"He'll bring them death...and they will love him for it..."

GLADIATOR (R)

Reviewed May 8, 2000 - Check out the Gladiator Website.

Studio Synopsis: The great Roman General Maximus (Russell Crowe) has once again led the legions to victory on the battlefield. The war won, Maximus dreams of home, wanting only to return to his wife and son; however, the dying Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) has one more duty for the general—to assume the mantle of his power.

Jealous of Maximus’ favor with the emperor, the heir to the throne, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), orders his execution—and that of his family. Barely escaping death, Maximus is forced into slavery and trained as a gladiator in the arena where his fame grows. Now he has come to Rome, intent on avenging the murder of his wife and son by killing the new emperor…Commodus.

Maximus has learned that the one power stronger than that of the emperor is the will of the people, and he knows he can only attain his revenge by becoming the greatest hero in all the empire.

Fuzzydog Review: Directed by Ridley Scott, Gladiator can more or less be described in a single word: SPECTACLE (yeah, in all-caps).  The story, the violence, the production values, and the scale of this film are all unabashedly "epic," and for all of that Gladiator feels absolutely glorious!  No, this film will not change your life or leave you with any great insights as you walk out of the theatre; however, if you can handle the bloodshed and are up for the 165 minute runtime, then Gladiator will most likely entertain.  Russell Crowe does an excellent job as the warrior Maximus, and Joaquin Phoenix is appropriately unlikeable as the cowardly emperor Commodus.  Love, murder, betrayal, friendship and loyalty--it's all here in Gladiator, and if nothing else, the film is a wonderful recreation of a time long gone by.  It's not quite Braveheart, but it does have enough thematic parallels so that it's probably safe to say that if you liked one, you'll probably like the other.

Responses from cyberspace--thanks for writing!

Steve gives this movie  stars: "Fantastic movie that has it all! Long live Rome!" (7/6/00)

dgheldt@ozemail.com.au gives this movie  stars: "I absolutely loved this movie. Not only is Russell Crowe an absolute hunk, but the storyline and sets were fantastic! My only complaint? We needed to see much more of Russell Crowes gorgeous body, and some raunchy sex scenes would have been good!" (6/16/00)

darth_davo@hotmail.com gives this movie  stars: "A brilliant epic. A film of 2000 that all should see." (5/8/00)