What Are Movie Critics Saying About Gladiator II?
What Are Movie Critics Saying About Gladiator II?
Gladiator II is weeks away from its international theatrical release, and early reviews are providing an insight into what film fans can expect from the historical action movie.
While it has a superb trailer, the initial reviews are likely to make or break the film. After all, most blockbuster movies rely heavily on positive reviews, as they can shape ticket sales and commercial success.
If you are considering watching the long-awaited sequel once it arrives on the big screen in mid-November, read on to learn what movie critics are saying about Gladiator II.
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Universally Positive Reviews
Following the huge success of Gladiator (2000), many questioned if the sequel would live up to the original.
However, it might be a relief to learn that it has received universally positive reviews from top movie critics.
Many have praised the film and the cast’s performances, which will have audiences excited to watch the epic on the big screen later this month.
For example, Scott Menzel, an entertainment journalist, wrote, “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 it looks like he is having the time of his life here.”
Simon Thompson, a top movie critic, said the film “serves up the richest feast in the epic action set pieces and deliciously ribald treachery. Dovetailing stylishly with the original, Paul Mescal leads a solid, stellar cast with aplomb. Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger are a collective powerhouse.”
While many more reviews are likely to appear online following the movie’s release, early opinions appear positive, which could help the flick enjoy much success at the box office.
Historical Inaccuracies
Gladiator II may have received glowing reviews from a handful of top movie critics, but it has drawn criticism from some historians for its inaccuracies.
At the same time as the film was generating positive feedback from film critics, Dr. Shadi Bartsch, a professor at the University of Chicago, was quick to call out the official trailer for its historical mistakes and she has yet to watch the full movie.
The respected professor called the flick “total Hollywood bullsh*t,” proving she doesn’t love the trailer.
Her first gripe was with the depiction of sharks filling a flooded Coliseum. Dr. Bartsch stated the Coliseum was occasionally flooded for naval battles but said, “I don’t think Romans knew what a shark was.”
When a Hollywood Reporter interviewer, who had seen the movie, stated it features a Roman nobleman reading a newspaper, Bartsch confirmed the act wouldn’t have been possible, as it is set 1,200 years before the invention of the printing press.
According to the respected professor, “They did have daily news, but it was carved and placed at certain locations.”
Gladiator II isn’t the first of Ridley Scott’s films to be criticized for its historical inaccuracies, as his 2023 biopic Napoleon received much criticism.
Many scholars believed the flick fuels the tale that Napoleon Bonaparte shot off the Great Sphinx’s nose during his Egyptian campaign, causing the filmmaker to reply, “Get a life.”