four-star

President Joe Biden chose to appoint a retired four-star general, Secretary Lloyd Austin, who served as the commander of US Central Command and faced some criticism from lawmakers for not informing the White House about undergoing medical procedures while in office.

"You miss Russell Crowe, but Mescal is always watchable, with a stocky, swarthy, brooding presence," he added in the four-star review.

The Independent's four-star review also commended 86-year-old Scott, who appears to care less about habits and expectations the older he gets.

Empire's four-star review praised other members of the cast as well - Pedro Pascal is "as charismatic as ever" and Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger as Roman Emperor twins "rival Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus from the original Gladiator in terms of crazed volatility and also have a distinct whiff of the ultimate mad emperor Caligula".

His four-star review also praised Paul Mescal for his performance as the illegitimate son of Russell Crowe’s Maximus, Lucius, and called him a "formidable lead".