Rating: 
Summary: A Modern Classic!
Review: This film belongs purely and entirely to Russell Crowe who is just magnetic to watch in it. I came to this film a bit dubious, mainly because of all the things I'd heard about Mr Crowe as a man. After this film I came out respecting him a great deal as an actor. His character is calm and quiet, which merely hints at the explosive power of physicality and emotion which is revealed.
The script it's self isn't great, granted, but the editing, scene contruction is faultless. Ridley Scott (the director) has created a whole world here.
Supporting, Phoenix and Reed are both great. Phoenix has wonderful, quiet intensity, and when he finally shouts and screams, it is all the more powerful. Reed plays his role just the right side of camp, and pulls off his final role with such dignity. His final role is made all the more moving because sadly it was his last.
In all, a great film, the DVD extras, for a change, are also great.
Rating:
Summary: Russel Crowe rules in this movie. . .Story great as well!
Review: Russel Crowe lights up the screen in this epic tale of freedom, love, and courage. It begins with Crowe's character, Maximus, as the masterful general of the roman army, under emperor Marcus Aurilious. He is looked upon as a second son to the emperor, even first ahead of Marcus' blood son, Commodus, who is played brilliantly by Joaquin Phoenix.
When Commodus learns that his father wishes for Maximus to be the next emperor over him, he murders his father before the word can get out, not knowing that Maximus had been told that he was to be emperor, and by Marcus Aurilious himself.
So Commodus secretly orders for Maximus to be put to death, getting rid of any threat to his heir to the throne. And along with that, he has Maximus' wife and son put to death. But Maximus, the skilled fighter that he is, escapes and when finding his family dead he wanders off into the desert and passes out. It is then that he is found and sold into slavery, now as a mighty gladiator.
While in the mighty arena, he begins to plot when he can escape back to his faithful army and seek venegace upon Commodus, and make Rome the way Marcus Aurilious wanted it to be. And when he wins the crowd, and nearly all of Rome, it looks like his time may soon come. Believe me, my desciption cannot even start to hit the mighty surface of this great movie. You have to see it for yourself. Believe me, the fighting, although sometimes gorey, is wonderfully done, as are the special effects. And this might be one of the top three movies that ever had such great acting by EVERY character. Usually every movie has at least one weak link, but this movie has none. Even Commodus' ten year old nephew has better acting than some people.
This is a great movie, and I suggest you get it ASAP. It will not only keep you in suspense, it will not only thrill you, it will not only keep you in three hours of delight, but it will really find a place in your heart as a wonderfully touching film. P.S. the soundtrack, in it's spooky kind of tone, is very well done
Rating: 
Summary: ummm........
Review: personally i think it's boring. but i gave it 2 stars anywayzzz. cuz some parts of it was actually pretty awesome. but i was just kinda half asleep when i was watchin' it.
Rating: 
Summary: Gladiator
Review: I was very impressed by Ridley Scott's truly magnificent depiction of his vision for the film. One can nitpick all sorts of details in the film as historically inaccurate etc., but if those details were rendered more accurately they would often actually interfere by being misinterpreted by modern audiences. Richard Harris portrays the philosophical Emperor Marcus Aurelius very, very well; his character meshes almost perfectly with the thoughts written down in the real Marcus' excellent _Meditations_ well enough to be uncanny. (The sole exception is essential for the film's plot.) Oliver Reed is also excellent as the gritty, wizened gladiator camp operator Proximo. Russell Crowe brings great force of character to Maximus, a very high-ranking Roman general with long-standing connections at the very top of the food chain so to speak, who also remains down-to-earth and sensitive enough to be personally admired by his troops. He brings that combination of sensitivity, intelligence and able willingness to bring on extreme yet controlled force (simply and very effectively of emotion at times) to his scenes throughout the film to great effect. The Germania battle scene is probably most accurate and incredible depiction of Roman war techniques the screen will see for a very long time. Occasional suspension of disbelief is required there though; Ridley Scott is depicting a vision of a great, well-equipped but increasingly challenged superpower military in action effectively enough, so just don't nitpick some of its treatment of ballistic physics or other small details that could make you wonder. Sit back and be impressed (and set your player to full-width widescreen). The soundtrack by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard (who invented her own language of indescribable sounds specifically for emotional effect) is masterful, helping carry the action and intensity along without interruption from scene to scene. The depiction of Imperial Rome was impressive overall, depicting it as somewhat more organized in layout than it actually was, again I suspect to support his depiction of "the greatness of Rome" for his vision of the film. The outside views of the CGI Colosseum again be nitpicked, but it's still very impressively done and the views from center stage of the roaring crowds in the realistic, well-detailed gleaming marble interior make up for it. Considering that the bloodsport put on in the Colosseum was put on for folks generally of little more than what we'd consider a 2nd-grade education, I won't criticize the previously WWF-compared combatant presentation style. The camera work is also excellent, especially when including the touchingly done Elysian Fields scenes. The outcome is not what you'd expect from a typical Hollywood lots-of-fights film, not at all. Ridley Scott has set out to display the challenges faced by real people whose roots lay in a collectively held fierce desire to build something people of any time could look back at in both awe and humble respect, but who then found themselves having achieved most of that dream while also finding that realized dream half-occupied by the ever-present dark side of human nature. He succeeds magnificently; that is what in my opinion makes it a truly great film.
Rating:
Summary: Epic movie, but was it true?
Review: This is definately the type of movie that brings a new approach to Roman history and Rome itself. The movie starts with a deep sense that Maximus is a leader, yet a very loyal follower with deep respect for his leader, Ceasar. It shows the respect an army has for its leader and reveals a respect for the soldier at first. Yet, you will see when the one who is ultimately in charge desires, followers will do as they are told, nothing asked, to destroy someone who was loyal. This movie made Crows career, and he made the movie a good one. He was good in LA Confidential and great in this. The movie takes us to 4 locations, 5 if you count the Elysian fields. You wonder if there will be a Spartacus type uprising after Maximus is revealed in Rome. The portrayal of the Coliseum is magnificent. There are some clever scenes to the movie as well, well thought out interplays between the character and his or her actions. You wonder if Maximus ever will get his revenge on the new Ceasar. From the first effects of a great battle with the German tribes in the north to the last scene in the Coliseum, this movie with its epic proportions will not dissappoint you. It is a movie of courage and endurance. A good example of how someone who is at the end of their rope can more than hang on to live to conquer again.
Rating:
Summary: Why it deserved Best Picture
Review: Gladiator has been called unworthy of the best picture Oscar is got by many critics. At one time I thought it was great but not Best Picture worthy as well. However now that I think about it, it deserved it. Okay the WWE like announcing of the Gladiators is silly like critic Roger Ebert made referrence to. He had other problems with the movie none were solid reasons not to like it. Here's all the reasons to like it. The cast is strong especially Russel Crowe in the lead, the direction is excellent, the story is well told and the battle scenes are fantastic. Okay the movie uses a lot of Special Effects for Rome when old movies like Ben-Hur were made impressively without such technology being available at the time. So what though, whether you think the visuals look good or not they don't hold the movie down and they aren't what make the movie so strong anyway. The movie is still one of the most entertaining movies you'll see and it's a shame that Roger Ebert sat down and picked it apart because there's nothing that makes it bad...at all. Ok some things might be un-accurate to the time period. Still though if you ignore such things and let the story and Russel Crowe's performance take hold of you I don't see how it's possible not to like it then. The supporting work by Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, the late great Oliver Reed and late great Richard Harris are all fine as well. My point is that despite minor flaws Gladiator is still a very good movie and deserved that Best Picture award!
Rating:
Summary: gladiator is the action adventure you will always remember
Review: In this movie Russell crow plays a great roll and he is great at it too. He is in the roman army until the emperor of roam gets murdered by his own son and blames it on Maximus Decimus Meridius(Russell Crow). So Maximus flees to go home knowing that the roman empire would strike there first. When he arrives at his long driveway he sees smoke in the air. He walks up the driveway to find his wife and son burnt to death while being hanged. He breaks down and goes on journey for revenge. He goes through the desert and gets hurt bad and collapses he is soon picked up by a slave wagon and thus the gladiator. I thought this movie should get two thumbs up. I thought it was a marvelous story and adventure about ancient Rome. I was a little long but it had something for every second of it. the movie was criticly acclaimed and nomiated for may acadamy awards such as best actor in leading role and won and best picture and won. i saw the movie at the theaiter and bought it the day it came out. it will make you cry laugh joyful and happy. it will leave you on the edege of your seat the whole time. I loved and i hope you do to i t is awsome . there is no nudity but alout of gore but its not enough to make you sick this is bobslekinhimer signing out peace
Rating:
Summary: Good Performances, Good Effects
Review: All in all this is a very good drama, though I concur it is quite violent in many respects. Even so, nothing most of your kids haven't seen (or worse) from their video games. While it's certainly not a "classic" by any means, it is a well told story and the visual entertainment value is high without being "overcooked". I might suggest renting it first if you haven't seen it, then decide if you like it enough to buy the DVD. For some it may be a "good but once was enough" type of film. Russell Crowe does his usual great job with the main character, so Russell fans will certainly want a copy if they've not see it yet.
Rating:
Summary: For Those About To Die...We Salute You
Review: An anction packed movie with a great storyline sums this movie up entirely. Each character is played and cast extremely well, totally belieavable, I especially liked seeing thorgalson as Tigris, extreemely well done. A brilliant movie I have watched many many times, and one i'm sure I will continue to watch for many years to come. Enough can't be said about this awesome movie.
Rating:
Summary: Shadows and Dust...
Review: Despite the overall good rating this film gets, I'm surprised at the number of picky and outright unfavorable reviews it's received. True, it's not quite flawless; it has at least one plot glitch I can think of, and it is framed upon the dear old stock B-movie revenge fantasy (which was NOT invented by Shakespeare--it was a tried and true formula long before he got to it. And while we're at it, I can't say I noticed anything Shakespearean, pseudo or otherwise, about the film's dialogue, either). But that's just about it for flaws. The movie is about dealing with the reality of death. How to face one's own death. How to cope with the loss of loved ones. What is worth the sacrifice of death. What happens after death; the movie firmly and plainly affirms the idea of an afterlife. The movie does this not just with dialogue, but with imagery, music, and mood. The filmmakers knew enough not just to deal with such subjects on their own merits; the film would have been limited to PBS showings if they had. They knew, as Proximo did, that they had to entertain to get it across to a wide audience. Did they succeed in blending high themes with blockbuster entertainment? (For that matter, how many blockbusters bother to try at all?) I'll say they did. Even most of its detractors will concede the action elements. But if you haven't seen this, do so, or if you have and missed out on what it was really trying to do, give it a another try. And as you're watching it, if you've followed along with the movie's real themes about how one comports oneself in the face of the reality of death--one's own as well as that of others--then you too will feel it right in the gut, as I did, at the end when Lucilla says "You're home".
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