Rating: 
Summary: Family, values and loyalty
Review: This is the first rated "R" movie I've seen that did not have one foul word or any gratuitus sex scenes and built its foundation on postive values even when confronted with such horrible, cruel power. Russell Crowe truly represented all those great things we would like to be ourselves. Joaquin Phoenix's acting exploration into the character of Commodus was artful. The graphics were, of course, great and gave an astounding "view" of Rome at its height of beauty at its depth of immorality. Zimmer's music brought out the scenes with thought provoking melodies, orchestration and rhythms (e.g. waltzing during a battle) that helped carry the broad strokes of the story, the acting and the directing. Few movies compel me to watch it again and again, but this one is it! To have all the background information via DVD will be an absolute plus to any movie afficianado's collection.
Rating: 
Summary: Halfway there.
Review: I've been a big fan of Crowe since Romper Stomper and thought he was great in LA Confidential, but in Gladiator there's really not much for him to do but grunt. The opening battle scene was a mess and early on set the pattern for all that followed in the arena. Scott seems to have gone for the typical high gloss form of Hollywood filmmaking, employing quick cuts with something flying into the camera every second (the latter seems to be the action norm ever since the Twister trailer). The ending is the very definition of anti-climatic. Bottom line, Gladiator never figured out if it wanted to be Braveheart or 13th Warrior, and as a result ended up stuck somewhere between an epic film and a fun movie. Too bad it couldn't make up its mind. Still, I'm looking forward to the DVD's commentary tracks; if nothing else, at least it looked pretty.
Rating:
Summary: Gladiator Rules!
Review: Greastest movie ever,Russell Crowes best proformance yet.
Rating:
Summary: A return to epic filmmaking
Review: There has been so much mentioned of the fine acting, the beautiful cinematography and the emotional impact this film can have that I won't bother mentioning it except to say I agree. Some other things I think are noteworthy are the director's choices and style. The film, though filled with violence, tends to give a sense of violence rather than show it. Most of today's filmmakers show everything and leave little to the imagination. Ridley Scott more artfully shows unclear snippets of awful things in a frenzied vortex of fighting that becomes translated in the mind of imaginative viewers to the full horrors of battle. Ridley Scott is one of the few directors besides George Lucas who understands the visual medium of film. He crams in layer upon layer of things to look at and explore. It's just as much fun seeing what's happening in the background as the foreground. The colors, lighting and compositions make this much like viewing a succession of paintings. And like Lucas he understands and keeps the special effects to a respectable story-telling tool rather than the tedious and distracting events (like the over-the-top effects in The Matrix) they become in the hands of lesser directors . This film also taps into several of the themes raised and explored in the director's earlier masterpiece, Bladerunner (see it if you haven't). Marcus Aurelius is like the Tyrell character, both are destroyed by the 'prodigal son' in a very similar manner (and the same gorgeous lighting)as they curse themselves for their poor fatherhood. The relationship between Maximus and the new Emperor are similar to Deckard and Batty in Bladerunner: They are like brothers, one the shadowy reflection of the other, drawn to a fateful showdown of allegorical proportions. The film is peppered with philosophical and social commentary that predicts the downfall of Rome, but more importantly speaks volumes of the way things are headed in the U.S.A., the current mighty empire of the world. Rome fell because people were indifferent, paying for a mighty army without knowing what they were paying for, wasting countless hours watching meaningless sporting events (think of all those who shamelessly tune in Monday Night Football) and generally slumping into a cesspit of greed and stupidity (like the stock market and television today). When Marcus Aurelius talked about the dream that was Rome, it reminded me of the founding father's dream for America; the outcome being vastly different when the dream becomes co-opted by the selfish and greedy. Equality, my eye! The film has a refreshing outlook on death. In the U.S.A. we tend to look upon death as failure, something to be feared and avoided. This film showed it as the logical conclusion to life. We all face the same fate, it's how you live your life that matters. You can be the hero, a thinker, honest, not asking for more than you need, making your family your priority, a good and just individual standing up for your beliefs and values. Or you can be the villain, selfish, greedy, needy, self-absorbed, an unlikable fellow who cares more about what other people think than about what is right or wrong. This film appeals to both the regular Hollywood movie watcher, filled with action, heroics, exotic places and sights, and also to those who search look to find a greater meaning for life in the films they watch. This is probably what confuses critics, who seek only to classify films to make their jobs easier; they like to consider a film either art-house or general release, leading to a pointless snobbery. Thankfully we have a handful of directors like Ridley Scott who ignore those categories and make films that ultimately can have a broader and timeless appeal.
Rating:
Summary: Best Epic since Braveheart
Review: When I first saw the trailer for this movie I was hooked. I couldn't wait til it came to theaters. When I saw it I thought it was a very good movie probably the best epic I have seen in a long time. The story was great and so was the acting. There was edge of your seat thrills and a tragic end but overall this movie tops my list of being the best movie this year.
Rating:
Summary: Sloooooooooooooooooow
Review: Am I the only one who found this movie to be VERY slow and much too long? People talk about "Gladiator" like it's some slam bang action picture. The trailer sure made it look like one, yet everything in the trailer came from the last third of the film. Every scene in the first half of the movie is so protracted I had to stop myself from yelling, "GET HIM IN THE COLISEUM ALREADY!" The film is well structured and a good story but there's not enough meat on this bone for a film well over two hours. And so it feels s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d with pretty visuals, pretension and unnecessary talk-talk-talk. If we could get a 90 minute cut of this on the DVD set, I'd buy and treasure it. Until then, I'll keep watching "Braveheart."
Rating:
Summary: Hands Down Best Film of Summer
Review: Gladiator was an excellent movie and has all the aspects required to be a true blockbuster. Crowe is awesome as the General Maximus and provides an intensity and depth of character that truly makes the viewer emphasize with his trials throughout the film. Tragically, Oliver Reed, who plays the owner of the gladiator camp, died during filming. Apparently they digitized his face for the remaining scenes and I thought they succeeded. However, I can't wait for the DVD to come out so I can look for the cover-ups. Getting back to the film, it appears to be pretty historically accurate. Commodus did in fact die at the hands of a wrestler/gladiator, although I doubt it occurred in the Coloseum! The opening battle scene is as intense as any on film, and I guess I was a little disappointed that no other large battles occurred during the rest of it. In short, great cast, great plot and great cinematography.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: This was one of the best movies I have ever seen (on par if not better than Braveheart). The blend of plot, action, drama, and special effects was perfect and Russell Crow was amazing, the ultimate hero/champion.
Rating:
Summary: WOW WHAT A GREAT MOVIE!
Review: THIS IS A WONDERFUL MOVIE THAT EVERY PERSON SHOULD SEE. IT IS A STORY THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT OUR WORLD'S PAST. IF YOU HAVE YET TO SEE THE MOVIE... ...SEE IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
Rating:
Summary: Very Accurate!
Review: This movie was very accurate according to Roman history and the Latin language. For example, they used the name Germania during the beginning of the movie. In Latin, it is translated to Germany. The movie also had the tiger gladiator from Gaul. Gaul is the ancient name for France. The movie was exciting and fun to watch. The acting was great and the special effects of Rome were amazing.
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