Crowe knows how to pick em

Rating: 8/10 (21 June 2008)

I finally got to see it. It has been on TBS a thousand times, I've heard it raved about over and over yet I never got a chance to see it. Now, for what I thought of it.
I loved it. The story, the acting, the action, it was all good. Russel Crowe just can't go wrong. Can someone tell me a bad movie he was in? Maybe "Virtuosity", but even that wasn't that bad. I have to applaud Joaquin Phoenix as well. He played such a loathsome and detestable coward that it was as if he was born for the role.
The story was better than just a traditional tale of vengeance. Initially there were no signs or hints that Maximus (Crowe) had the intention of going after Commodus (Phoenix), but once the opportunity presented itself, he definitely was driven towards that goal. And even though we all wanted Maximus to kill Commodus it was more than just that. Maximus was avenging the death of his family and freeing Rome from the hands of a tyrant as well.
I really found the story compelling. I found myself wholly behind Maximus and his efforts, if not because of his admirability, then certainly because of Commodus' lack of it. Gladiator is yet another great battle movie that is strengthened by its story.