Product: Gladiator [VHS] (2000)
Rating: 2.0
Three stars is too generous
This movie won best picture at the Oscars and I wasn't at all surprised, as the Acadamy tends to NOT award the best picture of the year with the honor. A lot of people loved this movie and it's easy to see why: an underdog lead character and loads of action. I would have loved it too had it been as carefully crafted as Ben Hur. However, it isn't, and the story is about as strong as wet tissue paper; the sub-par story alone tries to support a new-era Hollywood epic and obviously turns to shreds.The whole of the movie is filler with some action sequences to break the monotony: There's the "driving factor" of Maximus trying to free the slaves and restore the glorious empire, but who really cares except for Maximus? Not me, and probably not most people. And don't forget the tacked on love story, which seems obligatory for any Hollywood movie these days. The pure and simple truth is that, sadly, no extra care was taken to ensure this movie's claim to greatness.When you put all these elements in a blender and hit "puree" you come up with a thick dark sludge that's as appetizing as raw liver, but which people will shell out money to taste nonetheless. And despite what you may think of this next statement, there is no bitterness involved: If you want to really see the best picture of the year, go see Traffic.