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Gladiator II has critics making comparisons to its predecessor, but aren’t they amused?

Umito November 12, 2024

It’s been almost a quarter of a century since Gladiator entertained audiences en route to five Oscars (from 12 nominations) and worldwide box office success, so it’s no surprise that we’re more than ready to welcome The sequel to Ridley Scott Gladiator II to theaters. The Epic – which features Pierre Pascal as Maximus’ son Lucius – is about to strike the 2024 movie schedule on November 22, as you prepare for it Double “Wickediator” functionalityallow critics to weigh in on the upcoming historical action film.

After the first screenings, first reactions to Gladiator II people rave about Denzel Washington And Paul Mescal‘s performances in an unfolding story more than a decade after Russell Crowe’s chapter. When Lucius becomes a prisoner of war, he chooses to fight as a gladiator like his father under the instructions of Macrinus of Washington in order to take revenge on Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal). In CinemaBlend’s opinion on Gladiator IIour own Sarah El-Mahmoud calls the film “honorable but disheveled.” She gives it 3.5 stars out of 5, writing:

It’s not necessarily the arrival of hot talents like Paul Mescal or Pedro Pascal that makes it particularly special, but Denzel Washington is making his first big-screen event film in at least a decade. Beyond that, the director also clearly demonstrates that he still knows how to reclaim the breadth of the genre as he did almost 25 years ago – however, his Achilles heel is that there is a rushed side in Gladiator II which unfortunately shows through.

NME’s Alex Flood gives the film 3 stars out of 5, writing this Ridley Scott seems to work under the “requel” formula of giving fans enough nostalgia to keep them happy, while also adding a bit of fresh action to keep them from getting bored. The results are partly satisfactory, believes the critic:

If you liked Gladiator, chances are you will like it too. It has all the same exciting elements: sword fights, rousing speeches, evil poshos getting what they deserve. The problem is, that’s all it gives you. You want to feel like you’re watching Maximus take off his helmet and deliver that iconic monologue again for the first time. You want the thrill of unlocked core memory. You want to know that you’ll be quoting Mescal’s lines to your friends at the pub for the next 10 years. Gladiator 2, as piously respectful as it is, can only offer a faded memory of this experience. There was a dream that was Rome, and that’s a bit like it.

THR’s David Rooney agrees that the sequel is “imitative” — more of a remake than a sequel — following its Best Picture-winning predecessor almost beaten for beat. He gets a boost from Denzel Washington, who steals the movie with a character that Rooney says is worthy of his own spin-off:

The film’s vitality is heightened when it emerges from the shadow of the original, as it does enthusiastically whenever Denzel Washington is on screen. He plays Macrinus, a Machiavellian former slave who now lives in style thanks to the profits of his gladiator stable and patiently plots a secret agenda to acquire more wealth and power. …Washington brings such blinding charisma, steely authority and sly humor to the role that his devious-scheming autodidact is very much his own character, almost worthy of an independent film.

It would be quite a tall order to ask this sequel to surpass or even match the 2000 epic, and Kelechi Ehenulo of GamesRadar admits that this is not enough. However, a phenomenal Denzel Washington (who is clearly having the time of his life in this role, says the reviewer) and the thrilling battle scenes are worth the price of admission. Éhenulo prices Gladiator II 4 stars out of 5 and writes:

Aside from some questionable VFX shots, the battle scenes play to Scott’s strengths, upping the ante by having gladiators face off against rhinos, baboons, and a shark-infested coliseum in a recreated naumachia battle. Whether on land or at sea, it delivers on violent, bloody and brutal spectacle, with the added bonus of impeccable production design and costumes.

IGN’s Tom Jorgensen gives it an “Excellent” rating of 8 out of 10, saying that Ridley Scott finds strength and honor in its predecessor, but still adds enough to make the sequel feel relevant. Jorgensen also says this is a can’t-miss performance from Denzel Washington. The critic continues:

Ridley Scott balances the action and drama of Gladiator II admirably, and even though he treads on familiar ground, Scott is at least willing to loosen the tone in a way that gives Gladiator II its own identity. The dark political battle for the fate of Rome may prove more entertaining than the fantastical showdowns at the Colosseum, but both highlight the importance of courage and temperance in the face of turbulent times. They do it the way only blockbuster cinema can: with a bunch of guys in swords and sandals working together to avoid death by a giant rhino while a rotten-brained emperor with a monkey on his shoulder screams from the best seats in the house.

It looks like Ridley Scott is hitting a lot of the same notes in the sequel as he did in the first film, albeit with more advanced technology to work with. Denzel Washington’s performance seems to stand out for many who were able to see the film earlier, but honestly, it may be worth it for the film’s interesting feature length. Gladiator II popcorn bucket. If you’ve been waiting years for this movie to come to fruition, your time has almost come, because Gladiator II hits theaters on Friday, November 22.

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Gladiator II has critics making comparisons to its predecessor, but aren’t they amused?

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Gladiator II has critics making comparisons to its predecessor, but aren’t they amused?

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