Ye gods! Spare me from a sequel....

Rating: 4/10 (12 May 2000)

What a disappointment. Although I'm sure that the handicapped kid in the front row with the speak and spell board who typed repeatedly throughout the movie "I need a hug" and "I want more" added somewhat to my lack of movie-going enjoyment--I did not like this movie at all. Now I understand what scriptwriting courses mean when they say to avoid "talking heads," and boy, this movie has exposition a-plenty. Long, draggy, incomprehensible exposition---anytime there isn't a fight onscreen. Plus, all of that exposition is done by predictable, cliched characters possessing as much depth as a sheet of paper. Not that the acting is bad---it wasn't. But if you've seen any entry in the "they-killed-the-family-of-the-noble-hero-and-now-it's-payback-time" genre, then you've already seen this movie. What's sad is that Russell Crowe is a fantastic actor, and "Gladiator" would have benefitted greatly from having a flawed anti-hero like his role in "L.A. Confidential." And while this $100 million movie IS pretty (if a bit vertigo-inducing with rapid-fire jump cuts and camera angles), it seems to possess a lot more style than substance. Wait for the video.