Product: Gladiator [VHS] (2000)
Rating: 3.0
A Sword and Sandal Epic--and Russell Crowe!
"Gladiator" is a sweeping epic I saw on the big screen. When I went to the afternoon matinee,I enjoyed the spectacle of Roman warriors,political conspiracy,and Russell Crowe. Mainly,I went to see Crowe,and wasn't disappointed.Russell Crowe stars as Maximus,a brave general whose family is slain by the evil Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) He escapes death,and ends up a gladiator. In the meantime,Commodus has killed his father Marcus Aurelius (the late Richard Harris) and lusts after his sister (Connie Nielsen) The characters fit general stereotypes:the Evil Emperor,the Noble Gladiator,Suffering Sister,but at least Phoenix and Crowe imbue their characters with some depth.Connie Nielsen stars as Maximus' royal ex-girlfriend. She tries to comfort the grieving widower,but he refuses her. Nevertheless,she agrees to help him. In the end,Maximus defeats Commodus and in the process he himself dies."Gladiator" isn't exactly deep (if you want a deep Ridley Scott movie,get "Blade Runner" instead)but it is good sword and sandal fun. It also has a good message about defending family and freedom. Russell Crowe is sexy as the lead,worthy muscular eye candy. The movie isn't all that deep,so don't worry about having deep reasons to watch it. Sit back and enjoy.