.

Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly:

What elevates Gladiator II in the cinematic arena is the ways its themes and dialogue underpin its outrageous spectacle.

Brian Truitt, USA Today:

Yes, we are entertained again by outrageous sequel.

Chris Evangelista, /Film:

Scott and Scarpa should’ve jettisoned the first two acts of the film and made the final act the main focus.

Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence:

We are less entertained.

Gladiator II opens in theaters on November 22.

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