The Gladiator

Rating: 9/10 (2 October 2010)

I can say there's only one issue with this movie; the Emperor just doesn't seem believable. I didn't buy it. Why would he get in the arena and challenge a foe he knows he can't beat one on one when he has an entire army at his disposal? That's the major issue. If the Emperor was really crazy enough to do something like that, then he should of been a completely different character; he was portrayed in the wrong way. Just the fact that this movie ends by Maximus getting his revenge in a 1 on 1 death duel against the Emperor seems so lame and so Hollywood. Couldn't you give us an intelligent, realistic ending (like the Emperor has Maximus executed but then someone else comes in Mark Wahlberg in The Departed style and ends up killing the Emperor anyways)? Something other than the simple A-to-B ending it has. It's just a shame because it's such an awesome, epic movie. The writing and story is so smart; there's not a single bad scene. The visuals are epic. The Emperor character is the only reason this beast of a movie earns a 9, not a 10.