The reviews for Gladiator II are flooding in, with critics revealing their key takeaways from the sequel, comparing it to the original, and providing it with its own Rotten Tomatoes score. Gladiator II picks up almost two decades after the ending of Gladiator, with Paul Mescal portraying an older Lucius Verus. Given the intense love that has blossomed for the first Gladiator since its release, the anticipation for the sequel was one of cautious optimism. Gladiator II‘s ensemble cast is fantastic, but whether the movie could live up to its predecessor was a common concern.