Rating: 
Summary: A Vision of Rome - in DTS
Review: In Gladiator, Commodus says he will show the people a vision of Rome - and that is exactly what this film gives us, a vision. Do not watch this film (or any other Roman epic, for that matter) expecting historical accuracy, watch it for the vision of Rome, which is the best that we have yet witnessed, from the bustling city streets to the torn up forests of Germania. At the film's core, of course, are the massive spectacles of the Collosseum, which are captured quite faithfully. There is a wonderful deleted scene on the DVD where Maximus witnesses Christians being fed to the lions between gladiator contests. This scene shows the horror and depravity of the Roman mob through the eyes of an innocent child, clutching his mother on the sandy floor of the arena.In addition to grand spectacle, this is probably the best DVD I have ever purchased with regard to technical detail. The deleted scenes and documentaries are a very novel touch. Some films have a few deleted scenes, but 25 minutes' worth!?! If you have a DTS setup for your home theater, BUY THIS DVD. I watched it with my parents at their home over Thanksgiving and had major reservations about the big screen spectacle's translation onto video, and then I got home and popped it in my DTS system. I cannot begin to explain the awe - the sound editing on this movie should win an Oscar. If it weren't R rated, every high-end home theater store would be showing this film to show of DVD and DTS capability.
Rating:
Summary: Yes, a Roman Emperor DID fight in the Colosseum.
Review: Just to set the record straight, since more than a couple of people here have claimed otherwise---A Roman Emperor (I believe it was either Caligula or Nero) did fight at least once in the Colossuem. Check the history books. I'm sure it was staged so that the Emperor was ensured of survival....But hey, it happened.
Rating:
Summary: Brutality+Story=A Very Good Movie
Review: If you loved Braveheart, then you must buy this dvd. It rivals Mel Gibson's movie with a story just as serious and loving as the other. Russell Crowe and the rest of the cast give performances that are believeable and fun to watch. Especially Joaquin Phoenix, who's only other film was Return to Paradise. I enjoyed watching him be so evil. The movie was fluid and didn't really seem to last that long even though it is 2 hours and 35 minutes long. Director Ridley Scott adds his touch with exquisite dream sequences and breath-taking scenery. Along with slow motion fight sequences where you can really see the brutality of war. My jaw almost dropped to the floor when I saw the Roman Collisieum in its' true form. What a movie, is all that I can say. Absolutely fantastic!
Rating:
Summary: Compelling action and drama
Review: Gladiator is an admirable film not only for its intense, elaborate, and realistic action, but also for its powerful underlying statement regarding human nature. Although the combat sequences are riveting, Scott deftly delivers a profound message of anti-violence, and exposes the corrupt, barbaric nature that belied the outward civility of the Roman Empire. This film operates on several different levels, and does so effectively. And anyone who tells you that the story is completely devoid of historical accuracy certainly doesn't know his or her Roman history. The real Emperor Commodus did, in fact, participate in the games at the Coliseum. I have always believed that it is better to appear ignorant in silence than to speak and remove all doubt!
Rating: 
Summary: Good movie, but not the best DVD made.
Review: While this was a good movie, it is not the best DVD made as others have characterized this movie. It has great extras, and as another writer stated, it is enjoyable nonsense. But, to me, the best made DVD to date is U-571. This movie is great not just for its entertainment, but for the sound also. No movie has as much gut wrenching, in your spine bass as U-571. To me, for a DVD to be the best movie it also should have the best sound. Again, in my opinion, that title goes to U-571. Yes, Gladiator was definitely unbelieveable, but nontheless, it was entertaining.
Rating: 
Summary: If You Like Epic Classics, Don't Waste Your Time
Review: On Thanksgiving, it wasn't overeating that made me sleepy, it was this atrocious movie! While it tries to have the huge old Hollywood proporitions it misses the mark completely. While the opening battle is pretty good, it goes downhill from there. The story is typical at best, the characters have no real definition to them. The combat in the Circus Maximus (the stadium was portrayed entirely too small to depict the real one!) was almost one dimensional, especially with it came to inserting the computer generated animals. The tiger was so fake, come on. If they spent a lot of money to make this, where did it all go? The plot just seems to meander on and on without direction. If you like movies of this genre, don't spoil your appetite and just stick to the classics- ie Ben Hur, Spartacus, etc. Lets face it, Cecil B. DeMill set the standard and Hollywood just isn't up to it anymore, as evidenced by this tired rag.
Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Movie Ever Made
Review: While the film's sweeping scope is best appreciated on the large screen, this transition to home video is most commendable. The motion picture by itself is worth the price, but the inclusion of an additional DVD full of bonus features is a remarkable deal. I'm not going to ramble on to praise Ridley Scott and his talented production crew, or Russell Crowe and the excellent cast; I see that there are a couple hundred other people who have already done so. I wanted to post this review to chide the film's detractors. Everyone is a critic, but some of the comments that I have read are petty, ignorant, and unwarranted: One person wrote that the film is too long to be properly compressed onto one DVD. I assume that this gentleman is a digital engineer who designs and manufactures DVDs. Several reviewers complained about the lack of realism and unsatisfactory computer-generated effects. I understand that George Lucas' ILM company is looking for their resumes, as they must certainly know how to produce superior results. A reviewer of the movie's soundtrack on another site derided both Hans Zimmer's majestic score and Lisa Gerrard's exquisite vocal work. With a combined output of 65 film soundtracks, other successful projects, and numerous awards over thier respective 20-year careers, you think they'd be able to get it right by now. Undoubtedly, this critic's worst composition must be much better than either Zimmer's or Gerrard's best work. Some individuals were unhappy with Russell Crowe's performance. One in particular felt the need to comment on the actor's excessive body hair. Assumably, this person is not only a respected acting coach, but also runs his own salon. Several patrons of the arts flexed their critic skills by blasting the director's camera work and choice of shots. Perhaps these professionals can give Mr. Scott some pointers on his next project, after they've finished dusting off thier Oscars. Numerous observers found the script insubstantial, lacking complete story elements and character development. As far as I can discern, there is a beginning, middle, and end, conflict and compromise, well-defined characters, and resolution of the plot. Perhaps these reviewers might impart their years of film school education and scriptwriting experience to improve this weak fable. Then there are the Rhodes scholars who found the film's story to be implausible and historically inaccurate. They might not be aware that this is a work of fiction designed to entertain people, not a documentary. And let's not forget all those comparisons to "Brave Heart", "The Patriot", "Spartacus", "Ben Hur", and even "Titanic". I look forward to these reveiwers' analyses of apples and oranges sometime in the future. Thankfully, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, regardless of accuracy or relevance. "Gladiator" will probably not garner the industry accolades that it deserves at the 2001 Academy Awards, but it will forever stand as one of the most impressive productions in motion picture history. But what do I know?
Rating:
Summary: Amazing movie!
Review: Gladiator VHS~ Russell Crowe is definetely on the best movie made in the last ten years; Russel Crowe is spell binding in the role as first the general and then brutal in his role as the gladiator. The fight scenes are very graphic and one wonders sometimes if crime would go down in our modern society if people were forced to fight in a coloseum. As far his fate, i.e., getting banished for following the true emperor; well, that is different since he went with the Roman code of honoring the prior emperors last request. Ok, so it is not a history lesson; emperors never faught in the ring and most emperors were honorable men, i.e., Marcus Aurelius, Julius Ceasar et al (with the excpetion of Caligula, whom also lusted after his sister and went insane to the point that he thought that he was a god). As a good action movie this hard to beat and I would not mind watching Spartacus. The role of the new emperor (I can't remember his name, but he was in To Die For with Nicole Kidman) was also well played and he was very convincing as he played a man whom was corrupted by to much power.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: Outstanding is the one word that comes to mind after seeing this movie. I never got the chance to see it in the theater but this is by far one of my favorite movies. When I saw that Ridley Scott was the director, I knew it would be great. I just didn't expect it to be this great! Russell Crowe is a terrific actor and brings Maximus to life, but Joaquin Phoenix was equally terrific as the evil Commodus. I can't say anything bad about this movie and the DVD "extras" are a definite plus. Especially, the deleted scenes. You must add this DVD to your collection!!
Rating:
Summary: This movie is great
Review: First, whoever wrote the post that the Emporer of rome never got into the ring to do battle is an uninformed fool. It is documented MANY times that the emporer would enter battle against man and beast and the crowd would love it. This movie has a shallow plot, which isnt a bad thing, great acting, which is a good thing, increadible fight scenes, which is a good thing, emotional characters, good thing, and an ending that people SHOULD have expected from an epic. While it would have been great to see Maximus enter Rome with his army, anyone who thought he would was seriously blind to the movie. Russell Crowe as Maximus is a great pick(i like him better than gibson in braveheart), and Commodus was played brilliantly by Phoenix. If you like action packed movies with feeling in the characters, this one is for you
|
