average action movie

Rating: Null/10 (25 May 2002)

For me this is an action movie with good special effects and nothing more. There are some good views of imperial Rome which were particularly nice. The acting was average, but the story mediocre. The charcters of this story are all black and white - extremely pious or very bad.
spoilers********** Marcus Aurelius Roman emperor, the father of Commodus (the villain of this movie) was a nice guy who wants to transfer power back to the Roman senate, nicely suiting our 21st century values. Russell plays a General, with liberal politically correct views and a nuclear family living somewhere near the suburbs of Rome. Commodus kills his father, and then turns against Maximus and kills his family and he is forced to flee and take employment as a gladiator. Maximus finally comes to Rome and fights in the Colosseum, Commodus recognizes him, foolishly challenges him to a fight and gets killed. Much of this doesnt make any sense, and the acting is pretty wooden. I do like the fighting scenes; but it is no better than Arnies "Predator" which seems better off than the fake scenes here.

rating 6/10