Product: Gladiator [VHS] (2000)
Rating: 4.0
I don't normally like CG special effects but these're good
I thought they did a pretty good job redoing Rome. I still prefer models, mattes, real set construction-- but these computer renditions didn't look half bad. Usually I hate the computer graphics in movies.The way buildings (palaces, huts, tents, etc) looked inside was real good. I guess the "property department" was responsible for that.Good action movie... especially the opening scenes with the barbarians. The action is the draw for this film-- it's a "guy" movie. Lots of hack and slash, military comraderie, etc.This is Oliver Reed's last movie. He's one of my favorite character actors and does a good job as a local gladiator manager.Joaquim does decent job making the evil Commodus almost sympathetic in spots.Finally, I liked the fact that they presented the ancestor worship/veneration that in some ways was more important to the average Roman than the Zeus pantheon.