Critics rave about 'Gladiator II': 'Magnetic as always'

Ahead of release, Gladiator II is screened for the critics. Except for a few critical reviews, overall, they are gushing about a sequel that came two decades later.

Review aggregators like Metacritic, the action-drama has a score of 67, while on Rotten Tomatoes, it racked up 84%.

In The Hollywood Reporter, David Rooney penned that 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 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," he wrote.

Reviewing for Deadline, Pete Hammond said it "is the movie IMAX was invented to show" in theatres.

"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," the writer said.

Film critic Siddhant Adklakha, in his review in Inverse, called Mescal's work in the movie "fiery," while describing Denzel Washington's character as "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."

Gladiator II will be released in theatres on Nov 22.