Beautiful, thrilling, action packed...

Rating: 9/10 (6 June 2000)

Even with the typical annoying theater patrons talking and ruffling there packages of Reeses Pieces, this was the fastest two and a half hours of my life. The film was beautifully done and the story line was intriguing. Russel Crowe is destined to be a huge star. I haven't seen him in a film that he hasn't carried.
One can't help but see the similarities between Gladiator and Braveheart. A lot has been said about this, and I would have to agree that they are there. However, I can say that Gladiator gives you a much more exciting and uplifting film experience. While Braveheart gave us a dark and dreary Scotland, Gladiator gives us a bold and beautiful protrait of Rome. Gladiator has the dark undertones of its story line, however is filmed in a way that takes them in a lighthearted manor, giving the audience a more exciting ride.
I gave Gladiator a 9 out of 10, on sheer excitement. As I sit here and write this review, a get the feeling that it should be higher than that. It was an exiting film and had the great battle scenes that mark a roman epic, however it was a whole lot more than that. The acting was superb and the story was well written. The directing, while not typical of Ridley Scott, was wonderful. His use of CGI was the best I have seen as of yet. He did rely on it, rather used it to make picture more beautiful. The balance between the action and the storyline was perfect. All and all Gladiator was a ride worth taking.