uninspiring story and characters, not saved by good cinematography

Rating: 4/10 (28 November 2005)

The only good thing that I can say about this film is that it was shot well with careful planning in costume and excellent scenery. I cannot fault the picture/cinematography at all. But, this is the only thing the film has going for it, and this alone cannot save a film.
'Gladiator' was over-rated as a classic epic of its time. The story is complex and very dull in many places, and it could have been shortened. Now, I am a big fan of historical fiction films, but this one just did not do it. The story was very weak, and I could not get into it at all. The characters were also another problem. I felt that I could not relate to them. The film is not as engaging - the characters and story are weak so much that none of the great things about this film make a difference. It is too bad because I had some high expectations for this film and the genre.