Gladiator

Rating:
Summary: Biggus Dickus has one up on Maximus
Review: Except for the fight scenes (which are very well done), Gladiator would have one of the worst plot scripts I have ever seen (the movie "Summer of Sam" probably being the worst). If you want to see a Roman film with a great script, then nothing beats Life of Brian. In Life of Brian you have it all:

1) Brian heroically takes on the Roman Army
2) Biggus Dickus demonstrates his leadership qualities
3) A Gladiator is defeated by wit rather than brawn (he suffers a cardiac arrest)
4) An excellent grammar lesson in Latin is given
5) The heart wrenching discovery that Brian is in fact the illegitimate offspring of the Roman General Naughtius Maximus
6) An endering love story
7) Great action and suspense as you watch the People's Front of Judea take on the Judean Popular People's Front
8) An encounter with space aliens
9) That we're all individuals (except for some)
10) That crucifixion is better than being locked up in a dungeon (it puts you out in the open air)

What more could you ask for???....Hail Biggus!!!

Rating:
Summary: hail maximus!!!
Review: whoa---this was my reaction after seeing this movie...at first, i wasn't thrilled about it, cuz i thought it was a story of just a bunch of gladiators hacking and slashing each other in the colosseum---but its way more than that!!! it has such an amazing story, and not to mention an awesome cast!! russell crowe is such an amazing actor, and i also thought joaquin phoenix was awesome too (even though he played an evil character, he did a good job on doing his part).the battle scene in the beginning is awesome and so are the fights in the colosseum---you feel as if you're one of the colosseum spectators!!! if you wanna good action movie with a good story, BUY THIS!!! definitely worth the money. the extras are good too.

ps---get the soundtrack, its just as good as the movie!!!!

Rating:
Summary: The most overrated movie of the last decade
Review: "Gladiator" is an astonishing success -- and by that I mean that I am astonished by the level of success this mediocre flick has attained.

Why are people so enamored of this film? Why was it even made? Clearly spurred on by the fortunes of the ultra-realistic "Saving Private Ryan" (which is infinitely better than this movie), "Gladiator" is a long, dull, boring slog through action sequences we've seen before in other, better movies.

The obvious CGI is ugly, the photography dank and dark, the script ridden with cliches and the performances as stiff as nails -- including the lead performance of Russell Crowe, who is about as dour, joyless and inert as any actor I've ever seen in any movie. Mel Gibson played a similar character in "Braveheart" (lone man takes on the aristocracy to avenge the death of his wife), but with much more verve and energy than Crowe musters here. Crowe is a complete flop in this movie.

But, people love it. It won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Actor (over "Traffic" and "Crouching Tiger"!). I remain baffled by the money and the kudos spent on this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary ...
Review: When I first learned that Gladiator was coming out I was thrilled, not only because I have a love of all things classical, but also because of the action and adventure that was sure to be incorporated. I was not disappointed.

This movie allows the viewer to peek into the world of Maximus, a general in the Roman army under Marcus Aurelius. After Commodus, the emperor's son, betrays him, Maximus is thrown into a world of barbarity, cruelty, and slaughter where the only goal is to survive the next round. He strives to reach the Coliseum and avenge the murder of his wife and son.

One of the things that struck me most about his film is its heroic qualities. Maximus tackles a challenge few men could have ever conquered. He also possesses the heroic qualities characters in other great movies possess: courage, strength, and honor. At each junction, I cheered (in my head, of course) Maximus on and wished for his success.

The graphics are also stunning. When Maximus enters the arena, I felt as if I too was facing certain doom. The portrayal of Rome and the desperate situation of its citizens during this time is also quite realistic.

This movie can only be considered one of epic proportions and I would encourage anyone who has not seen it to rush out and get it for yourself!

Rating:
Summary: Russell Crowe as The Gladiator reminds me of Ben-Hur.
Review: When I first saw this film. I just did not like it. I wasn't in the right mood. I throughly enjoyed Russell Crowe in L.A. Confidential (1997) where I first saw Crowe. I had to see him in more films. But then I saw him in A Beautiful Mind (2001). Which I feel he should have won the Academy Award for, but did not. He was only nominated, but that is still an honor too. Since then, I have seen Crowe in Proof (1991), Hammers Over The Anvil (1991), The Sum Of Us (1994) and The Insider (1999). I had to give Gladiator (2000) one more try. There was the scenes where the tiger almost got Russell Crowe in real-life. They left that scene in there. The scenes with the tiger was an eye-opener. Crowe being shackled was memorable. I can't wait to see Russell Crowe in Master and Commander (2003) and Cinderella Man (2004), the latter he plays a boxer, to be filmed by Director, Ron Howard.

Rating:
Summary: Would have been perfect if much of the dialogue was cut!
Review: The opening shot of this movie is one of the most beautiful pieces of cinema that I've ever seen. When I first saw it in the theaters with the haunting musical score by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard backing it up, I was totally mesmerized. In fact, there are too many shots like this throughout the entire film, garlanding the story in short visual flashes, to be able to mention them all here. One sequence I will mention, however, is the final death of the hero. All I can say is if my death is nearly half as beautiful as his, I will not be afraid of dying. Ridley Scott's artistic eye is ever-present and he can turn an ordinary slug-fest into a ballet of rhythm and sound with bursts of color in the form of the most artistic display of bloodletting you will probably ever find in a film about gladiators.

But now for the bad news. Despite all the talent that was put into making this movie, the overall lack of an engrossing plot severely handicaps what was otherwise a great film. The story is just too simple and there are no twists to keep us interested. A great general, Maximus (Russell Crowe), close friend of an ailing, dying Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), who, like all men in the winter of their life, questions the value of his achievements, is asked to serve as his successor in lieu of his own son for the purpose of surrendering imperial power and returning it to the people of Rome in an attempt to give back that city it's former greatness. This wish is taken unwillingly by a man who desires nothing more but an end to war and a leave to go home. But the ambitious scheming of the man who has the most to gain by the emperor's death, heir apparent Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), forces the general to be disposed of so as not to threaten the line of succession. Thus, the three acts of the movie are very early sketched out: general, slave, gladiator. As far as the hero and villain are concerned, that describes the entirety of it. You'd think that there were so many directions you could take with two characters whose connection is as volatile as that but either the script or the filmmakers chose to apply the usual theatrical flairs and, trust me, somewhere by the 2-hour mark you will be completely bored with both of them.

This lack of depth in the main characters is supported by a skeleton crew of supporting cast members. The Emperor's sister, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) is a revelation of older Hollywood movies where leading ladies were elegant, refined, powerful, but always overshadowed by less-interesting but more imposing men. Her relationship with Maximus, regretfully, is never really explored. Instead, in keeping with character, loyalty to a wife (even a dead one) was chosen (quite incorrectly, too) as more important to the film than their romantic connection and the loss to the film is never really redeemed. Oliver Reed (Proximo), the eventual trainer of Maximus, and Joaquin Phoenix both steal the show. The three senators, Gaius, Gracchus, and Falco are all uninspired characters in the same vein as most of the fellow comrade-in-arms fighting alongside Crowe in the Colosseum. Senator Gracchus' insistent quipping to Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix about whether they will sincerely do what's best for Rome grows particularly tiresome. Rome itself is never really shown wanting of true leadership and never appears like a dynamic, vibrant city either. In truth, the constant repeating of the glory of Rome gets lost in the din of the Colosseum. Consequently, the thing that sets this whole chain of events in motion is really not something that is ever questioned as something worth saving. The viewer is robbed of that tangible sense of a fall from grace that is necessary to carry a picture of this magnitude.

I would have to say the star of this movie should not have been Russell Crowe. I think he was miscast in this picture only because the part demanded someone a little less interesting. His greatness is unmistakable but his motives seem beneath him. A less independent person would have filled his shoes better; an actor who could better portray the sense of obedience to duty.

From script to screen, the bulk of this picture is filler. It's almost as if the writers took a keen idea that looked good on a piece of paper and then stretched that idea with little more creativity applied for roughly 2 and half hours. This movie would have succeeded better if nearly half of the dialogue was dumped in favor of more visually driven story-telling. As it stands, the telling falls way short of the showing.

Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite movies
Review: This is the most entertaining movies. The best acting. The fighting was OK. It looked like the mixed up a bunch of shots to make it look intense. I couldn't tell who this was or where this happened or where the people dying were because of this. Sometimes you couldn't tell who was winning. Very sad and Dramatic. The best story you could think of and it was successfully put into a movie. The places they are in look amazing and it feels like it really is acient rome. Russel Crowes best movie. Best music in a movie too.

Rating:
Summary: Great Visual Splash & Bad Shakespeare
Review: "Gladiator" has many ups and downs. In many ways, I agree with some reviewers who describe the plot as thin and lacking real substance. While the story does follow a mock Shakespearian line, the film is really not that surprising and I was not awed by the acting performances in this film, save Crowe. "Braveheart," a similar film, had a little more to offer as far as a turbulent plot is concerned, but let's face it-it's the same kind of movie. We are not dealing with a movie that is supposed to achieve greatness through its clever dialogue and wit. This film is an entertaining visual splash that I believe succeeds quite splendidly. If you love action films, the wonderfully choreographed combat scenes that star Crowe and his Roman short sword are spectacular.

Joaquin Phoenix just annoyed me in this film-plain and simple. So, in part, you could say that he was doing his job. But he was a bit over-the-top in his bad Shakespearian rendition of Commodus and I just wanted him to get off the screen whenever the camera fell upon him. Instead of creating an interesting villain, Phoenix created another stock "woe's me" character. Crowe's performance, on the other hand, is quite good-particularly for the amount of lines that he has to prove himself. The scenes that show Rome at its height are impressive and I enjoyed the transformed time period of this film.

"Gladiator" is a summer blockbuster that is a fun film, a movie that can be watched over and over again. Despite its surface-deep dialogue and lousy attempt to pull-off a psychologically driven, Shakespearian plot, it manages to lay out one of the more enriching action films of recent years.

Rating:
Summary: Meditations?
Review: This movie was lots of fun. The story was so gritty and affecting. I remember after I came home from the theater, I made my own sword from scrap wood and such in the basement. Then I stepped out into the clear night air and started to attack the mailboxes. I envisioned the story perfectly in my head - the whispering fields of gold, the grimmy darkness of the gladiator pits, the hungry & fearful eyes of the players in this epic story of tragedy, deception and honor triumphing over the slime of the earth. What a whirlwind. It was like watching Monday night football - manhood tucked high in your skull, the testosterone writhing in my bloodstream.

This movie does exactly what I imagine the silent movies did for their audiences back in the day. Now, I'm talking of course about the westerns and the classic ideas of the man in black cape and stove-pipe hat tying the beauty to the tracks, and the hero in white comes charging in at the last moment. Wow - what amazing cinema! It charges the blood with electricity. The characters are so compelling, deep and human. The villain, played to perfection by Joquain Phoenix, was pure brilliance. Not since Darth Vader have I found a villain so unnaturally close to the darkness within the human spirit. I couldn't help think to myself that man was actually capable of such things...

Yes, I give this movie exactly one star. It took me a third viewing to realize what it was I was watching. Sometimes the paper thin walls seem thick until you flick the lights on. I watch this movie now, and can't help thinking how stupid it really is. It has as much depth as an episode of He-man. Too bad Russell Crowe didn't step out at the end and provide some endearing message to all us kids in the audience.

Now, I don't look for intellect in every movie I see, but what I do look for is imagination. STAR WARS - a brilliantly simple movie with a ton of imagination. Kurosawa's SEVEN SAMURAI will knock your socks off, BRAVEHEART reminded me of why I breathe, and who can forget THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY? The whistling soundtrack that affects you long after the credits have rolled. GLADIATOR reminded me of an over-extended car commercial, in which they couldn't find the car they were advertising and so continued filming until it turned up. Of course, it never does.

Now, I have to pay up to repair all those damaged mail-boxes...

Rating:
Summary: Gladiator (Single Disc Edition)
Review: Since the plot has been dicussed from beginning to end in alot of the other reviews, I won't take up your time with another repeat of that. Gladiator won 5 Academy Awards including best picture for the year 2000.
The single disc version offers very little in bells and whistles. Even what should be the little booklet inside is single sheet with a picture just like the outside package and an ad for other DVDs from Dreamworks. The actual movie is beautifully reproduced both visually and in stunning Dolby Surround Sound.
The few extras you get on the single disc version are:
Film commentary from Ridley Scott the award winning director
Deleted Scenes, with director's commentary
Treasure Chest: a unique montage of additional footage cut to the powerful score
Special slide show featuring concept art and storyboards
Photo Gallery from behind the scenes of the Gladiator set
In-depth Production notes and detailed cast and filmaker biographies

This single disc version is put out for those who appreciate the film as being the star of the DVD. Which is the point of such a well made movie, isn't it?

I'm happy with this purchase. Be aware it has an R rating for "Intense, Graphic combat". But, there's alot more to this movie than the battle scenes and gladitorial action.
John Row