Photo: Paramount Gladiator II has big sandals to fill. Its predecessor, the 2000 historical epic starring Russell Crowe, was both a box office hit and a Best Picture winner at the Oscars. Director Ridley Scott’s long-gestating sequel, out now, brings viewers back to the Colosseum with a new cast that includes Paul Mescal , Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, and even some historically questionable sharks . Naturally, critics can’t help comparing the two films — and making a bunch of “are you