Over-rated schlock

Rating: 2/10 (17 August 2003)

That this movie beat out "Traffic" for the best picture Oscar is the definition of idiocy. I admire Ridley Scott, and liked Russell Crowe in "The Insider" and "L.A. Confidential," but they're both responsible for the debacle that is "Gladiator."
The rest of the world must have seen a different movie. I saw a bloated, overlong, tedious, humorless, joyless, tired, boring, ugly-looking, cliched film with terrible digital effects and lead characters with zero personality. Scott has directed two of my favorite movies, "Alien" and "Blade Runner," but "Gladiator" is a dead zone. Anybody could have directed it. Alan Smithee may as well have done it.
Two movies show up "Gladiator," even as it strives to be like both of them. They are "Braveheart" and "Spartacus." Both Mel Gibson and Kirk Douglas showed more zest for life (and violent death) than Russell Crowe, who appears to be either A) sleep walking or B) angry with Ridley Scott for putting him in the movie. What a boring performance! To see this kind of savage, revenge-driven character done right, there's still no topping Mel Gibson's portrayal of William Wallace. It was over the top, but by golly, you felt the man's passion.
"Gladiator" is a mess. I don't know any other way to describe it. Oscars and money don't always equal quality, apparently.