Gladiator II review, Indian box office and predictions

Starring some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, and Connie Nielsen, Gladiator II was released in India on Friday. Directed by Ridley Scott, the movie is a sequel to the 2000 film, Gladiator, starring Russell Crowe.

Incidentally, Gladiator II’s release date coincided with The Sabarmati Report, which stars Vikrant Massey and Raashii Khanna. 

However, the Hollywood blockbuster fared better, earning about Rs 3 crore. After a day of its release, the historical action-adventure stands with a 75% approval on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.1/10 rating on IMDb. Moreover, viewers from India expressed mixed opinions even if the overall rating was mostly positive.

Several fans mentioned loving the intense gladiator battles, politics, and visual quality of Gladiator II. Moreover, many praised Denzel Washington’s performance as Macrinus as well as Paul Mescal for his character of Lucius. The film also has an epic climax that contains an action-packed and emotional conclusion.

On another note, fans complained that the film fell short of matching the first Gladiator movie in both tone and drama. Online reviews listed fan reviews describing the sequel as “a grand sequel that struggles to match the original’s brilliance” and also as a movie with phenomenal background score, sound design, and cinematography.

Thus, on its own, Gladiator II makes up for a plentiful watching experience despite high fan expectations. With these factors in mind, industry experts predict that Gladiator II may continue to rise and earn at least Rs 13-15 crore over its opening weekend.