Gladiator (Single Disc Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Wonderful
Review: First off, I just have to say that this is a fabulous movie in every possible way: the screenplay, the acting, the action, and even the soundtrack are all top notch. It really doesn't get much better than this! I also want to respond to the review titled "pure hollywood" by king wolf, where the reviewer criticizes the scene where Maximus and Commodus battle in the Colosseum. This scene actually has historical significance! Commodus, whose character is fairly strictly based on the Roman emperor of the same name, did battle gladiators in the Colosseum as a way of showing off for the people of Rome. Although he wasn't killed this way, he was assassinated by an athlete! So, king wolf, if you were slack-jawed during that scene, it was for the wrong reason.

Rating:
Summary: pure hollywood
Review: The script for this thing is so bad it is almost beyond words. Pure Hollywood -- first, a transparent attempt to appeal to every demographic via tokenism; with utter contempt for history or common sense, the lead character's best pal is an African. And everybody in the flick has a British accent.
But get this: at the climax of the film, a Roman emperor goes down into the floor of the stadium and engages in single combat with the Crowe character to decide the destiny of Rome. I sat slack-jawed at this scene, in absolute awe at the level of tasteless stupidity of the writer, the director, the actors, the producers, the reviewers and any member of any audience anywhere who could take this seriously.
But not only did this atrocity against art get made, it won lots of awards. That tells you all you need to know about the movie industry: greedy fools pump cash out of complete morons. Go read a book instead, if your I.Q. is larger than your shoe size.

Rating:
Summary: Ridley Scott selfishly deleted his girlfriend's scenes
Review: You see less of Gianina Facio in this DVD than in theatre. Railly Scott selfishly deleted his girlfriend's scenes. The horribly murdered wife and son were an ever-lasting wound in the Roman general's mind. Now Facio's scenes were cut, you can hardly see the drives in Maximus' revenge.


Rating:
Summary: Best Film! What more to say!
Review: You should have seen this one on the big screen, but if you missed out get the DVD anyway. It's a very impressive film. The story is amazing, the action is awesome and the scenes are riveting.

I won't go into the story here, as its been done by other reviewers.
It is my favorite film of all time. Pure entertainment, with something for everybody. Although some people might find it a bit gory at places.

Despite what other reviewers think, I believe it is a film that older children will enjoy. Yes there is plenty of violence and hatred but at the core of the story is an honest man, Marcus Aurelies who believes in justice. Yes he wants revenge for the murder of his wife and child, but he also wants to help fulfill a dying man's wishes by delivering the Roman Empire into the hands of the senate. His hatred of Commodus is with good reason and he knows that Commodus will not make a good Caesar of the Roman Empire.

Finally I have two more points to make before I finish. The acting of both Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix was magnificent and indeed Russell Crowe well deserved his oscar. The cinematography is excellent, bringing you right back to the Roman Empire. At times you feel as if you are in the coliseum yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Makes you believe
Review: Is this simply a story of revenge? Is it just sword fighting and killing?
I've seen this film many times and it's never the action or the gore that moves me; it is always the story. It is always the emotional component that shines through.

A close friend of mine is an atheist. He doesn't believe in God, Heaven, Hell, or an afterlife. Nothing. He confided in me that the ending of this film always makes him weep. Knowing what I know about his beliefs, I asked him why. He twisted and turned and tried to get out of answering the question, but I kept after him. Eventually I let it go, but I never stopped thinking about it.

In my opinion, what my friend never wanted to admit to is this: In the end, this movie made him believe.
James Green, author of "If There's One Thing I've Learned."

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: This is without a doubt one of Scott's best films. Crowe is a born star, and the cinematography is outstanding. The only historical film I enjoyed more than this is Braveheart.

Rating:
Summary: The Funniest Comedy I've seen in Years!!!!
Review: A delightful, care free romp through olden times. I laughed out loud several times. Definetly one for the whole family. A must see comedy! F

Rating:
Summary: Can't say enough good stuff about this film!!!
Review: This film is amazing!!! If you haven't seen I would HIGHLY recommend this one!!! It is one of my all time favorite films!! The acting, filmaking, music, etc. is so stunning!!! Best of all it has a phenomenal storyline/plot!!!! It is so good!! I would definitely buy this one! It is one of those movie you want to own and see again and again!!!! Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, and Connie Nielsen do amazing jobs!!! All the sets and filmaking and music is phenomenal!!! Hans Zimmer does an amazing job bringing a Roman sounding score to the screen! Ridely Scott did a fantastic directing job with this movie!!!!
This movie is a must-see!!!

Rating:
Summary: The spectacle that it should be
Review: I hadn't seen this movie when it came out in theaters (yes, I know, that was me, the one single person who actually didn't go see it). Finally got around to renting the double-disc dvd and am blown away by it. Much has already been said in praise (rightly so), of Ridley's direction, (superb, no one does it better), the effects (unbelievably good looking, in all respects; they may have not built Rome in a day, but came pretty damn close); the lighting, the score, the action/battle/coliseum scenes, the costuming, all of it magnificent and appropriately sweeping and grandiose. For me, however, its' the acting that makes the movie. Russell Crowe as Maximus is terrific, (particularly in the more sensitive aspects of his character, as when he dreams of home and family); and everyone else, including Richard Harris in his final role, fantastic; even the child actor, Spencer Clark, as heir to the throne Lucius, does a nice job in tunic and English accent. For me, though, the scene stealer was Joaquin Phoenix as the arrogant, jealous, incestuous, chilling, pathetic, wholly mad Emperor Commodus. We can see his health and grip on sanity decline as the movie progresses; his pallor becomes more and more pasty, his eyes become more and more sunken with dark circles beneath as his hold on Rome slips, and his paranoia and irrationality grow. The infamous "Busy bees/AM I NOT MERCIFUL????!!!!" scene really sends shivers!

I also wanted to comment on the extras included in the double disc set on the dvds. There are some great features on this. My favorites are the behind-the-scenes specials, detailing the special effects, the fight choreography, the architecture, the history of the gladiator games, etc. There are interviews with many of the creative folks involved, including with most of the actors, and they are all delighted to be doing what they doing, most of them playing around and joking in the interviews. (Russell Crowe laughs about being so close to live tigers in some of the arena scenes, and then being told he shouldn't play a "girlie-game" like soccer because of the risk involved; Joaquin Phoenix told of riding into the coliseum via chariot, as Ceaser Commodos, waving to the crowd in a "regal" manner, all the while thinking "Who am I kidding, I'm from Florida".) It's little insights like that which makes it that much more interesting, at least for me.


My favorite part of the bonus material is a written movie journal by the young actor Spencer Clark; the child really is very bright and articulate and I was impressed with his descriptions of the filming process and life as a child actor. He's really quite observant and insightful and made friends with everyone on the set. His reactions to what was going on around him, the enormity of it all, with the same kind of excitement and fascination that us laymen probably would. I liked his behind the scene pictures too, including of Crowe and family and "mates" at a cricket match/barbecue, and teaching Spencer some naughty limericks. (Spencer got him back later with some of his own.) He teased Phoenix about his costume being a "dress", and also commented on a scene he filmed with Phoenix and himself where a sword Phoenix as Commodus was leaning on slipped, and Phoenix was professional enough to continue with the scene with a straight face and saved the take. He was so into the character, so intense, that that little mistake made it into the movie and it seemed "right", somehow. These kinds of things can't be scripted, they happen by accident and can either be a ruined take or add a tiny nuance to the character. Spencer Clark was very impressed with Joaquin, and so was I (even more so!) upon learning this little tidbit.

The dvd earns the five stars I've given it. Wow, is all I can add.

Watch the movie, enjoy the extras. This is a good one, a rare one. Highly recommended.