Good, but could have been Magnificent

Rating: 8/10 (21 May 2000)

NOTE: Before you read my rating you must be informed that as I was watching this film at the CAROLUS theatre in Nijmegen (Netherlands) at 13.30 on Saturday the 20th of may 2000 there was a constant disturbance by two people in the back, who talked all the time. Except during the break, then they kept quiet, of course. I must also say that I despise thy, thou
companions and thou friends, who spoil other peoples movie experiences, simply because thy don not appreciate the movie or because thy behave in the same way at home, where you watch movies on TV. If it is the first than, please go away and if it concerns the latter, than please, wait 6 or 8 months and rent it, for then thy can speak to thy companion and do anything you like and not spoil it for others as well!!!!!!!!!
This might have affected my final rate for the film!!!
Now for my review, of course Gladiator was good. It had a lot of action, which was brilliantly coreographed and filmed by the way, quite a lot of blood (though the film was not very gore) a great soundtrack, good actors, especially Russell Crowe (as the revenge driven Gladiator), River Phoenix (as the psychopathic ceasar) and Connie Nielsen (as the suppressed and terrorised Lucilla). But I also liked Djimon Hounsou and Ralph Möller a lot. The plot actually was good too there were just 2 bothers if you ask me, first of all there are far too many boring politics involved for this action  revenge pic, plus there are a few visions, Crowe had in this film that I found very unfitting, especially that in the end. Oh yes I almost forgot, I didn't like the ending very much. The basics were good but the was it was carried out was way too melodramatic. Standing there and stumbling for many seconds falling, then of course the FINAL words of the hero!! But there were more good than bad things here besides a lot of blood, sadness, sorrow, depression, madness, it all really made you feel for these people. I even had tears in my eyes at one point or two, just as I had with another epic film I saw, which is another classic in my eyes and funny enough has somehow a similar plot (as for the basic revenge story), Braveheart. These are the two best epic classics of the past 10 years and surely two films that may not be missed.
As you may have noticed I found the ending rather bad, regarding the rest of the film, this is also the reason, why I say, Gladiator was good, when it could have been HUGE, GIGANTIC, EXCELLENT, it could have been TITANIC!!!
But it still is a classic, so stop reading and go see it!
8 out of 10