highly watchable, but not at all a masterpiece

Rating: 8/10 (28 May 2000)

Visually speaking, Gladiator is fantastic, the depiction of Rome being particularly impressive. Furthermore, even at two and a half hours in length, the film is never boring, and I can't complain about the acting, either.
It's too bad therefore, that the ending is so mediocre. The entire production seems to fall apart in the last twenty minutes or so, climaxing conveniently rather than realistically. And, of course, the film isn't historically accurate, but who would have expected it to be?
Now, I don't mean to say that Gladiator isn't worth watching. In the end, it's a good way to kill a few hours; just don't expect it to amaze you. 8/10