Predictable Spectacle

Rating: 7/10 (23 October 2001)

I never got around to seeing this in the theater. I'm sure it's a marvelous spectacle on the big screen. I don't know what it was. I found the acting good, the spectacle and special effects outstanding, the hero one we could cheer for. Why, then, do I feel so empty? Was it all the hype, best picture of the year? I just don't know. It was totally predictable. There were absolutely no surprises. After seeing The Patriot and realizing both movies have the same plot, I expected something more. Why are evil Roman Emperors always portrayed as cowardly wimps? I still don't believe that he actually was willing to go into the arena with Maximus. He wouldn't have anything to do with war. There is the obligatory killing of the family. That goes back to Macbeth folks. If a ruler wants to stay a ruler, leave the family alone. I know it's just to show how evil and powerful the Emperor is, but do you want the top general in the army gunning for you?--this will guarantee it. There is masterful cinematography in this film. The scenes of violence are masterful. Although once you've seen one fountain of blood spouting up, you've seen them all--one decapitation is like another. What I wanted was to see the characters really dealing with the evil of the times and confronting it. There is always that army out there ready to be commanded again. There is always the possibility that the greatest empire in the world can be destroyed by one guy (like when Mel Gibson won the Revolutionary War all by himself). I think this is really quite a good film. But I don't see it as deserving to be named the best of any year. We've come to demand a movie that looks good rather than one that grasps our heart.