A Mixed Bag But Ultimately Worth Seeing

Rating: 7/10 (12 May 2000)

The Gladiator was a disappointment to me personally. I wanted the story to be more believable and I wanted to care more for the characters. This is not to say that this effort is not worth seeing. Richard Harris and Russell Crow give excellent performances. The overall look of the period was captured well however the battle scenes, while intense, were so chopped up, one would think the editor, Pietro DiGiamimo had drank too much coffee. The quick camera work along with chopped editing actually made me dizzy. A mixed bag for me but this film should appeal to those who like epic, action thrillers. Though a bit too long, there is enough action to make it bearable.