The cast of Gladiator II is receiving universal praise, but primarily Paul Mescal and Denzel Wahsington, as summed up by We Live Entertainment’s Scott Menzel: “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 looks like he is having the time of his life here.

OffScreenCentral’s Jillian Chilingerian went one step further in her praise, predicting another award on it sway for Washington: “Engrave Denzel Washington’s name on the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for GLADIATOR 2 right this instance.

Denzel Washington and Scott worked together before on American Gangster, an underrated film in both of their filmographies, but given the review-bombing that took place after the Gladiator II trailer dropped, it’s refreshing to hear that the star’s performance is what fans would expect from him.