A movie with high aspirations that never quite gets there

Rating: Null/10 (23 May 2000)

Although I enjoyed this movie I felt it was lacking something. It had great cinematography and in your face sound (I saw it in DTS played VERY loudly!). But the plot suffered from moribund subject matter. The Gladiator sections could have been expanded and made more of. The emperor Modicus was the typical limp wristed affair making him a somewhat predictable character where his undoing could be seen a mile off. Crowe of course was excellent and was 'hard as nails' enough to carry off the part. As to the lacking part. It is hard to put my finger on. The 'epic' feel seemed to be missing. I guess I was looking for something seen from the days of Ben Hur and Spartacus. The battle at the beginning of the movie with Germania didn't seem to quite fit with what my impressions have always been of the Roman armies. Too dark and dysmal perhaps. Ridley Scott is a good director but for some reason his movies always seem like they are unfinished peices. I always feel like I have not seen the whole movie as the end credits roll. Gladiator the extended cut anyone?