Rating: Summary: If you liked Braveheart, you'll like this as well. Review: Even though it does seem to borrow from Braveheart quite a bit, Gladiator still stands on its own as one of the best movies of 2000.Either you like this kind of movie or you don't, so I'll mention what's great about the DVD itself. DreamWorks has outdone themselves again. Not only do you get Dolby Digital, but you also get DTS on the same disc! In the past everyone has said that "You can't put both on the same disc! There'll be no room for any extras!" And they would be right. So DreamWorks piled all the extras, and there are a lot of them, onto a second disc, in an innovative package that is the same size as a single disc box. The extras disc is packed! Deleted scenes, storyboards, a making-of documentary, some gladiator history, a feature on the score, stills, a "diary" written by the young actor who plays Lucius, and much, much more! All I can say is that if you've made it this far, you will love this movie!
Rating: Summary: A bit on the overdone side Review: I prefer my flicks to be a bit more subdued. I could have lived without all the floaty nonsense at the end. I knew what was happening. No need to 2x4 me over the head. On the good side, the cinemaphotography is breathtaking. Really lovely shots that I kept imagining framed and on my wall. Acting is well done and Gravitas (Oliver Reed) was splendid. He will be much missed. I was told that this was a very gorey film. I did not come away with that impression at all. I would watch it again.
Rating: Summary: Utterly Gorgeous Review: This review of mine, will be simple.... To my knowledge there are no flaws in that movie, well atleast i couldn't see anything wrong with it all the computer generated 3d effects seemed well done, very smooth, and graphically gorgeous. The music, (which i've reviewed as well) is utterly gorgeous, and the acting is very nice... not fantastic, but very nice. The fighting scenes with Russell Crowe are so cool, they're exceptionally well directed and fanatically well maneuvered. the landscape, some if not most of it made by 3d artists is utterly gorgeous as most of the film is in general. The plot is ok, not very deep but good, and the story itself is exeptional. I can say without hesitating that Gladiator is the best action movie based on ancient Rome, and one of the best action films made.
Rating: Summary: most people are probably looking for blood Review: the title of this movie most likely conjures up images of bloody 1 on 1 battles in the middle of the great coloseum, and if that's what you want to see, you will. the true plot of the story, however, is more akin to ben-hur, where the loyalty of a man is unjustly set aside for the pursuit of power, followed by the inevitable vengance that brings the movie to a satisfying end. I shall probably count this movie among those I watch on a regular basis, the action sequences intermixed with the plot developement are very nicely done, you always find a little more in each scene that you probably missed the first time. this is truly a modern day epic------finally!
Rating: Summary: STRENGTH AND HONOR Review: GLADIATOR was the best movie of 2000. If it is not nominated for at least three academy awards (best picture, best actor, best score) then something is wrong with the world. The recreation of ancient rome is more impressive than anything else this year. Gladiator marked a change from the disaster of 199 with the biggest dissapointment/flop of the past two years, star wars episode one. Talk about different--good acting, character & plot development, and a good use of special effects. This is a film that deserves ten stars, let alone 5. If you don't have a DVD player, now you have a reason to get one. DVD is the only way to see this, and the extras are second only to the director's cut DVD of Terminator 2.
Rating: Summary: Widescreen??? Review: I haven't seen this movie yet because I wanted buy it and watch it. Am I the only person out there that doen't like the WIDESCREEN format? You can get the standard format on VHS and on some DVD's. If you check all the new releases, they only come in Widescreen. Why is that?
Rating: Summary: Can't get much better then GLADIATOR Review: A great movie! I happened to LOVE it! I'm not sure it was the visual effects, characters, or plot but it left a mark on me that will make me remember the movie for a while. Maximus goes from a General, to a Slave, to a Gladiator, to a Hero. An adventure not for the weak of heart however. If you don't mind the blood see this movie!
Rating: Summary: How can you not like it? Review: This is one of the best movies I've ever seen. While haveing hints of romance, it doesn't distract from the action or story of the movie. Great special effects, but you've probably already heard that. Just too many good points to list here. Do yourself a huge favor and buy this one. You'll enjoy it over and over.
Rating: Summary: To : PC User from Campbell, CA United States Review: To play DVD with Computer, you can use PowerDVD. It's small, easy and powerfull. You don't need "PC Friendly" software. You can even play DVD with other Region too.
Rating: Summary: Style over Substance Review: Somewhere in Ridley Scott's grandly engineered epic, hammered on and tinkered with by a horde of writers and rewriters, is a flesh-and-blood story that gets lost in all the bread and circuses. Crowe plays Maximus, the most-trusted general serving the aging Caesar Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), leading troops into battle against Germania in 180 A.D. But Marcus Aurelius wants Maximus to fight a tougher opponent -- the corruption of Rome -- by taking power after the emperor's death and restoring the republic. Maximus is reluctant, preferring to return to his wife and son, but he agrees to serve his Caesar. But his Caesar doesn't last too long, thanks to Marcus Aurelius' snotty son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), who kills Daddy and takes the throne - and orders Maximus and his family executed. Maximus escapes, only to be captured by slave traders who train him as a gladiator. Maximus gets a chance at revenge on Commodus when his owner/promoter, Don King, er, Proximo (Oliver Reed), gets Maximus the big gig at the original Caesar's Palace - the Colosseum. Maximus is a hit with the crowd, setting him against Commodus in a battle for the hearts and minds of Rome. Gladiator is pretty to watch but doesn't have enough plot to be a Roman epic (and what plot it has is pinched from Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus), and too much plot to be an action movie (even with the 2-1/2 hour running time). A few things get muddled in the course of things, like the relationship between Commodus' sister Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and Maximus (or, Lucilla's relationship with Commodus), and some intrigue with the Senate (led by Derek Jacobi, who knows his way around a toga after starring in "I, Claudius"). Also, there is the distraction of Phoenix, who plays Roman villainy like a very weak John Malkovich. As far as the DVD itself goes - It's awesome - Better than the movie itself. Presented in an anamorphic 2.35:1 transfer, the visual presentation found on the Gladiator: Signature Collection is an almost flawless recreation of the film as I saw it theatrically. The jerky visuals of the war sequences come across as faithfully as the polished exteriors in Rome. The varying degrees of color saturation are rendered amazingly well, from the drab, washed out exteriors in Germania to the earthy tones of Zucchabar, and the vibrant cityscape of Rome. The print is almost completely free from any debris or other imperfections, and appears to have suffered only very slight edge enhancement in a few scenes, making for a wonderfully clean, sometimes polished, but always film-like image. The DVD includes a full-length audio commentary by Director Ridley Scott, Editor Peitro Scalia, and Director of Photography John Matieson. This is a great commentary track that appeals to the more technically oriented film fan. The topics range from Scott's views on historical accuracy, to motivating the actors, to the challenges of making a film of this nature, and more. There is also a section aptly titled From the Cutting Room Floor. Included here are 11 deleted scenes, playable with or without commentary by Director Ridley Scott, that range from 30 seconds to 4 minutes. The 2.35:1 non-anamorphic scenes look quite nice, but have obviously not been through the same postproduction processing as the main feature. In addition to the deleted scenes, there is a 7-minute montage of deleted snippets of footage that is accompanied by the music of Hans Zimmer...this is, for all intents and purposes, a music video. The Making of Gladiator is a 25-minute feature that is pretty much the typical "cable television promotional making of" that we've all come to know and love. The use of Zimmer's music throughout this featurette lends a certain charm to the piece that some similar programs lack...and if nothing else, the antics and charisma of Russell Crowe make this one worth watching even if such material isn't normally to your liking. A nice, and somewhat surprising inclusion is the 50-minute TLC program Gladiator Games: Roman Blood Sport - Very informative. Along with other very cool extras, this DVD is simply a must purchase.
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