Why do we go to movies?

Rating: Null/10 (30 May 2000)

For me, I go to movies primarily to be entertained. Gladiator is top notch entertainment. It fits the definition of an epic to a tee. Some have board posts have reflected complaints about historical inconsistencies, length (more minutes per $), and a so-called lack of character development: Maximus and Commodus, the early years....were these watcher's eyes and ears closed?
The movie was presented in such a manner that the viewer didn't HAVE to bear witness to the early years. The character's were written and directed well enough that it was quite obvious how the relationships were intertwined. This allowed for the action to get underway in conjunction with a very engaging, yet simple plot that contained a few nice surprises.

Forget the naysayers and what they say. They probably come from the art film world where no foreign language film is bad and other movies such as Shakespeare in Love, Dangerous Liasons, The Thin Red Line, etc. are king...to me can you spell BORING.
Gladiator ranks with Braveheart: Best Picture 2000 (to date for sure)