Gladiator

Rating:
Summary: GREAT
Review: This is one of my favorite movies I have watched and it was my first dvd I bought. It has great fight scenes inside the arena as well as outside it. Russell Crowe stars in it as Maximus.

He starts off as a general but after the first battle the ruler of Greece choses Maximus to become king. The ruler's son is mad because of the king's choice. The kings son sends Maximus out to die but he escapes and goes on to be captured and he becomes a kind of prisoneer guy who has to fight by himself and with the rest of the prisoneers to stay alive.

It is a two disc set and includes specials like the making of Gladiator, deleted scenes with commentary, two featurettes, and much more. This a great movie overall and has a great story to it.

Rating:
Summary: Maximus! Maximus!
Review: Thousands of flaming arrows dancing across the sky. Dangerous and gory swordfights against man and beast inside a splendidly recreated Colliseum, itself inside a Rome brought back to the old grandeur of the Empire, pomp and pageantry and cheering Colliseum-goers and all. These are just a few of the arresting images to be found within Gladiator, the epic story of Roman general Maximus (Russell Crowe), a man whose incorrigible integrity and honesty display themselves at the wrong place and time, namely stepping on the toes of soon-to-be-Emperor Commodus's (Joaquin Phoenix) ascension to power. Set to be executed, Maximus manages to escape, only to be captured again, this time sold into slavery. Fighting his way up the ranks so to speak, he fights for a chance to enter the Colliseum, and strike back at Commodus, for vengeance, for honor, and for Rome.

Sound like the stuff of epics? It is indeed. Some have chided its simple storyline, forgetting that a movie with a simple storyline, if it's well-acted (Phoenix's Commodus was especially good, just the perfect combination of whiny dependence and power-mad incestous insanity necessary to create a believable, and quite hateable villain) , well-directed (by the brilliant Ridley Scott), and well-scored (by Hans Zimmer, currently of Pearl Harbor fame), is a good movie nonetheless.

Some have chided its historical inaccuracies, forgetting that the intent here was not to make a History Channel documentary. And this is not an attack on History Channel documentaries (they really ARE fascinating). But Scott's intent was obviously not to make such. His intent here was to tell a rousing, romantic, one might say "old-school" epic of a hero fighting for love, honor, and country. And at that he succeeds splendidly. So if you can overlook the historical inaccuracies, and the relatively simple storyline, be prepared for an unabashedly heroic film done with all the splendor Hollywood can muster. And hopefully you too will join the cheering of the countless Gladiator fans shouting "Maximus! Maximus!"

A sidenote: the DVD version is wonderful. Two discs, one with the movie (done with excellent visual quality, especially when viewed on a quality widescreen), one with fascinating extra features on the making of the movie, and the history of the Gladiatorial games, make this a package worth owning.

Rating:
Summary: Thank you Ridley Scott!!!
Review: Maximus Decimus Meridias ( Russell Crow) is the general of the Roman army. Over the course of being general, Maximus has won many victories which has caused him to be loved by not only his soldiers, but the aging emperor Marcus Aurelius ( Richard Harris) as well. As time grows nearer towards the emperor's death, he names Maximus as his successor over his son Commodus(Joaquin Phoenix)in a private conversation between Maximus and himself. When Commodus is told the news by his father, Commodus kills him in a fit of rage. In order to keep his father's last wishes hidden, he orders that Maximus and his family are to be killed so that he can become Rome's newest emperor. Maximus manages to escape before he can be killed, but loses his will to go on when he discovers his wife and son dead. He is captured by a slave trader named Proximo ( Oliver Reed) and forced to compete as a Gladiator until he is killed in battle. However, Maximus proves to be a worthy Gladiator, and soon wins the hearts of the crowds in the Colliseum. Maximus uses his desire for revenge to fuel his way towards gaining his revenge on Commodus.

Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" is an amazing film. For 2 1/2 hours I was glued to the screen and loving every minute of it. Gladiator is the first film since Braveheart, that captivated me and left me speechless. Everything about this film was extremely well done. The story was extremely inspiring because of what Maximus is forced to go through. At times I was also somewhat amused by the story because it featured elements of the WWE and reminded me of the Stone Cold Steve Austin/ Vince McMahon feud. The more that Maximus rebelled against the system and defied the emperor Commodus, the more he was revered. The battle scenes in this film are unreal. They are so violent and realistic, that you wil be made to flinch at times. The musical score to this film was amazing. It was extremely powerful and moving. Each time that it played throughout the film, the intensity of the scene would increase. I also thought that Ridley Scott did an excellent job at recreating the Colliseum and ancient Rome in general. Everything from the actor's dialogue to the costume designs were dead on. Rusell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix were both amazing in their roles and played extremely well off of each other. Their feud was extremely entertaining throughout the whole film. Richard Harris, Oliver Reed, Connie Nielsen, and Djimon Hounsou were all fantastic in their roles as well.

Overall, Gladiator is a great film. The story is inspiring, all the actors involved did a great job, the musical score was very powerful, and the film effectively recreated ancient Rome. The 2 disc DVD set is great on its own. The first disc features the film and offers outstanding picture and sound quality. If you have surround sound, you will love watching this film when using it. The second disc contains nothing but extras that include 25 minutes of deleted scenes, featurettes, an interview with Hans Zimmer on the making of the musical score, and more.

A solid 5 stars...

Rating:
Summary: Best ensemble cast in years!!
Review: This movie is both one of the finest mainstream movies and finest DVDs ever. The action of Ben Hur and fine writing of a great epic film screenplay combined with up-to-date, understated digital technology and a wonderful ensemble cast - this film is a visually spectacular and sonically intoxicating. Ridley Scott manages to put the viewer in the middle of the Roman Empire the way George Lucas hurled his viewers through outer space - but with Gladiator I didn't even suspect half of what I was seeing was digitally generated background scenery and backdrops until I saw the "making of" featurettes on the DVD.

In addition to Russell Crowe's great performance, both Richard Harris (Camelot) as Marcus Aurelius and Joaquin Phoenix (Parenthood, 8mm) as Commodus, his son and heir to the empire, turn in Oscar worthy performances. The late Oliver Reed (Oliver, Tommy) also does a wonderful job. The costumes, the special effects, the cinematography, and the sound are something to be experienced at home, in DTS, on a good surround sound system.

This 2 DVD set is PACKED with special features, including quite a few "Making of" featurettes and an interview with Hans Zimmer, the soundtrack composer.

My only criticism of the film - and I am a Lone Ranger on this point - is the musical soundtrack to the film sounds to my ears like other soundtracks (Bram Stoker's Dracula, for instance) and classical pieces (Mars from the Planets by Gustav Holst) that have been thinly disguised and re-arranged by the composer. I honestly don't know if this is coincidence or intentional, but only devout ST and classical music fans will notice this. Thank God it doesn't detract from the film, and in some places the ST is quite effective. It is a shoe-in for an Oscar nomination. Sonically - the film is superb.

Congratulations to the studio on the common sense to release with several different audio options - Dolby 5.1, Dolby 6.1 EX, and DTS - all on the same DVD. Nothing more a consumer could ask for at this or any price. Thanks.

Rating:
Summary: This DVD Delivers --- Epic Movie Loaded With Extras!!
Review: You really get yor money's worth with "Gladiator"! This is a DVD lover's dream come true --- an epic movie loaded with tons of extras. First and foremost, this two-disc set features a beautiful widescreen print of one of the most visually stunning films in Hollywood's history. Director Ridley Scott and crew bring Ancient Rome to life in a grandiose fashion not seen since "Ben Hur". The images are so crisp and 3-dimensional that it's hard to believe so much of this film is computer generated. The DTS sound really delivers. Crank it up during the intensely thrilling Roman Coliseum battles. It's like being front-row and center as the heroic Maximus (Russell Crowe) slays both man and beast during some of the most riveting fight scenes ever filmed. Of course, all the visual effects in the world are worthless if the movie itself fails to deliver. No worry here. The tension between Maximus and Emperor Commodus (a wonderfully evil Joaquin Phoenix) carries "Gladiator" from beginning to bloody end. Phoenix is one of the creepiest bigscreen villains of all-time-- a snide, backstabing traitor. Crowe, however, is as heroic as Phoenix is evil. I guarantee you'll cheer Crowe's every move during their imminent showdown. It's a battle of pure bloody vengeance which, in terms of thrills, is unsurpassed.

Just as satisfying as the film itself is the second disc which is packed with extras. Included are a "making of" mini-documentary, and a pair of "behind the scenes" featurettes which provide a lot of interesting insight. Director Scott provides an informative audio commentary which I found to be nearly as good as the movie itself. And if all this isn't enough, you get a ton of deleted scenes (complete with commentary) and a gallery of still photos from the set of "Gladiator". Overall, this is a first-rate DVD. It's not often that a film of such epic proportions is packaged so well for the home theatre crowd. In fact, the extras alone are worth the price of admission. Highly recommended for action fans. Five stars all the way!

Rating:
Summary: I DID PAY CLOSE ATTENTION
Review: In response to my fellow reviewer from Nevada whose review was, in turn, a response to my earlier critique of this film, I'd like to answer his answers to my original points, because it's clear that one of us didn't pay close attention to this film.

First point: so my fellow reviewer from Nevada didn't think Commodus was weak? If he read his history a litte closer then he would know that the reason why men like the real Commodus were able to hold on to power for so long is quite simple: the Roman army was made up of the highest paid soldiers of their day. They were paid very graciously by the emperor himself to ensure that he had their loyalty. This was put into action after a mutinous sack of Rome by the Roman army itself, led by a disgruntled general (I won't get into that, he can read it himself if he likes afterward). That being said, it was the EMPEROR who held true power, NOT the mobs of Rome. With his soldiers and personal guard behind him to protect him, there was absolutely no reason whatsoever why the emperor had to fear a slave, even if he WAS a popular sports hero. Historically speaking, Commodus had the power to execute Maximus, even publicly if he chose, and there wouldn't have been the slightest thing that the mobs of Rome could've done about it. Perhaps if my friend was aware of this fact then he would understand why I find this entire wanna-be BEN-HUR "I'll be back" plot so ridiculous. But if he chose to ignore it simply for entertainment's sake, that's not my problem. As for my feeling sorry for Commodus being my personal issue, perhaps. But what's there not to feel sorry for? Did not Marcus Aurelius confess to his son "Your faults as a son is my failure as a father"? The poor kid was a product of his own father's lack of love for his son. Pitiful.

My fellow reviewer thinks my point about Marcus not training a reluctant, inexperienced soldier in the rules of emperorship is crying over spilt milk? For heaven's sake, the man is about to be in charge of an entire empire! This isn't spilt milk, it's responsibility, dude!

My fellow reviewer is right: Maximus does make some mention of his unenviable situation, but that's not until towards the end of the film. Questioning why he was forced into this dreaded, unjust lifestyle is not whining, it's being realistic. Does my friend from Nevada presume to tell me that if he were in Maximus' shoes he wouldn't at least ask Proximo why he's there to begin with?

As for my point about Maximus' star status, it is my fellow reviewer from Nevada who isn't paying close attention, not I. It was right before the TRIAL combat that the big German gladiator, who had earlier thought that Maximus was a coward, suddenly showers Crowe's character with silly compliments, and NOT after Maximus had already built his reputation for his skills. As for why Maximus stood out among the rest, well, I admit I still don't get it.

As for the point I made about one of Maximus' fellow teammates not telling our hero that he knows who he really is has a word for it: LOGIC. The man was supposedly anonymous. After all, wasn't he known simply as "The Spaniard"?? And how did everyone in the crowd suddenly discover our hero's true identity? Did Maximus and Commodus have a microphone attached to their costumes when they spoke in the arena?

It is not hard at all knocking this film. How can it be when every illogical flaw it contains is presented right before my very own eyes? It was precisely because I watched this movie very closely (more than a few times, too) that I changed the way I originally felt about it. I suggest my friend from Nevada do the same.

Rating:
Summary: Epic Splendor Reborn
Review: After forty years the Epic Roman film is revised and reborn in unmatched magnificence. The new age of the ancient world in film arises under the vision of Ridley Scott and presents us with the Oscar winning star making performance by Russell Crowe.
Now that we have the wonders of computer graphics there is no place that film makers can not take us and no world past, present of future they can not create in ways that would a few years ago proven cost prohibitive.
The demise of the ancient Epic of the early 60's may have been in part due to the fact that to recreate Rome, Greece, or Egypt with any degree of splendor studios had to build full sized sets and people them with thousands of extras. See as superb examples of this real time expensive film style illustrated in "Cleopatra" 1963 or "The Fall of the Roman Empire" 1964 (Which has many parallels to "Gladiator"). But today we can revisit this old genre and make it exciting and new with our technological advancements in film.
Scott and his collaborators have given new life and spawned a new generation of epic such as the upcoming "Troy" and "Alexander" with this impressive and exciting film.
The only thing I found disturbing in the recreation of Rome was that it was painted in terracotta's and blacks. I would have preferred to see the riot of color that Rome actually was. But beyond this nitpicking I am thrilled by what I see on the screen.
But for the first time viewer there awaits the visceral impact of Russell Crowe's creation of Maximus. Truly a star turn that few actors of his generation could achieve. He fills the screen, the film, the very era with authority, strength, and even tenderness and proves here that there is nothing this fine talent cannot do. With Maximus he transfigures his screen persona to the Elysium of the greats such as Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable, and Paul Newman.
Scott has surrounded his star with stellar supporting performers who add to the film with talent and in some cases just the right touch of humor.
The music by Hans Zimmer, which by now is much imitated in TV miniseries of late, recalls the greatness of Rozsa and Alex North and adds dimension and scope to the picture.
The cinematography by John Mathieson, particularly in the opening scenes in Germania is of such skill and beauty that the viewer is transported to the 1st Century A.D.
The DVD is chock full of wonderful extras including a hilarious parody trailer for "Chicken Run" (this is an Easter egg. Just look for the Roman eagle on Richard Harris' breastplate.)
"Gladiator" is a supreme effort and well deserving of it's many laurels.

Rating:
Summary: Good story, great performances. Outstanding DVD.
Review: Summary:

A general becomes a slave, who becomes stronger that Caesar.

Solid script writing with good cohesion, great acting from a deep and solid cast, great (and eerie) music, fantastic sets (a real coliseum, and surreal special effects), great directing, great Director's Commentary by Ridley Scott and great DVD special features includes a short documentary on gladiators.

Review:

Movie mixes some history with good story telling and truly great special effects - the creation of an accurate Rome and the Coliseum. Good intrigue, and twists, along with some robust (bloody) gladiator fights. This movie makes Russell Crowe, and he makes the movie. Joquin Phoenix delivers a great performance being a demented Caesar (Comodus) who gains audience sympathy with his sick and twisted weaknesses (his search for being loved). His sister Lucilla (Connie Nielson) is exceptionally regal, without being overly affected.

Richard Harris does a surprisingly great job and his short performance sets the stage as Caesar Augustus - the great leader and empire builder whose failed fatherhood (to Comodus) leads to the conflagration between Maximus and Comodus.

Story:

Rome's greatest general Maximus (Crowe) finds himself thrust into slavery when he narrowly escapes being murdered on the orders of Comodus (Phoenix). Maximus' personal mission is to avenge the brutal deaths of his wife and son against Comodus; then to join his family in the hereafter. Fearful for the life of her young son Lucilla (Nielson) gains hope in staging a revolt through Maximus when she finds him alive in the Coloseum. Because of his fierce fighting style, Rome loves the slave Maximux and Comodus cannot directly kill him.

Negatives:

Some of the gladiator fights are detailed and therefore gory, so be careful who you see this film with.

Also, the pagan concept of death and the portrayal of the "hereafter" feels spiritually empty. But, that was Rome

Rating:
Summary: This DVD Delivers --- Epic Movie Loaded With Extras!!
Review: You really get yor money's worth with "Gladiator"! This is a DVD lover's dream come true --- an epic movie loaded with tons of extras. First and foremost, this two-disc set features a beautiful widescreen print of one of the most visually stunning films in Hollywood's history. Director Ridley Scott and crew bring Ancient Rome to life in a grandiose fashion not seen since "Ben Hur". The images are so crisp and 3-dimensional that it's hard to believe so much of this film is computer generated. The DTS sound really delivers. Crank it up during the intensely thrilling Roman Coliseum battles. It's like being front-row and center as the heroic Maximus (Russell Crowe) slays both man and beast during some of the most riveting fight scenes ever filmed. Of course, all the visual effects in the world are worthless if the movie itself fails to deliver. No worry here. The tension between Maximus and Emperor Commodus (a wonderfully evil Joaquin Phoenix) carries "Gladiator" from beginning to bloody end. Phoenix is one of the creepiest bigscreen villains of all-time-- a snide, backstabing traitor. Crowe, however, is as heroic as Phoenix is evil. I guarantee you'll cheer Crowe's every move during their imminent showdown. It's a battle of pure bloody vengeance which, in terms of thrills, is unsurpassed.

Just as satisfying as the film itself is the second disc which is packed with extras. Included are a "making of" mini-documentary, and a pair of "behind the scenes" featurettes which provide a lot of interesting insight. Director Scott provides an informative audio commentary which I found to be nearly as good as the movie itself. And if all this isn't enough, you get a ton of deleted scenes (complete with commentary) and a gallery of still photos from the set of "Gladiator". Overall, this is a first-rate DVD. It's not often that a film of such epic proportions is packaged so well for the home theatre crowd. In fact, the extras alone are worth the price of admission. Highly recommended for action fans. Five stars all the way!

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie
Review: This movie is one of my favorites. Russell Crowe was great in it, and everything was just perfect. Loads of fighting, and teary eye moments. You'll cheer on Maximus 'til the end. (I can't really write reviews but someone gave this film a bad review... and thats not right)