Gladiator Reviews

Ridley Scott's modern classic may take a lot of cues from the likes of Spartacus and Ben Hur, but in many ways it surpasses them. The thrilling combat sequences are as good as any committed to celluloid, and as impressive the CGI recreation of ancient Rome is, it's the wonderful dialogue, characters and design that breathes life into it. Russel Crowe charismatically heads a magnificent cast, featuring Richard Harris as the ageing Marcus Aurelius Caesar tired of conquest and wishing to leave a legacy after his death, veteran Shakespearean Derek Jacobi providing the political intrigue behind the scenes, scheming to replace the Emperor with a democratic republic, Oliver Reed as Maximus' new mentor dreaming of recreating past glories, and Connie Nielsen as the conniving Lucilla whose true motive is only to keep her son safe. But it is Joaquin Phoenix's Commodus who is the show stopper, brilliantly portraying a spoilt child whose ambition combined with weakness of character and desire for a father's love twists him into a malicious tyrant; the scene in which he assassinates his father is superb. It even takes time out to take sideswipes at modern politics and the media "Rome is the mob. You can take away their freedom, but show them a little magic to distract them and they will still love you for it." This is what brings the film to life, and this level of sophistication makes it's contemporaries such as Alexander, Braveheart or even Scott's own Kingdom Of Heaven look like school pantomimes in comparison. Proof that the Hollywood system in the hands of true artists can produce something genuinely beautiful.

"Gladiator" is visually stunning and emotionally captivating. Russell Crowe gives a great performance as Maximus, a Roman general turned slave. The film can be slow at times but the epic battles make up for that. On a side note, Hans Zimmer did a phenomenal job with the score; it adds more emotion to the film. "Gladiator" offers a powerful story of revenge and should not be missed by anyone.

Visually stunning, Russell Crowe looks fantastic and the battles are epic however for a 3hr movie it does struggle to keep my interest. Having about 30minutes of action stretch over the 3hours of movie will certainly test the Roman Epic fans.

When I went to see Gladiator on it's release in 2000, I walked out the cinema bitterly disappointed. It went on to win 5 Oscars (including Best Picture) and received a further 7 nominations. This only added to my feelings of resentment towards it.
As a result, I chose to avoid seeing it again and didn't mince my words on my dislike for it. However, plenty of people - who's opinions I respect - seemed to love it. For that reason, I chose to have a reappraisal.
During the days of the Roman Empire, dedicated soldier Maximus (Russell Crowe) loyally serves the emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris). When the emperor is killed, Maximus refuses to transfer his loyalty to his son and new emperor, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) and suffers the consequences. He is ordered to be killed but manages to escape, ending up in the hands of slave trader Proximo (Oliver Reed), who pits him into the Roman Colosseum as a gladiator. It's here that Maximus realises he can still use the arena and the crowd to his benefit and plan his revenge on Commodus.
On only my second viewing of this film, my opinion has changed and changed for the better. I still have issues with it but it's granduer is undeniably impressive and as a slice of entertainment it can't be faulted. I can honestly admit now, that my scornful opinion of this film was slightly unjust. It was much better than I remember but still not the classic it's proclaimed to be. For a start, it has a high tendency for melodrama. This is acceptable in some cases but with the acclimations that Gladiator has recieved over the years, I find it needs to be scrutinised a little further. One of the main causes for it's melodramatic approach is some ridiculous dialogue. Reportedly, during production Russell Crowe himself had complaints with screenwriter William Nicholson's dialogue, apparently telling him it was "garbage". I found that to be the case in several scenes and when delivering it, the uncomfortableness in the actors looked apparent. However, they manage to carry it well enough; Crowe is a commanding presence in his Oscar winning role but it's by no means his best performance. I think his abilities were better tested the year before in "The Insider", where he was absolutely superb and deserved the Oscar then. Phoenix is another actor I admire and he also delivers a good performance but unfortunately suffers with a poorly written and stereotypical character. He's no more than a cartoon villain - complete with dark eye shadow - and he couldn't really get any more nasty. Old hands, Harris and Reed phone their performances in and it looks as if Reed is just there for the beer tokens. Jacobi, however brief, shows his thespian abilities and the always excellent Djimon Hounsou is wasted in another poorly written role. There's not a lot going on for the character's as ultimately, this is all about the spectacle. And a fine, grandiose one it is. With "Blade Runner" and most recently "Prometheus", Scott has never been known to scrimp on the visual front and this is no different. It is
exquisitely detailed (kudos to cinematographer John Mathieson) and filmed in the grandest of scales. The director can't be faulted in his ability to capture the hearts and minds of an audience and this is no more apparent than the impressively choreographed battle scenes and wonderfully ethereal afterlife sequences - shot with a highly artistic eye. Such scenes are afforded a greater power by a superb score from Hans Zimmer and the amazing vocal talents of Lisa Gerrard (for those unaware, check out her beautiful work with Australian outfit "Dead Can Dance"). On a visual and audio front, this film can't be reckoned with but unfortunately, I found it to succumb to formula. Despite the fact that the real life Commodus did actually fight in the the gladiatorial arena, the ending stretched credulity for me but I suppose dramatic license is commonplace in film's of this type.
I enjoyed this a far-sight more than I used to, as it's undeniably epic and visually arresting. Essentially though, this is an action movie. A good one but not much more than an action movie dressed in the Emperor's clothes.

Really good

Gladiator is extremely problematic film. This swords and sandals epic is well concieved and does look fantastic, but under it's surface it is hollow and ponderous work that never truly connects emotionally.
In Ridley Scott's filmography many find this film as his best work, i myself find it hugely overrated and disappointing. Even as a pure entertainment Gladiator just does not work that well. There are too many sideplots and the film's overall pace is dragging. Things aren't also helped by the corny and over the top acting by actors like Joaquin Phoenix and Oliver Reed who chew their scenery in a worst possible way.
There is no arguing that this film is visually like a painting, but what good are the visuals if the story ain't no good and lacks the depth. Gladiator is in the end just another vigilante film. It only has ancient Rome as it's backdrop.
Once again i am a bit sad to see that Scott is working from such an thin screenplay. This seems to be one of the most typical flaws in his films. The screenplay just does not match his talents as a filmmaker. I wish that more often he would choose scripts that actually are good, innovative and has story worth to tell. Gladiator does not have a one.
This film certainly is much ado about nothing and in my opinion it is far from the masterpiece that many find it to be.

Cinematic perfection! An unforgettable and masterfully directed epic, from the brilliant mind who brought us such timeless classics as "Alien" and "Blade Runner". It's not often I use the word masterpiece for a film, but this spectacular piece of historical action deserves nothing less. The story, of a Roman general named Maximus, who goes from a soldier to a slave to a gladiator champion in the majestic Colosseum, is one of the most moving, impressive and triumphant tales ever told. Roused by the amazing battles and stirred by its emotional power, I always come out of this film with a lingering sense of awe and wonder. I wish I could erase my memory, only to experience it for the first time again. For this is epic story-telling at its finest hour and one of my favourite movies of all-time. If you haven't seen it yet, you have certainly missed something!

havent seen it

Winner of 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor, this epic film is a must see.

Joaquin Phoenix does a brilliant character portrayal in this and the action/battle scenes are quite well executed. Russell Crowe is downright cool in this one making his character Maximus plainly and simply a fighter with a fight worth fighting. This film just works for what it is and it does indeed hold up if you're in the mood for some solid action sequences that keep you on edge.
"Are you not entertained!?"

This movie was a little hyped-up.

Despite its historical inaccuracies, "Gladiator" is a spectacular film and the acting is exceptional. The Imagery is also great and Crowe shines throughout the film.

Are you not entertained? Movies like Gladiator only come every once and while to hollywood. It is a rare movie that so easily pulls at all the different emotions, and stimulate the mind, while also filling the thirst for action. Maximus was thrown into the life of a gladiator upon being chosen by the former emperor to take his place. Commodus, the former's son finds out, murders his father, and sends Maximus to be executed. Although he escapes, the general is now a slave, and doomed to be a gladiator. But, overtime, he wins over the people by his fighting, and challenges Commodus to a final fight. This movie holds all the elements necessary for a modern classic. Excellent acting from all the main class. Director Ridley Scott shows his talents in this movie, more than any of his others. And, the plot is fantastic. Highly recommended.

Gladiator is a an epic all in itself. It does what most movies try to do and succeeds beyond expectations. This movie combines a great story, a little bit of history, great performances by Russell Crow and Joaquin Phoenix and a powerful and unforgettable score by Hans Zimmer. I can only say one word. Amazing!

Gladiator is a violent and satisfying plunge into the lore of ancient Rome, and offers plenty of thrills and visual panache - and a great Russell Crowe performance to boot.

Badass warrior movie. Crowe kills and the movie delivers.

Exciting action and solid acting (come back, Joaquin!), but undoes itself by simplifying things far more than it needs to. What could have been a rich exploration of morality, jealousy and power is whittled down to a tedious duel between good versus evil by the final act. Satisfying in the moment, but there isn't too much to chew on afterwards.

Ridley Scott's 'Gladiator' has a lot to show for in terms of entertainment. Scott's usual affection towards brutal action is in effect, as is another strong performance from Russell Crowe. With beautiful cinematography and gifted storytelling, Gladiator stands as a film to revel in. As long as you can handle large pacing issues and some boring dialogue, you'll have to admire its composure as an action film.

Holy crap, this film was so great. Maximus (Russell Crowe) is one of the Roman Armies best warriors in the year 180, he is a hero, and has the complete trust of the king (Richard Harris). This trust makes the kings son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) very jealous and this makes him kill his father, kill Maximus's family, and frame Maximus for his fathers death. Maximus is sent to be killed, but escapes only to be captured of slave traders and is made a warrior in the Roman colisseum. He uses hisnewfound heroism in the arena to challenge Commodus who has been made king, and plans to have revenge on the man who killed his family. Russell Crowe was incredible and the end was superb. The plot was great, music was catchy, and Pheonix was amazing as a villain. This movie is a testament to Ridley Scott. It has to be the greatest historic film ever made, and whoever hasn't seen it go rent it... Now!

Gladiator is visually beautiful and thoroughly engaging. The story is incredibly indepth, and the emotion is really heart-felt, helped by stellar performances from the whole cast, and a fantastic score by Hans Zimmer and haunting vocals by Lisa Gerrard.