Rating: Summary: Braveheart + The Patriot= Gladiator Review: The plot of Ridley Scott's new epic "Gladiator" is a mix of the two movies I listed above, along with tigers and many visual treats. The plot and characters aside (who cares if they make up the movie?), this film is fantastic. The battle scenes are extremely well excecuted and thrilling, Crowe makes Mel Gibson look like a whimp, and there's also a good helping of blood too. Had there been a plot for this movie, and some characters who weren't hired right after the making of Braveheart, this film could have earned a five star rating.
Rating: Summary: Not so much the movie but the imagery Review: This movie was bold and delightful and the action was intense and manly. In most minds it was violent and brutal. I found this to be true but inbetween that I fell in love with the consistent imagery most certainly brought together by the visual nature and general dark and dusty color of most of the filming and most certainly the amazing scoring of the film. The soundtrack like in most masterpieces completes this film giving it the added reoccuring nature of the plot. It was inspiring and certainly led me to believe that this movie would not have been the same without Zimmer on the project. He was masterful and certainly many scenes became epic with his help. I believe the calming nature of the vocals and background music blended into the time and certainly gave the aspect of reality of music to the film. I need this soundtrack as I feel it can take me back to the imagery of the movie and certainly can intrigue many minds.If you haven't seen this movie I truely suggest it. However don't just watch it but listen to it and I feel you to will fall in love with its grand nature. I will forever remember the grain fields as a place I would be calm and serene in. This is not meant to down play the actors and actresses of this movie or the special effects. I just feel the music should not be overlooked as a great benefit to the ears.
Rating: Summary: Great Movie Review: I thought Gladiator was very good. It was not as gory as Braveheart. I think that it was very good and Russel Crowe was a very good actor in it. If you havent saw it yet... SEE IT!
Rating: Summary: Best movie seen in 4 years Review: This has got to be the best movie I have ever seen in my lifetime. Even though it contained quite a bit of blood I found the movie to be absolutely facinating I have owned the movie for a week now and have seen the movie and trailer at least 5 times already. Definetly a must see!
Rating: Summary: awesome and humbling Review: i thought the dvd quality was excellent along with all the extras such as extra and unseen footage. russell crowe and joaquin phoenix are great in there roles as well as the cinematography which was beautiful. the movie makes you take a second look at yourself as well as those around you. the fighting is superb and makes you quite educated by the time the movie ends. i recommend this movie highly.
Rating: Summary: Where to Even Begin With the PRAISE !... Review: Very few movies in the past ten years or so have caught more than my attention to want to review them with so much praise for director, actors, and yes (something that is quite overlooked and muddled in some of today's Hollywood blockbuster extravaganzas) the STORY !Gladiator is one of them (sorry Titanic or Phantom Menace, you were close runners up in my list) Where Ridley Scott was once ridiculed for directing such cult sleepers like BladeRunner or being coined as a sci-fi director only associated with Alien he has outdone himself with this astounding piece of cinematic art.As an Arizona native I, too, like Scott saw the gladiator painting in a Phoenix, Arizona museum that inspired him and his sense of direction for the "look" of the film. He captured it magnificently ! The only minor annoyance was the shaky and jittery camera work during the battle between the Romans and Germanians;I soon understood the overall effect and purpose of this. It was very symbolic that in time of war nothing is perfectly still or "aesthetically" balanced or pleasing to the eye;It is all chaos and destruction without any sense of focus.Ridley Scott put the viewer in the middle of the battlefield with this technique!...Also, while maybe Ridley Scott might have been influenced at all by such other gladiator classics like Spartacus, he avoided using typical Hollywood golden era movie star images (the good looking chiseled chin American actor witht the stylized 1940's or 50's slick haircut to play a Roman soldier in ancient times). Yet, as stated in the 2nd dvd disc he also avoided making Gladiator a typical historical time piece that read like a world history lesson in highschool from a text book ! Scott knew how to balance his directorial means... Actor Russell Crowe has definitley cemented his bonafide great actor status with this role. Had a stereotypical Hollywood pretty boy played the role it would not have had a very profound and credible overall effect to draw interest to the main chartacter Maximus.Connie Nielsen as Lucilla also proved herself very worthy ! Joaquin Phoenix played Commodus with every bit of flamboyant evil verve (almost melo-dramatic) but it worked.Actor or Sir Richard Harris gives a very fine and strong performance that does bring some classy ambiance to Gladiator when the heartwrenching story is anything but;He is a powerful presence in the film as well. The Hans Zimmer soundtrack is one of the most haunting and evocative scores that will stay in the viewer's mind for quite some time.It is both compelling and ethereal in nature that exquisitely expresses every nuance, emotion, and motion of the film and characters precisely... The dvd bonus material disc is every bit a treasure and wealth of information on the making of the film and the history of the the "real" Roman gladiators. The day by day diary of filming by one of the actors is an enjoyable read (if your eyes don't strain from reading your t.v. screen). With entire contents and packaging of this film it is a definite keeper for any serious movie or dvd collector.However, don't just buy it on the basis of the technical dvd aspects but rather on what is really the heart of the package;The film itself ! ...
Rating: Summary: This DVD is worth owning!! Review: Beyond the movie, this DVD offers a TLC documentary, behind-the-scenes, and "cutting room floor" extras that make it an outstanding value. Even if you thought the movie was just so-so, buy this DVD.
Rating: Summary: Too much extra content Review: The movie's fantastic, but the DVD has far too much extra content... 4 hours of extra material for a 2 hour movie? I really wouldn't care if they had a movie-only version of it, but to charge so much (SRP) for Gladiator on DVD and then justifying it with all this added garbage (I'm sorry, but much of the extra material is just that) is frustrating.
Rating: Summary: Hail Caesar...and Crowe!! Review: I received this DVD for Christmas and loved it! Besides being an excellent film it is jammed with extras. The color and clarity of the film is phenomenal and the sound makes you believe that you are there. Some people have complained about the violence...get over it! What did you expect to see?! If you liked Braveheart and the Patriot you'll love this movie. Action packed and a story line you can follow. You'll be cheering for Crowe (or should I say "The Spaniard") every step of the way. A must have for your collection.
Rating: Summary: With a little more cheese, I could have fondu. Review: For a summer flick this was pretty good, but comments like "Best movie ever!" can only be written by people who have seen only "Caddyshack" and Adam Sandler movies in their lifetime. The fight scenes are where it came to life; boring as hell first hour. The performance by Crowe doesn't begin to compare to his work in "The Insider."
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