Too many errors and an actor made out of wood

Rating: 3/10 (22 October 2008)

There are a couple of reasons I didn't really like Gladiator.
First and foremost is Russell Crowe. I'm an Australian and while it seems a little unpatriotic, the guy is pure wood. He is the new Charles Bronson who has one expression and sticks to it.
Thus I had a problem when he supposedly 'sells himself to the crowd'. I'm also a wrestling fan and I can only guess that 'selling' must mean something different to the people who made this film. Crowe does no selling here.
The other problem I have is some biiiiig holes in the plot. Commodus becomes the new Emperor and sentences Maximus, and his family, to death. Maximus kills the guards and rides as fast as he can for home. So fast he kills both of the horses he rides although he might have been a little faster if the cinematographer didn't decide that he absolutely had to put in some visual effect to boost his career.
Anyway, he gets home and Roman legions had already arrived, tortured and raped his family, hanged them and then left. My question, how did they know? Did Commodus, still up in Germanica somewhere pull out his cell phone and make a call?! I mean, Maximus goes as fast as he can but the enemy troops seem to not only know Commodus' orders but that he is the new Emperor.
A friend of mine said that there were communication methods that could have been used. Carrier pigeons, signal towers, etc. Fine, but if the film makers want me to buy that, they should show me this.
Next, Maximus falls to the ground grieving for his dead family and then boom, next scene, he's a wounded slave. How did this happen? Even more curious is why a slaver bothered with caring for a wounded slave with the Mediterranean so close by to act as a dumping ground.
Third, I still can't understand how Maximus manages to become such an acclaimed gladiator. Nothing I saw endured me toward him and while he was a general that doesn't make him an exceptional fighter. I don't know if I'd win a fight against General Schwarzkopf or Collin Powell but I bet Mike Tyson could beat them in a fight.
Finally, all the other anachronisms just added up to cause my poor suspension of disbelief to evaporate.