A sublime trip back to the classic ages!

Rating: 8/10 (21 July 2018)

Excellent direction, memorable performances, intense action set pieces and a soundtrack that brings out the monster in you- put all of these in the same bag and BOOM, you have Gladiator! An instant classic! Ridley Scott takes us back in time, giving us an aesthetic look and feel of the glorious Roman empire. The visuals are breathtaking, showing ancient Rome in all its glory. The Colosseum looks pretty dope and so do all the places in the city.
Russel Crowe's performance is something extremely special. Playing the role of the noble Roman General Maximus, he portrays a variety of emotions pertaining to the honorable Roman guard. He almost single handedly carries this epic to great heights. A very well deserved Oscar for the guy. Joaquin Phoenix steals every damn scene he's in. Playing the egoistic Commodus who has a bizarre view of the world, he does justice to the character and the movie as a whole. The supporting cast is great as well. All in all, I did not find any weak link in the performances whatsoever.
A pretty straightforward story, but I ain't complaining. The simple plot actually works well for the film. Helps keep the focus on the characters, thus making the film a character-driven one. Minimal number of inconsistencies.
Gladiator is thus one of Ridley Scott's best films, period. Probably one of the best in the genre as well.
WAS I NOT ENTERTAINED!? HELL YEAH, I WAS ENTERTAINED!