A respectable and fairly engaging Roman epic.

Rating: 8/10 (8 October 2001)

A respectable and fairly Roman epic about a much beloved Roman general, Maximus (Russell Crowe), who instead becoming the next emperor of Rome is forced to be in the gladiator fights, which were fierce and...a bit on the bloody side. The strongest parts of this Ridley Scott film are the excellent fight scenes and the performances of veteran actors Richard Harris, Derek Jacobi, and Oliver Reed (who died during the filming). Only the appearence and design of Rome look very grainy and unpleasant. I have some doubt why this movie received some Oscars that included Best Actor (Crowe, no offense) and Best Picture. The only nominations that this film should deserve are Best Supporting Actor for Reed and Djimon Hounsou instead of Joaquin Phoenix (brother of the late River Phoenix).