Gladiator will muscle it's way to the top of the box office

Rating: Null/10 (3 May 2000)

Russell Crowe's day has come and Gladiator is his vehicle. The world got a glimpse of the bad-a** he can be in LA Confidential, but it really takes this heady epic from Ridley Scott to wipe away any dog-eared sentiment left over from the Insider. You can just imagine Mel Gibson sitting at home and wondering "why didn't my agent send me this script?" Well the new boy is in town, and despite the fact a sword still looks like a darn heavy piece of metal in his hands, Crowe shines in this great new film from Scott. The recreation of ancient Rome is astonishingly beautiful and realistic. And although the film indulges a bit too much in stylistic editing (hey fellas just stick the camera on a tripod so we can watch this amazing action), I must say the gladiator scenes are wonderfully paced, exciting and thrilling. After seeing Ben Hur a number of times on television, it's easy to walk into this picture with a few misconceptions. Namely, a bunch of men in armor in chariot battles is about as lively as a tennis match. Well, after seeing this picture, I wouldn't be surprised if someone had the audacity to revive Gladiator sports - chain mail, chariots and all. The battle scenes in this film, simply rock. And to top it off, the film has a great story, an identifiable hero and guess what - a female lead that isn't just scenery in a major pump-up-the-testosterone movie. This is a must see. Thanks for bringing me back to Rome. This ain't your latte sipping Italy here. Hold on to your seats, this is one HELL of a ride.