Epically overrated - even the music

Rating: 3/10 (15 December 2016)

This picture is epically overrated- it is not the number 46 of the 250 best movies, like the IMDb ratings system states at the time of writing of this review. Because it simply never should have been even near such top 250 list. Aside from a clearly visible big budget, only three things are worth of mentioning: shots of hand brushing thorough stalks of wheat (which are iconic), "Are you not entertained?!" shout out moment (of intensive emotions) and the point of story when there is a conspiracy created "to get him out" (which in turn leads to a few minutes of enjoyable suspense). Other than that, this picture is quite boring and mediocre
It is suppose to be an epic story, but it does not suck you in on any scale. Instead of that it just epically blows, like if it was a giant blown egg shell- decorated on the outside, but empty on the inside. Even the very first battle in the woods has some stupid visual techniques, with addition of some dog disguised as a wolf saving his master- and what a load of kitsch that was. And the kitsch comes back in epic size at the grand finale- the only missing thing at that point is a group of gladiators singing "Kumbaya" to the crowd of cheering and crying spectators
In this picture even the music is way below expectations. Yes, there are some good moments, but overall in the beginning and at the end the music is rather weak, while in the middle it is somewhat without a taste or noticeable substance. And what is more, the Wikipedia says that Hans Zimmer took some of this music from Gustav Holst and Richard Wagner. But there is more to it- most likely he also borrows from Henryk Gorecki. And on top of that, some tracks sound like a reworked version of music from "The Rock" [1996]", which Hans Zimmer co-composed; and also there is a musical motive in the "Gladiator" that he later on simply reused for the "Pirates Of The Caribbean" movie series. But what is the most disturbing in regards to the score is the fact, that he got nominated for that work by Academy Awards, while the co-composer Lisa Gerrard did not. So it is just ridiculous that the music which is at best mediocre got nominated, but at the same time it is scandalous, that only the man of the two persons that created it received such nomination. (Of course all those Oscars prizes for music / songs should not be viewed as something like some kind of musical Metre Convention agreements)
But what is most important- it does not matter, if you watch this movie in crappy conditions at the time of its release when you are entering your young adulthood, or if you watch it some 15 years later on a good home cinema system when you are an adult. It is still boring and also flat to some extent
Do not waste your time on this one. Go watch a "Spartacus" (2004) instead- although it is a TV movie and was not intended to play in the same league as Ridley Scott does with his big bucks flicks, that "Spartacus" beats the "Gladiator" almost to the ground (but also in no way constitutes as one of the 250 greatest movies ever made)