Absolutely amazing.

Rating: 9/10 (12 August 2000)

Many of my friends and I (who at our local high school are probably considered the nerdy group--and couldn't care less) anticipated this movie since the first time we heard of it. One of my friends, who styles himself as a Roman history buff, was sure that the movie would stretch the truth in favor of entertainment value. Sure he would grumble the whole movie, the rest of us drew straws as to which would have to sit next to him opening night, and it was of course me. He grumbled all the way there, but once the movie started, he was silent the whole time. He found stuff he could nitpick after it was over, but while the movie was rolling he was in as much a state of awe as the rest of us. This is undoubtedly one of the best movies I have ever seen, enough so that I saw it three times in theatre. I seldom see movies multiple times, exceptions being Jurassic Park(4 times), Independence Day (2 times), and the Matrix (2 times). I usually love science fiction movies beyond all others, but I can say I enjoyed this movie more than any sci-fi blockbuster I've ever been too.