The cast of Gladiator II receives universal praise, but mainly Paul Mescal and Denzel Wahsington, as Scott Menzel of We Live Entertainment summarizes: “Gladiator II is Ridley Scott’s best film since The Martian. A big, bloody, nasty action spectacle that builds on the legacy of the original. The film features beautiful settings and many epic battles. Paul Mescal shines. Denzel Washington chews the scenery a bit here and looks like he’s having the time of his life here.
OffScreenCentral’s Jillian Chilingerian went even further in her praise, predicting another award for Washington: “Engrave Denzel Washington’s name on the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for GLADIATOR 2, in this case.”
Denzel Washington and Scott previously worked together on American gangsteran underrated film in both of their filmographies, but given the bombardment of reviews that took place after the Gladiator II trailer dropped, it’s refreshing to hear that the star’s performance is what fans have come to expect from him.