Gladiator II critics have declared that Denzel Washington ‘stole the entire’ picture as they heaped praise on his electrifying performance.

Though Irish actor Paul Mescal, 28, takes the lead in the action-packed blockbuster as the vengeful Roman Empire heir-turned-Gladiator, it’s Denzel’s portrayal as the sly and ambitious Mecrinus that has everyone talking.

The Hollywood star, 69, has been lauded for his ‘pure camp’ line delivery, with it being said that Denzel is ‘palpably revelling’ in playing the ‘smug, self-satisfied schemer.’

Meanwhile, Paul, who first shot to fame in 2020’s Normal People, is said to be the ‘pumping heart of the movie’ who ‘exudes charisma and testosterone’.

Though critics have been somewhat divided by Scott’s latest offering with some noting that it doesn’t quite live up to the film’s original, overall, Gladiator II has been seen as a triumph, with one noting that it’s ‘watchable and spectacular’.

The Daily Mail’s Brian Viner notes that while the sequel falls short of its masterpiece predecessor, it is still ‘heaps of farfetched an ferocious fun.’

He writes: ‘Even though this sequel rarely scales the soaring heights of the first film, and takes some right Roman liberties with historical truths, it is still worthy of a firm-ish thumbs-up.

‘Giving the blockbuster four stars, he continues:  ‘Certainly, Lucius is not cowed by anything the Colosseum can throw at him, from killer baboons to, in a cinematic flourish all but guaranteed to make historians of ancient Rome throw their textbooks at the screen, a saddled-up warrior-rhinoceros.

‘And let’s not even start on the savage sharks brought in to pep up the recreation of a naval battle.

‘Meanwhile, Rome has become a cesspit of depravity and corruption under the rotten rule of slimy emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and his twin Caracalla (Fred Hechinger).

‘Hechinger is said to have modelled Caracalla on Johnny Rotten, while the syphilitic Geta was reportedly inspired in part by Sid Vicious. Having warmed to the rhino and the sharks I’m all for this unlikely fusion of ancient Rome and the Sex Pistols.

‘The emperors’ over-the-top ghastliness borders on the comedic but then it’s best not to take any of this seriously.’

Brian concludes: ‘Yes, Scott’s lofty disregard for historical verities extends even to his own narrative but let’s not hold that against him. At the age of 86, the old boy still knows how to craft a sword-and-sandals epic, so to hell with the facts.’

Meanwhile, the Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw suggests that Denzel was the stand-out star of the film, writing: ‘As the slave-owner and slave-trainer, Denzel Washington inherits Oliver Reed’s role; he plays the cunning and ambitious Macrinus, who plans to parlay his warlord status into political power, a Roman Yevgeny Prigozhin.

‘In fact Washington almost steals the entire picture as Macrinus shrewdly exploits the gambling addiction of Tim McInnerny’s weak and duplicitous Senator Thraex.

‘It is Washington who gets the line that might yet be this film’s social-media meme as he hisses into Thraex’s cringing face: ‘That, my friend, is politicsssssss – ah!”

Empire’s Boyd Hilton is in firm agreement that Denzel’s scenes upstages all others, writing: ‘Washington practically steals the whole film, by the way, palpably revelling in the chance to let rip as a smug, self-satisfied schemer of the highest order. Some of his line-readings are pure camp.’

However, The Times’ Kevin Maher was not entertained by film, awarding it only two stars.

Sharing his thoughts, he declared that Ridley Scott’s sequel is the ‘most disappointing “legacy sequel” (aka belated follow-up) since Prometheus. It’s a scattershot effort with half-formed characters (with one exception) and undernourished plotlines that seem to exist only in conversation with the Russell Crowe original.’

Though he describes Paul as a ‘versatile actor’, he adds his character is ‘shaky at best’ who ‘consistently struggles to enliven the gig’.

But like others, praise is given to Denzel and his portrayal of Macrinus, with Maher adding of the character: ‘He is witty, sly, bisexual, nakedly ambitious and burdened by a torturous past. Whenever he is on screen the movie ignites.’

Likewise, The Independent’s Patrick Smith wasn’t too fond of the film branding it an ‘awful mess’, but agrees that Denzel is the saviour of the swords and sandals flick – him and a monkey.

He pens of the Hollywood star: ‘Denzel Washington, as a slave-owner with soaring ambitions, is deliciously sly, stealing every scene and generally putting all the actors to shame. He’s the film’s only real winner, apart perhaps from Caracalla’s pet monkey, who lights up the screen.

Echoing other reviewers, The Standard’s Nick Curtis identifies Denzel as a highlight of the film, writing: ‘If Mescal is the pumping heart of the movie, its characterful head is Denzel Washington as Macrinus, a wolfishly grinning, bejewelled gladiator trainer with his own agenda.

‘Washington lights up every scene he’s in and effectively drives the plot, and the plotting. (Macrinus has a handy senatorial sidekick who should be called Expositus, but isn’t.)

His glowing review extends to that of director Ridley Scott, as he remarked: ‘The new film is another polished, action-packed, historical blockbuster from the directorial powerhouse, who turns 87 this month and shows no sign of slowing.’

Gladiator II follows Lucius Verus (Paul), the former heir to the Roman Empire who is forced into slavery and eventually pushed to fight in the Colosseum in an effort to restore glory.

With Russell Crowe’s legendary Maximus long-since dead and buried, it is vengeful Lucius (Paul) who must fight for his liberty in the film after being taken into slavery and ripped away from his wife and daughter by general Marcus (Pedro Pascal).

As part of Lucius’ plan for revenge, he risks his life to fight in the arena for Macrinus (Washington), a former slave.

Macrinus’ uses Lucius as part of his plan to overthrow the dual emperors Geta and Caracalla, as he hopes to assume their throne.

Daily Mail

The Daily Mail’s Brian Viner notes that while the sequel falls short of its masterpiece predecessor, it is still ‘heaps of farfetched an ferocious fun.’

He writes: ‘Even though this sequel rarely scales the soaring heights of the first film, and takes some right Roman liberties with historical truths, it is still worthy of a firm-ish thumbs-up.’

He continues: ‘Yes, Scott’s lofty disregard for historical verities extends even to his own narrative but let’s not hold that against him. At the age of 86, the old boy still knows how to craft a sword-and-sandals epic, so to hell with the facts.’

The Guardian

Peter Bradshaw writes: ‘This sequel is watchable and spectacular, with the Colosseum created not digitally but as a gobsmacking 1-to-1 scale physical reconstruction with real crowds. Yet this film is weirdly almost a next-gen remake, effectively reincarnating almost every single narrative component of the original in a variant form, the events of the first film echoing in franchise eternity.

Empire

Boyd Hilton shares: ‘Historically accurate or not, the sight of marine predators in this film — the long-awaited sequel to Scott’s iconic, Russell Crowe-starring, swords-and-sandals 2000 original — epitomises the emphasis here on the brutal decadence of the time.

‘There are copious amounts of blood and gore throughout: gruesome decapitations, throat-slashings, and limbs lopped off left, right and centre. One such moment of blood-spurting violence is so borderline comical, you half expect the victim to borrow the line from the Black Knight in Monty Python And The Holy Grail: “Tis but a scratch”.’

The Times

Kevin Maher said: ‘The global hype party surrounding Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II has been a blast, teasing a thrilling blockbuster that would return us to the multiplex and have us cheering along to ancient Roman antics.

‘The finished film, it transpires, is Scott’s most disappointing “legacy sequel” (aka belated follow-up) since Prometheus. It’s a scattershot effort with half-formed characters (with one exception) and undernourished plotlines that seem to exist only in conversation with the Russell Crowe original.

‘There is no substantial story this time around, and no driving ideas in the hotchpotch screenplay from David Scarpa, who wrote Napoleon. It’s just five consecutive Colosseum dust-ups interspersed with damaging callbacks to the revenger’s antics of Crowe’s general Maximus and his emperor nemesis Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix).’

The Standard

Nick Curtis shares: ‘Gladiator II is stirring, gung-ho stuff, and it all looks ravishing, from the aerial views of Rome to the crunching action scenes. Mescal exudes charisma and testosterone, especially when rocking a gladiator’s mini-skirted tunic. Ridley Scott, we salute you.’