Awe-inspiring

Rating: 10/10 (13 May 2000)

I was SO surprised by this movie. I saw commercials for it on tv, and just passed it off as another no-brains-all-brawn-popcorn-action flick. Not that I dont enjoy them once in a while, its just the commercials and ads and stuff didnt intrigue me, nor did it make me raise an eyebrow. BUT, my friend dragged me along to see it anyway, and I was pleasantly surprised.
I wont bore you with the plot of the film, but let me just say - this movie has brains AND brawn. Everything was nearly perfect. from the visuals, to the acting, to the filming locations - nearly everything.
The characters were interesting, which was a breath of fresh air in these types of movies.
Maximus -- dear lord, I've never cheered somebody on so loud. He 's a sympathetic figure, as well as a noble one. Russel Crowe deserves an Oscar for this.
Commodus -- did anyone else wanna rip this man's head off? Especially after that "squealed like a girl" comment... but Joaquain Phoenix created a three-demensional villain.
Lucilla -- another sympathetic figure. Connie Neilson did good with her character, a lesser actress would've made her seem like a downright wimp.

Proximo -- Oliver Reed was indeed a great actor, and I'm glad to see this was his final role.
All in all, Gladiator was a fantastic film. --But, this movie is NOT for the squeemish. The battle and arena scenes are high in gore and blood, as well as sword play. In fact, in the opening battle, I dont think I've ever seen so much blood on film.