Definite thumb up!

Rating: 10/10 (8 May 2000)

This is the kind of movie that people mean when they say "They don't make them like that anymore"... A true "Wow" film, transports you to a different world long turned to ruins and dust. Russell Crowe answers the age old question "what do women want"... a man of honor, strength, integrity, intelligence, with a light in his eyes and passion in his heart. The violence is real enough to be taken seriously, but the film does not linger or wallow over it. While much has been made by some critics about how audiences cheer the violence in the Coliseum, they/we are also cheering the clear underdogs, fighting for survival in a world not of their own making. When Maximus wins against the odds, and still shows honor and mercy, he is a hero well worth cheering. I was struck by the similarities to a hero in our own day. Over the weekend I saw Cal Ripken Jr get a standing ovation...at Yankee Stadium! Proof that a true hero is still recognized.