This is a "must see" for everyone except young children

Rating: Null/10 (18 May 2000)

I wasn't expecting more out of Gladiator than a few good fight scenes. Boy was I pleasantly surprised. This movie was fantastic! In fact, quit reading this review and just go see it, right now.
Well, if you need a little convincingÂ…
Gladiator is the story of the Roman General, Maximus (Russell Crowe), who was charged by dieing emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) with returning the government of Rome to the people. However, before the emperor can announce his wishes publicly, he is betrayed by his son, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). General Maximus becomes hunted and eventually thrown into slavery where he finds himself fighting for survival in the Roman stadiums of Africa.
I can think of nothing to criticize about this film, so I'll borrow a criticism from a friend who thought the movie was too long and was monotonous in some parts (I disagreed).
The battles were quite graphic at times, but trust me, you will enjoy this movie.