A summer blockbuster with a novel twist...

Rating: 8/10 (6 February 2014)

Summer blockbusters are creatures of their own, aiming to cater to and exploit our lowest desires. Ridley perfectly understands this and consciously tries to redefine them when he gets a chance. Unlike many others, he knows what he is doing and approaches the matter with care instead of force. This works only because of him.
We have a movie about a spectacle, in which we and the mob are one and the same. It's cynical as it bashes the industry and us, yet hopeful with its vision for the future. The visual style is novel and somewhat counterintuitive. Typically, one would expect huge cinematic battles, filled with bloodshed, as well as a very architecturally dimensional Rome, filled with pride of its history. Here, these are handed very differently, casually placed in the background. We imagine and deduce them from the eyes of the characters - very subtle, especially for a summer blockbuster. Instead, the focus here is on emotion and tension. Tension between a "cheap entertainment thrill" and "strength and honor". Judging by how successful this was, new endeavors should learn from it, as it shows that the audience expects something more.
Crowe is utilized well here. Some of his scenes with Joaquin carry and project that tension for us to feed on.
4/5 - Worth a watch. We've started to demand much more after this.