Gladiator 2 first reactions land ahead of cinema release
Gladiator II's cinema release is fast approaching, and critics who have seen the film already have been allowed to share their reactions on social media.
24 years after the first film, Sir Ridley Scott is back as director. This time, Paul Mescal is the leading man, with the cast also including Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and the returning Connie Nielsen.
According to those lucky enough to have witnessed the action already, Scott hasn't lost his touch.
Paramount
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The Wrap's Drew Taylor said: "Rest easy, Romans. #Gladiator2 is the kind of large scale filmmaking excellence only Ridley Scott could corral. Everything about it just works. Big #Maverick vibes in its ability to conjure the past while adding something new. Bold, muscular filmmaking from a legendary talent."
Critic Scott Menzel said: "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."
Paramount
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There was lots of praise for Washington's performance, with FilmSpeak's Griffin Schiller saying: "Ridley Scott returns to the Colesseum to prove to the world that HE'S. STILL. GOT. IT. Absolutely BUZZING after #GladiatorII! An EPIC shakespearean tale of hope, futility & power w/in a crumbling system. Denzel FEASTS in a showstopping, Machiavellian performance. What a picture!"
Erik Anderson added: "GLADIATOR II is a true epic and Ridley Scott’s best in years. Paul Mescal is a great action star without sacrificing his indie grit, a worthy heir to the throne. Denzel Washington EATS every line and costume without ever overplaying."
The Nerds of Color wrote: "You will be entertained. #GladiatorII is awesome, awe-inspiring, and action packed! It is Sir Ridley proving that nobody else can do epics like him! You’ll want to see this in the biggest arena possible!"
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Gladiator II's run time was recently confirmed – coming in at a colossal 2 hours 28 minutes, which is roughly 7 minutes shorter than its predecessor.
The sequel film will jump ahead a few decades and focus on a grown-up Lucius (Mescal), as he becomes a central figure of a new rebellion.
Spencer Treat Clark, who played the young Lucius in the first film, recently spoke about the recasting, and he's not bothered that Mescal has taken over the role. In fact, he's pretty excited to watch it.
"Paul's going to do such a great job," he said. "I've actually heard great things about the movie."
Gladiator II will be released in cinemas on November 15 in the UK and November 22 in the US.
Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he's covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small.
A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe's main interest is in video gaming. Although particularly a PlayStation gamer, he plays across Xbox, Nintendo and PC/Steam Deck, and likes to keep tabs on many games he's not got the time to play.
Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I'm a Fish (which you really should do).
