Lots of action, but little else...

Rating: 7/10 (26 May 2000)

Overall, Gladiator rates a 7 out of 10 for me.
Russell Crowe, one of the best lead actors of our day, gives a thoughtful performance and lends the role of Maximus a depth it almost doesn't deserve. Joaquin Phoenix is a revelation - when the credits began to roll, I looked for the name of the unknown British actor who gave the role of the Emperor true believability, and I was surprised to see Joaquin's name. The rest of the supporting cast, including Oliver Reed and Richard Harris, were excellent. Unfortunately Connie Nielsen's portrayal of the Emperor's sister failed to hit the right notes.
The effects are astounding, and the recreation of the Colliseum in Rome is awe-inspiring. My favorite scenes, however, were viewing the "skyline" of Rome itself from afar-- I don't think I've ever seen it so realistically portrayed-- I felt as if I were there.
My main complaints lie in the movie's length (overly long at 2:30 and draggy in some parts) and the "choppiness" of the action scenes. At the beginning, that fast-action/slow motion technique DOES make you feel as if you are one of the warriors, but its repeated use eventually makes you a little nauseated. As a result, you come away from the movie not remembering what you really saw in the action scenes.
The opening battle scene could have been called "Saving Private Maximus". And much of the repeated head-chopping reminds one of "Braveheart". But "Gladiator" doesn't live up to those superior films because it lacks the realism of Ryan's battle scenes, and the emotion of Braveheart.