for those who believe in heroes

Rating: 9/10 (27 May 2000)

As my summary suggests, this is classic example of a legendary "hero" way back when, with battles and death galore, tinted with unsurmountable odds and a love interest to boot. Clooney (Maximus) plays his role surprisingly well as talented general who, after his initial escape from death, battles for vengeance on his own. And we all know nothing is more dangerous than a man who has nothing to lose. Despite what you might think beforehand, the fight scenes are NOT repetitive; each has its own flare and creativity that will interest the most of you, if not sicken you with special effects (plenty of blood; not for the weak stomach). My only complaint is the way the final scenes were handled; they seemed set up (unbelievably I might add) and they made you expect a huge battle to conclude the story, but it never happened. That foible aside, I had high hopes and was not disappointed.
If you've seen Gladiator, you may think I'm over-generalizing it, and well, I am. If you haven't, for the most part, it's well worth your money, because everyone needs a little fantasy story with honor, loyalty, and heroism ironed into their head. When we see someone achieve something like that, even in a movie, although me might not know it, we feel refreshed at what a single human can accomplish.