Gladiator

Rating:
Summary: Russell Crowe is the next Mel Gibson
Review: When I went to see the movie I did not know what to expect. This movie surpassed my hopes. Russell Crowe, besides being sexy, gave a superior performance. From the beginning I was thorougly involved in the plot. When he won his fights it was so hard no to stand up and cheer. I saw Russell Crowe in the insider, his performance in this film was superior to the insider. Can't wait to get it when it comes out. Hope the mail gets it to me fast.

Rating:
Summary: So Close, but so far away...
Review: Personally, I have anticipated a LOT from this film, because of the director Ridley Scott as well as my favorite film composer Hans Zimmer who is a genius, as well as the cast, including a fine cast: Russel Crowe and Richard Harris and Joquin Phoenis and others. But I was very, very disappointed with this film.

First of all, this was a very beautiful film. This was a very well-photographed film, but not the right way. There are certain ways you shoot a film depending on its genre. Epics such as this film should be shot in a grand way such as THE LAST EMPEROR(which was probably the BEST photographed film[Vittorio Storaro])and it can't be shot in a way that films such as THELMA AND LOUISE was, for example, which was a Ridley Scott film. The murky look of the Roman Empire as well as the shot of the Roman city and the Colussium was shot in a way that closed off the grand view from the viwers. Were some shots grand? Yes, but the shots weren't edited right. Many shots in this film were shot in a way that closed off from the audience of what the Roman Empire, the full scale of Roman Empire might have looked like.

Also, the script. The script actually didn't have THAT many problems. But a little more character development for Djimon Hounsou might have been nice, as well as a little more look at what Joaquin Phoenix did after being the friggin Emperor of ROME might have been nice as well!

The music: HANS ZIMMER and LISA GERRARD RULE!!!! I loved the soundtrack. I bought it because I HAD to listen to this finely composed music as well as Lisa Gerrard's beautiful vocals.(especially the ending)

The cast was very very fine. Exceptional work by Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, and others have pulled off arguably the best ensemble casted in a film this year.

So why do I say "So Close, but so far away..."? Well, all the ingridients for a very very VERY fine epic film are here: Ridley Scott, one of the most influential film director, Hans Zimmer, God of film music, cinematographer who can pull off beautiful images, and a very fine cast, but WHAT WENT WRONG???!!!! Well, I guess it was just bad choices by some of the people during the production, but I must say, this COULD have been an AWESOME film...

Rating:
Summary: 3 star bust
Review: Too much plot. Too much unbelievable plot. Pacing is off and battle scenes become progressively less engaging. Special effects are wondrous, but whoever wrote the script doesn't even have a passing acquaintance with Roman history. And Mr. Phoenix cries, weeps and sobs with impressive femininity.

Rating:
Summary: Style-to-burn serves simple story
Review: Huge, high-tech updating of a classic Hollywood formula -- the all-but-dead sword-and-sandal epic -- is entertaining as all get-out despite its length and its occasional pretentious touches. Roman commander Maximus travels from success on the battlefield to exile and humiliation, and self-redemption as a gladiator par excellence. Great cast (esp. Russell Crowe, who gives a potentially cardboard character real gravity), and truly jarring action sequences, but the hollow spots in the story show do show through on repeat viewings. Bizarre progressive-shutter effects during fight scenes may either induce mesmerism or motion sickness.

Rating:
Summary: Great respect for not losing the sight of the main idea....
Review: This was one of the best movies i have seen for one simple fact. From beginging to end the director never lost the guiding principle behind the Russel Crowes characters motives. As it was in the begining as it was in the end the motivation for all his actions and decisions remained the same, they did not get lost within layers and layers of useless conotations and sub-plots...like most movies today which try and be "deep" and filled with meaning; however, far to often they choke on their own bad writing and unbelievability. This movie showed more depth and meaning by staying with one guideing principle and i loved it!

Rating:
Summary: BEST of Summer 2000!
Review: Gladiator was one of the best films I saw all summer and definitely one that will be added to my DVD collection! The movie represents the time they were shooting for and has really great effects. The battle scenes themselves are worth purchasing, especially with all of the extra footage and bonus disc! Buy it now!

Rating:
Summary: Movie of the year
Review: YOU NOW FOR SECENT I LIVE KUWAIT AND WE DONT RELASE MOVIES FAST IN CINMASE. WENE IWAS READING THE NEWS PAPER I SAW THE BEACH AND GLADITOR I DIDNT SEE INSIDE HOLLYWOOD SO I THOGHT THAT GLADIATOR SUKES AND THE BEACH IS GREAT BUT I WAS WRONG IT WAS THE OPPISTE IT IS MY OPPINON THAT I THOGHT THAT IS GLADIATOR IS BEETER THAN BRAVE HEART GLADIATOR HAS DRAMA ACITON LOVE IT ROCKS ONE OF MY BEAST MOVIES

Rating:
Summary: Gladiator
Review: Gladiator is a movie that grips you and inspires the audience. I am not a person who goes to the movies frequently. Even a good movie I seldomly see more than twice on the big screen (Saving Private Ryan was a two-fer), but Gladiator I was draw to three times. Russell Crowe did a fantastic job establishing his charactor. He commanded respect and admiration because he was so humble and sincere, yet extremely skilled and courageous as a soldier. The cinematographing was well done and the battle scenes and story line gripping. Historically, it takes some liberties here and there. The biggest weakness of the movie is Maximus' transition from fugitive to slave, but other than that, Gladiator is a movie you'll walk away from thinking about your own moral fiber.

Rating:
Summary: Best Movie of The Year
Review: I went and saw this movie when it came out during the summer. I was not expecting too much out of it because everyone was talking about the graphics. So I went to check it out and the computer animation was great, but *gasp* there was actually a plot. I could not believe it. Who would have ever imagined good graphics and a plot together? I will be very disapointed if this does not receive best movie of the year!

Rating:
Summary: Amazing Crowe and action
Review: Russell Crowe has a definite presence on the big screen and he makes Gladiator his own as Maximus, a general in ancient Rome. Beginning with an impressively staged battle in Germany, Crowe embodies this warrior with his whole being. The favorite of Richard Harris' Caesar to take over Rome, Crowe refuses, and ends up as a slave whose only existence is to fight in the arenas, where most of the warriors die very young deaths. Maximus sees this as his chance to redeem himself.

Besides Crowe's terrific performance, Harris and the late Oliver Reed, as Profumo, Maximus' master, deliver wonderful performances.

The special effects are amazing as well, from the battle and action sequences, to the renderings of the Colosseum and ancient Rome. Gladiator is a top-notch action film, and one that signals Russell Crowe as a major star on the rise.