Titanic in a Coliseum-and I wasn't a fan of Titanic, either

Rating: 5/10 (25 May 2000)

Normally, when I comment on a movie, it is to encourage someone to see some little "gem" that I think was overlooked. This time, I'm going against the grain. I didn't HATE Gladiator; the production values were great, the directing good --- I guess it was mostly the story, and (believe it or not) the acting that I take exception to. In my summary, I called it "Titanic in a Coliseum", and I wasn't kidding. I found Titanic to be an okay, but overlong movie. That's how I found Gladiator. Actually, it wasn't tremendously long...but about three-quarters of the way through, I found myself glancing at my watch. I simply didn't empathize with Crowe's character...I found too many thing ways way too under-explained (like his becoming a slave...no spoiler, they tell you that much in the trailers), and I also didn't find many of the supporting characters particularly charming me. All in all, I'm probably one of only three or four guys in all of North America who didn't love the movie. But again, let me make it clear...I didn't hate it. It simply didn't ring my chimes. The plotting was murky at crucial points, the sound track too "Titanic-y" (that soft, ethereal music just didn't cut it for me), Russell Crowe simply didn't impress me all that much, and neither did most of the other stars of the show. Sorry. Not a thumbs down, but I won't be rushing out to buy a copy.