Gladiator II First Reviews Praise Paul Mescal's 'Magnetic' Performance in Sequel Full of 'Eye-Popping Spectacle'

The first reviews for Gladiator II have arrived.

After Ridley Scott's long-awaited sequel to his 2000 Academy Award-winning film Gladiator screened for critics in recent days, the epic film debuted on review aggregators like Metacritic with a score of 67 — indicating generally favorable reviews — and 84% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney wrote that the movie's star Paul Mescal "is magnetic as always" as he portrays Lucius, while Denzel Washington "brings such blinding charisma, steely authority and sly humor" to his role as the scheming politician Macrinus.

"Gladiator II might not have a protagonist with the scorching glower of [Russell] Crowe’s Maximus, but it has plenty of the eye-popping spectacle and operatic violence audiences will want," Rooney wrote.

Vulture film critic Alison Willmore criticized the movie heavily in her review, writing that Gladiator II is "so underwhelming that you might leave thinking, 'Huh, maybe masculinity really is in crisis.' "

Willmore wrote that Mescal, 28, is "terrible at giving the rousing speeches that were so iconic in Gladiator," while describing the sequel's script as noticeably "clunkier" than that of the original movie. "Sure, not all of us spend a lot of time thinking about the Roman Empire, but those who do deserve better than this," she wrote.

IndieWire critic Vikram Murthi similarly criticized the movie and wrote that it feels "drained of any of the old-fashioned magic that elevated the original" despite feeling larger in scope and scale.

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"Out of the main cast, [Pedro] Pascal stands out largely because his character — a Roman general disgusted by the mass death he’s ordered to administer — is the most conflicted and dynamic," Murthi wrote. "Naturally, he’s barely in the film."

Deadline's Pete Hammond gave the film a positive review and wrote that the film "is the movie IMAX was invented to show" in theaters. 

"I didn’t visualize Mescal following Russell Crowe into this particular ring, but his muscular and compelling turn as Lucius is the real deal, as fierce in all the swordplay as he is human in his portrayal," he wrote, while also praising Connie Nielsen's reprisal of her role as Lucilla. "There were times [Mescal] even reminded me of Spartacus-era Kirk Douglas."

Siddhant Adklakha wrote in his review for Inverse that Gladiator II is "a darker, more vicious film for a darker, more vicious time" in relation to the recent U.S. presidential election. 

The critic described Mescal's work in the movie as "fiery," while praising Washington, 69, whom Adklakha wrote "lights the screen ablaze with his Shakespearean delivery and campy, two-faced façade, switching between devious scowls and devilish grins with ease depending on who’s watching."

"It's a deliciously self-assured performance from an actor at the height of his abilities who crafts a character so delightfully scheming that it’s hard to look away," he added.

Gladiator II is in theaters Nov. 22.