A thrilling victory

Rating: Null/10 (3 May 2000)

I expected a lesser film, just a violent man-pleasing actionfest with plenty of digital backgrounds, but was very pleasantly surprised. Well paced, well acted, and very well told, `Gladiator' is a fine, fine film, filled with fantastic set pieces, thrilling battles, and a varied array of interesting and noble characters. Russell Crowe delivers a powerful, intense performance that's sure to win him acclaim and fans (he's easy to cheer for). This was a film on a scale so grand, I can think of only a handful of films like it in the last twenty years. It was exciting, moving, and best of all, deeply satisfying. Ridley Scott should be commended.