Unleash the Tigers

Rating: 8/10 (6 May 2000)

This movie will probably be better the next time I see it. The swordplay was the best since Braveheart, but I haven't really decided about the story. My friends and I were wondering after the show when Emperor Commodus said "The fix is in" or some such, indicating Maximus didn't have a chance in his current battle with the unbeaten gladiator (how many beaten gladiators were still around?), why the heck didn't he unleash the tigers? Presumably, the tigers in the arena were the 'the fix' ole Commodus was talking about, right? But no, he had slaves holding them back with chains. If Commodus couldn't figure out that he needed to release the tigers so that they could kill Maximus, he really wasn't bright enough to be emperor anyway, right? Now, of course, I am informed that all the romans moved to England, ergo the fact that the British accent is the true Roman accent. And, my last little comment... what's the deal with all the stutter cinematography during the action scenes? or all the filter photography during the yackity scenes?