Rating: 
Summary: great historical film!
Review: when i first saw this movie in theaters, i was dazzled. i knew it would capture the Best Picture award in the Oscars, and i was right! a winner of 5 Academy Awards in cluding Best Picture for 2000, Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" is truly a masterpiece.
set in about 300 A.D., "Gladiator" tells the tale of Maximus (Russel Crowe), a victorious Roman geneneral returning from the battlefield to his peaceful, loving home. he is obviously very special and loved, because the sickly Emperor Marcus wants Maximus to be the next ruler of Rome.
but trouble arises when Commodus, Marcus's evil son, murders his father, then blames Maximus. he sends soldiers to execute Maximus and orders his family killed. Maximus, being a skilled fighter, escapes his killers and flees to warn his young wife and son, but he is too late - Commodus' troops have horribly slayed them. Maximus weeps and blacks out.
when he awakens he is a common slave. his master forces him to become a gladiator, but then we find out that his masters may not be the cruel man we take him to be. Maximus makes friends with the other gladiators and sets out on a personal quest to avange his murdered family. he doesn't mind if he dies, because he will be with them.
with beautiful directing, acting, cinematography, special effects, and costume design, "Gladiator" is truly a winner in all respects - forever destined to become a classic.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as I expected, but entertaining
Review: I suppose my expectations of this movie were a bit too high. I expected a revival of the Roman Epic such as embodied by Quo Vadis and Spartacus. Unfortunately Gladiator does not quite reach that level. The plot is not strong enough and personnaly I found the use of computergravics to generate a crowd, or even a sky a bit annoying at times. This said, the movie fulfills it's most important task: It is entertaining. There is a lot of action, which looks good, (although again, the scene with the tigers features to much CGI at times) the acting is okay, with a splendid last performance by Oliver Reed and the costumes are a feast for the eyes. All in all, not bad, but a bit pretentious.
Rating:
Summary: Again
Review: The signal that a movie will become one of my favorites is that ten to twenty minutes into my first viewing of it I whisper the unbidden word: "again." Again. I must see this again. There is so much happening that is beautiful. There is so much happening that provokes thought. I cannot take it all in in one sitting. I will enjoy this first viewing for what it's worth, and then I must see this again. "Some people just don't know when they're conquered"--said by a Roman centurian in resplendent battle dress about a barbarian war lord's defiant flinging of the severed head of a felled Roman into the middle of the advancing Romans' camp. Then followed the volley of fire and the hefting of bladed steel and the snapping of German Shepherd teeth. Then flowed the rivers of blood and fire and brightly colored banners. The glory and pomp of war, the horror. But who are the real barbarians? Again. A general who loves a king, a king who loves his sister, a slave who defies his heart and his master, but keeps his promise. Again. An African, a German (Germanian, anyway), a Spaniard, banding together to slay the sweetly charioted Amazons. The devil is in the details. Look closely and quickly, for it goes fast. See? The black Amazon has only one breast! As a teacher of English and a student of the language, I love this one. The word "Amazon" comes from the Latin words "A" (no, or without) and "Mas" (breast, as in MASectomy). So "Amazon" means literally "without breast." The legend is that each Amazon warrior cut off a breast so that it would not interfere with her shooting of arrows. Again. Maximus versus the undefeated gladiator. Maximus de"feet"s him. Ouch. Watch out for the tigers! Again. See this movie again. And again.
Rating: 
Summary: I don't get the hype
Review: Really, I don't understand its appeal. Its plot is moronic: in case you didn't know, the emperor names a general (Russell Crow) as his sucessor. But then, suprise, the emperor's son takes the throne anyway. If this wasn't foolish enough, the general is then sent to be killed, but instead manages to escape, and then becomes a gladiator. I won't say the rest because I don't want to spoil it (not that there's much to spoil.) But really, based on the plot alone this movie didn't deserve "Best Picture." Next there's the cardboard cut-out characters and mediocre acting. I guess this movie is ok as far as action is concerned, but I've seen much better action direction and special effects than this movie has to offer. The decent action scenes are the reason this thing got 2 stars. Anyway, if you're looking for plot, Spartacus would be a better choice. And if you're looking for action, Saving Private Ryan (although calling that movie an action movie isn't totally accurate) or The Matrix, would be wise choices. Just don't see this film because of all the hype its been given, it doesn't deserve it.
Rating:
Summary: Authentic Weaponry--Awesome Cinematography--Alright Story
Review: The three best movie depictions of hand-to-hand combat with edged weapons are "Ran," "Braveheart," and "Gladiator." "Ran" is most lyrical, "Braveheart" most personal, and "Gladiator" most panoramic. Each captures a different feel for masses of men madly hacking at each other. I'm certainly no expert on the subject, but "Gladiator's" weaponry and armor seem to be as accurate as possible. Roman field pieces included both onagers (rock throwers) and catapults (arrow shooters). The gladius (short sword) was right on. The pilum (javelin)looked authentic enough. The helmets and body armor match up pretty well with illustrations from the history books. The array of the Germanic troops seemed accurate enough, but I believe some liberties were taken with Roman battle array and maneuver. I'm not so sure that Greek Fire was used as early as Marcus Aurelius. As for the story itself, Maximus proved the perfect hero: competent, courageous, and committed. He had physical strength, skill with weaponry, and was a sagacious commander. He had the martial courage to face an enemy in mortal combat, the material courage to fight through physical adversity, and the moral courage to say "No" to a capricious, all powerful Emperor. He was committed to his family, his moral code, and his country. The mix of courage and commitment lead him to murderous conflict with the mad Emperor Commodus, resulting in a dramatically satisfying but historically inaccurate denouement. The story would have been greatly improved with a little more judicious use of the scissors. It needed to be about 30 minutes shorter.
Rating:
Summary: A must have for your DVD library
Review: This movie should have taken home all of the oscars, even the ones they were'nt nominated for. Gladiator is a must have for the DVD collector, Next to the "Matrix" this is the most viewed movie On my home theater, Got 5.1 digital surround sound? This movie brings everything to life, from the spectacular screenplay to the outstanding Score. I give it 5-5-5-6 all hands and feet.
Rating:
Summary: dvd at its best
Review: Not only should you buy this for the movie but for the dvd itself as well. It is the best dvd i have come across yet with fantastic special features and running commentaries. The movie is a must see and in my eyes it sinks the 'Titanic' even further to the bottom of the sea. The acting and plot is combined brilliantly by Ridley Scott to make this movie one of a kind. This is a legendary film. A classic. An epic.
Rating:
Summary: great
Review: great movie I own it on dvd and vhs =-)
Rating:
Summary: best movie ever
Review: This is a really awesome movie buy the dvd it's awesome!
Rating:
Summary: awesome movie!
Review: This is a really awesome great movie!!! I think this is the best movie ever made!!!!!!!!
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