Another overrated hasbeen of a movie . . .

Rating: 5/10 (8 October 2006)

I cannot believe that this film continues to "earn" an 8.1 rating, unless, of course, you factor in the promo/hype, not to mention the Oscar thing. Ridley Scott needs n0 apologies, especially considering the likes of his "Duelists"?, but the total corniness and gallery-getting antics of this film are laughable. Some cable channel reran this turkey a couple nights ago, and I watched a few scenes again, and marvelled at how Hollywood-can=you-get? in this day and age of relative realities, on screen and off. The "character" castings, of course, were par for the corny course, but, to me at least, neither Russell Crown nor Joaqu;in Phoenix could invest his character with anything but schmaltz. Schmalz That too. Well, at least Oliver Reed had a final ball as a slave owner?