Very Good, but not Great

Rating: 8/10 (4 June 2000)

Maximus, a great Roman general commanding troops against the Germans in the second century, is chosen by the aging Marcus Aurelius to be the next emperor. Commodus, Marcus' son, and the only other person privy to these plans besides Maximus and Marcus, kills his father and attempts to kill Maximus. Maximus escapes only to sold as a slave bound for the gladiatorial games. From here, he must survive to have his revenge.
The action is very, very good, but the long scenes of dialogue drag. This is a very simple story whose best parts are the action. I must disagree with most IMDb viewers; this is not one of the best movies of all time...but it is entertaining.