Epic story and powerful performances. A+!

Rating: Null/10 (11 May 2000)

Gladiator delivers, and I'm not talking pizza. Although there's plenty of red stuff flying around from time to time. This movie is an extremely well-crafted epic with sweeping vistas, spectacular scenics, breathtaking scenes of battle and fighting heroics, strong supporting roles, and a refreshingly cliche-free script which I did not find at all predictable. The tension was gut-gripping, the characters rich and mythic. Can you tell I was enthralled? What a role for Russell Crowe, who shows here just what he can do in a lead role. He has arrived for good, and we're the better off for it.

I heartily recommend this movie. A fulfilling cinematic experience. Please seek out a theater with a great sound system and good projectors. You won't regret it.