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.

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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.