Gripping from first to last fight

Rating: 10/10 (4 May 2000)

Ridley Scott has certainly banished the demons of White Squall and GI Jane with this fantastic offering. Crowe is superb as the determined Maximus, but he is matched by fight choreography and the rich CG visuals of Rome at its height. The opening battle sequence betters anything in Braveheart, although the slow motion was overused. The standout feature of the film was the depiction of Rome; from the streets, to the emperial palace to the Colloseum. It equalls anything presented in Bladerunner or one of Lucas' offerings (with the use of CG birds being on a par with the Ewoks)
This is the film of the year. It does not deserve the tag "event film" as it is not a shody piece of work held together by some shiny computer code but a heart-pumping, sword-swinging, sweat and blood soaked masterpiece with superb visuals, intellegent script and flawless performances from the leads.
see it, then put aside another 3 hours to see it again