It was okay

Rating: Null/10 (11 June 2002)

*Gladiator*
In 2000 Gladiator proved that hype and money will win you a best picture. Gladiator was the LAST movie nominated that year that deserved best picture. If anything it was a harmless summer blockbuster that got too much hype.
I thought Russell Crowe was good in this movie, but not better than Tom Hanks. Crowe was better the year before in The Insider, but not as good as Kevin Spacey. The best performance HANDS DOWN was Joaquin Phoenix. I think Joaquin is a great and under-used actor. Just look at To Die For. Totally different roles, it's almost hard to believe they're the same person. If anyone deserved an Oscar that year, it wasn't Crowe, it wasn't Benicio Del Toro, it was Joaquin Phoenix. Del Toro should feel ashamed for accepting an Oscar he didn't deserve.
I liked the directing in this movie, the end was well done. But all the fluff between the fights were boring. Overall it was an okay movie, with plenty of hits and misses.
*5/10*