21st century CB deMille

Rating: 9/10 (7 May 2000)

What Jurassic Park did for cgi creatures, this one does for cgi sets. It looks like they put cast, crew, cranes, and a helicopter into a time machine and filmed it in ancient Rome. The aerial views of the ancient city and Coliseum, complete with crowds, are truly dazzling.
Russell Crowe is most impressive as "the general who becomes a slave who becomes a gladiator who defies an emperor." Emperor Commodus is suitably smarmy - you want to reach up to the screen and whack him yourself!

A bit slow at times, but who cares? The visuals are breathtaking and the combat scenes are unequalled in any movie. Very realistic violence - might want to leave the youngsters at home.
Came home to find Ben-Hur showing on PBS. It looked terribly dated. During the chariot race, I wanted to hear the crowd chant, "Maximus! Maximus!